GUWAHATI – Nearly 1,400 government-run Lower Primary (LP) and Middle English (ME) schools in Assam’s ‘char’ (riverine islands) and rural areas lack essential drinking water and toilet facilities. This issue, alongside a significant number of teacher vacancies, was brought before the state assembly on Thursday by Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu.
Minister Pegu informed the House that a total of 1,391 schools in these specific areas currently operate without functional student facilities. This figure includes both primary and middle-level institutions.
Facility Shortfalls
A detailed breakdown reveals specific gaps in basic infrastructure:
- 347 schools currently have no drinking water facilities.
- 809 institutions entirely lack toilet facilities.
- Drinking water facilities in 134 schools are present but not functional.
- Toilets in 101 schools are also currently non-functional.
The total count of schools affected by either missing or non-functional drinking water facilities stands at 481 (347 + 134). Similarly, the total count for schools affected by missing or non-functional toilets is 910 (809 + 101).
Teacher Vacancies
Beyond infrastructure, the education sector in Assam’s ‘char’ and rural regions faces a substantial shortage of teaching staff. A total of 27,936 teaching posts remain vacant across all government schools in these areas.
The vacancy distribution across different school levels is as follows:
| School Level | Vacant Posts |
|---|---|
| Middle English (ME) Schools | 12,382 |
| Lower Primary (LP) Schools | 8,251 |
| Upper Primary (UP) Schools | 7,303 |
Government Action and Recruitment Efforts
Minister Pegu stated that relevant government departments are working to provide drinking water and toilet facilities to the affected schools. The state also continues efforts to address the teaching staff shortage.
Current recruitment drives aim to fill a portion of these vacancies:
- Recruitment for 4,500 Lower Primary (LP) posts in general areas is ongoing. The document verification process for candidates is presently underway.
- The Secondary Education Directorate has initiated a recruitment exercise for 9,717 teachers to fill additional vacant positions.
These measures aim to improve both the physical learning environment and the availability of qualified educators in Assam’s rural and riverine school systems.