The Assam government has decided to close 34 schools where not even a single student was able to pass in the Class 10 board examination held in March 2022. State education minister Ranoj Pegu said that it is not worth spending money on such institutes. A senior education official told a leading news agency, that keeping in mind the future of students studying in these institutes, they will be allowed to register in other nearby high schools.
“The primary duty of schools is to impart education. If a school cannot ensure that its students pass the Class 10 exam, there is no point in keeping these schools operational,” the minister told the daily. Pegu went on to say, “the government cannot spend public money on schools turning a zero success record.”
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For this poor performance, several officials have blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for causing disturbances in studies. The officials said teachers of many schools did not pay proper attention to students. It was also asserted that the return to offline board examination from last year is one of the reasons behind the bad result.
A few political parties have shared their opinion on this move taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a tweet in this regard stating, “Closing schools is not the solution. We just need to open many new schools all over the country. Instead of closing the school, improve the school and make education right.”
This year, Assam board recorded the worst overall result in five years in class 10. Only 56.49 per cent of the Class 10 students managed to pass the exam. In 2021, the pass percentage in the state stood at 93.10 per cent as exams were not held and results were announced on the basis of students’ performance in past exams and internal assessments.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a dig at the Assam government’s decision stating “Closing of schools is not the solution. We just need to open many new schools across the country. Instead of closing the schools, improve the school and provide quality education,” he said in a tweet.