Over 1,700 govt schools shut in Assam

GUWAHATI: More than 1,700 government-run elementary schools in the state have been shut down and merged with neighbouring schools since April last year.
Elementary education department officials on Sunday said altogether 1,710 schools were amalgamated because of poor student enrolment. Schools with unsustainable enrolment below 15 can be merged with the nearby educational institutions, according to a decision taken by the state education department.
"More schools will be amalgamated depending upon the proposals from the districts," a senior education department official said. The Assam government recently ordered the closure of 34 high schools that saw a zero pass percentage in the Class X boards this year leading to massive protests. It later ordered the closure and subsequent merger of 195 secondary schools with fewer students and teachers.
Teachers' bodies and the general public have since been alleging that "false reports" by a section of the education department officials have led to the closure of even schools with a good number of students.
"The members of district-level committees on school amalgamation have given their go-ahead to mergers in many cases even without visiting the schools," Ratul Chandra Goswami, secretary of the Assam State Primary Teachers' Association (ASPTA) general secretary, said.
The association accused the government of merging even those schools that had more than 300 students. "Some schools in the state are genuinely facing a crisis because of the dwindling number of students, but a particular elementary school in the city had 312 children, one of the highest enrolments in Guwahati. But it was still merged with Natun Fatasil Town High School following an order issued in March. Half-a-century-old Natun Fatasil Town Lower Primary School in Guwahati was set up for poor students with the support of the locals."
Considering the gravity of the allegations, state education minister Ranoj Pegu recently urged the public to send their objections to school amalgamation, in case they had legitimate concerns. Assam has around 42,000 elementary schools run by the state government, which imparts education upto class VIII.
"ASPTA appeals to the government to halt the school amalgamation move till ground verification is done through genuine agencies," Goswami urged.