[Assam] AT: Central scheme to support venture schools demanded

[umesh sharma]

Central scheme to support venture schools demanded
 By A Staff Reporter
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov2407\State

  GUWAHATI, Nov 23 – Lok Sabha MP Dr Arun Kumar Sarma yesterday drew the attention of the Central Government to its constitutional obligation for ensuring financial support to the non-commercial venture schools and colleges of the State. The support may be extended through a special Central scheme, he told the government, while raising the matter.

Dr Sarma said that though education is a State subject, the Union government was promoting education through UGC grants and various Central schemes including the Sarba Siksha Abhijan, Anganwadi, mid-day meal etc, besides establishing the Central Universities, Regional Engineering Colleges, Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas etc.

In Assam, many public institutes including the Madrassas from the lower primary level to the degree level, are imparting formal education to more than half of the total enrolled students without getting any financial aid either from the Central or from the State government.

 A number of such institutes established and managed by public have served up to 25 years after due recognition by the State government on getting affiliated to the universities and boards concerned.

It is rather discriminatory that Central funds are flowing to the institutions, which are already getting regular grants from the State government. Both the governments are evading their constitutional obligation of supporting these non-commercial public institutes, which are actually supplementing government efforts in anticipation of their being taken over by the government. 

Consequently, more than half of the formal education in Assam is running without government support. The Union government avoided supporting these institutes simply categorising them as private schools and colleges. It is surprising that these institutes are not covered under grants from the Central Education Cess, even for monthly salary of teachers. It is unfortunate that many teachers died or retired without getting a penny from government after rendering dedicated services for 20 to 25 years, said Dr Sarma.

Umesh Sharma

Washington D.C. 

1-202-215-4328 [Cell]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)




www.gse.harvard.edu/iep  (where the above 2 are used )
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/



http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
       
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