Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced plans to significantly expand educational opportunities in the state’s tea garden areas. The state government will open 80 new model schools, adding to the 118 already in operation.
During an interaction with the headmasters of the Tea Garden Model Schools and Adarsha Vidyalayas on Thursday, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We will open 80 more model schools in tea garden areas along with introducing initiatives like mid-day meal schemes for classes 9 and 10 students and smart classroom facilities.”
Highlighting the state’s goal to improve the academic landscape of the tea garden areas, he said the government had previously planned to establish 200 model schools across the state’s 800 tea estates.
“Accordingly, in November 2022, foundation stones for 118 schools were laid, which are functioning at present in the tea garden areas,” he said.
He said that considering the success of these model schools, the government will inaugurate 80 more such schools in the tea garden areas.
He also called for encouraging student enrollment from diverse communities to promote better social integration.
The government is also committed to enhancing the infrastructure of the schools along with improving the service conditions of teachers posted in the model schools, Sarma added.
In addition to new schools, the state government is introducing key initiatives to improve student attendance and learning.
The government is considering extending the mid-day meal scheme to students in classes 9 and 10 to help reduce dropout rates. Currently, the scheme is available for students from nursery to class 8.
He said that the government will take steps to introduce smart boards and smart classrooms in the model schools. The chief minister also took stock of the teachers’ strength, pass percentage, and student attendance in the model schools.
The chief minister also reviewed the operations of the 57 Adarsha Vidyalayas across Assam. These schools, he emphasized, were established to cultivate talent, values, and creativity through high-quality education.
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The government is actively working to elevate educational standards, particularly in the state’s remote areas, he stated.
He further said the government will take steps to formalise one year of compulsory apprentice training for the B.Ed students in tea garden model schools and Adarsha Vidyalayas.
