In Assam, most of the families send their children to private schools despite the fact that government schools are free because most of the private schools in Assam often score better results in board examinations than the government ones. They cover the entire curriculum and offer extracurricular activities. More than 90 per cent families, even the poorest, of urban Assam and most of the middle-class families of rural Assam enroll their children in private schools. Private schooling has come to be associated with an apparent perception of quality in Assam and thus desirable in the eyes of the stakeholders, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
In reality, most of the private school authorities, especially the English medium private school authorities in Assam are taking advantage of this perception. Operating private schools in Assam have now become a big service industry, more or less a profit-making business. Though it is mandatory for all private schools functioning in Assam (irrespective of their board affiliation recognition from SEBA, CBSE or ICSE) to be registered under the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation & Management) Act, 2006 and to follow the norms of the Act, several discrepancies can be found in their operations. Some private schools are operating in Assam even without registration under the Act.
It has been seen that most of the private schools of Assam fail to comply with the rules of the Act. They lack required land, open spaces for sports and other activities, safe school buildings and proper infrastructure as per the norms of the Act except a few costly English-medium private schools and few Assamese-medium private schools. The school buildings lack earthquake protection, fire safety measures and safe electrification. The school campuses are not clean and hygienic. The class rooms are not spacious and hygienic. They are overcrowded and lack sufficient lighting and fanning. The school authorities enroll more students than the infrastructure can sustain. Some private schools don’t have safe drinking water facilities and hygienic toilet facilities. Many don’t even provide separate girls’ toilets. Most of the private schools of Assam lack facilities for girl students- adequate and private space for changing sanitary napkins, soap and adequate water to wash themselves and their cloths during menstrual periods and facilities for safe disposal of soiled sanitary napkins. The school authorities don’t monitor the issues related to the safety of the students through a strict monitoring system. The government authority concerned should begin on-the- spot inspection of all private schools in Assam. If the schools fail to comply with the rules, their registrations should be cancelled.
In Assam, most of the English-medium private schools don’t follow the syllabus in line with SCERT and NCERT up to Class VIII. They change their syllabi each year so that they can sell new books each session. They either sell books and uniforms themselves or ask the guardians to buy these from specific sellers. The government should take steps to ensure determination of the syllabus of these schools in line with SCERT and NCERT up to Class VIII so that the authorities of these schools cannot bring in frequent changes in their syllabi.
It has been seen that most of the private schools of Assam charge exorbitant fees, but the facilities including teaching are not up to the standard. It is true that the private schools of Assam have to function on the fees collected from the students. They don’t get aides or grants from the Government. But, it is a regular practice of the authorities of the private schools of Assam, especially in Guwahati to hike tuition fees, readmission fees, renewal fees, etc., at the slightest pretext. Though the authorities of these schools do it in the name of providing quality education, improving in infrastructure facilities and increasing the salary of teachers and non-teaching staff, these exercises appear to be nothing but the means of fleecing the guardians. The State Fee Regulatory Board should take strict action against them which are allegedly charging exorbitant fees.
The main aim of a school, whether private or public, is to provide quality education to students. An honest, dedicated, qualified and skilled teacher is the mentor for providing quality education. Most of the private schools in Assam lack such teachers. They don’t join in the private schools due to low salary scale. Moreover, the private school authorities don’t appoint such teachers as they have to pay good salary. The school authorities don’t follow the set rules in appointment of teachers like B.Ed. or DEIEd qualification. The percentage of untrained teachers is more in private schools, and most of them don’t receive in-service training. A few private schools even lack sufficient number of teachers to maintain the pupil-teacher ratio. The explosion of private schools as well as students in Assam is creating ideal conditions wherein these teachers can be exploited. The true economic status of private school teachers of Assam is really pathetic. They are one of the lowest paid groups in the State. Some private school teachers don’t get facilities of provident fund and ESI schemes. An individual needs economic security to give one’s best towards any profession. Due to very low salary, the teachers of the private schools of Assam are unable to do justice with their profession. They need to do private tuitions for extra income. As teaching in private schools is not rewarding in material terms, the profession doesn’t attract the brighter and dynamic youth in Assam, thereby ensuring a continuation of the decline in teaching standards.
There is a need of greater economic empowerment of the private school teachers in Assam and tackling of concerns such as good salary, job security, provident fund, post-retirement benefits etc., so that the profession attracts the best and the brightest youth in Assam. The State Government should strictly monitor that the private school authorities appoint BEd or DEIEd passed, TET-qualified candidates as teachers and pay appropriate salaries. The State Government should provide financial aides to the private schools of Assam to minimise the students’ fees and to pay good salary to the teachers and non-teaching staff.
The State Government should keep a check on the functioning of the private schools of Assam keeping in mind the future of our students. They should consider the operations of private schools as an industry and strictly apply the norms of an industry like quality, minimum wages etc. There is an urgent need of a special Act to monitor the private school authorities of Assam.
