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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