Assam Government School Enrolment Number Rises During COVID-19, Says Education Minister

Assam Government Schools: As per reports, Assam has recorded a rise in enrolment of students in government schools during the last two years of COVID-19. According to official data, the total number of students in all government, aided and non-private schools across Assam has increased by over 63,000 during the 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic since September 2020. This information has been provided by state Education Minister Ranoj Pegu.

 He stated, "We have seen a rise in enrolment in government schools during and after the pandemic. This is good news for us. This development can be attributed to many factors." Though there has been an overall impact of the pandemic on school education, the gradual improvement in teaching quality in government institutions has attracted many parents for enrolling their kids in Government schools. 

Rise in Enrolment in Assam Government Schools 

The highest rise in enrolment has been witnessed in the elementary section, comprising Classes 1 to 8, with 72,097 students getting admitted in the 15 months span. There were 44,92,085 students in the elementary section of all the non-private schools of Assam in September 2020 which increased to 45,64,182 in November 2021. The students in higher secondary schools having Class 11 and 12 also saw a growth of 27,211 enrolments to 3,44,657 from 3,17,446 during the period under consideration.

The total number of students in the secondary sections decreased by 36,024 to 7,75,648 in November last year from 8,11,672 students 15 months ago. Considering different standards, Classes 5, 6, 9 and 12 recorded falls in student enrolments, while the rest saw an increase in new pupils. 

Shift To Government Schools From Private Schools 

The state education minister explained that the financial impact of the pandemic has forced many parents to shift their children to free government schools from the private ones with high monthly fees. He further added that the Education Department has collated the enrolment figures of all students from Classes 1 to 12 and found that the total number has increased despite apprehensions of dropout due to the impact of the pandemic. 

Number of students in Government, Aided and Non-Private Schools

According to official data, the total number of students in all government, aided and non-private schools across Assam has increased by over 63,000 since September 2020. The total of students in government, aided, tea garden managed and venture (established by the people of a locality) schools have increased to 56,84,487 in November 2021 from 56,21,203 in September 2020. Such enumeration is usually done in September every year and the next survey will be carried out after two months this year.  

Fall In Pass Percentage in Assam Class 10th Result 2022

The state education minister accepted that the board result indicates that many students were deprived of formal education during the pandemic. The pass percentage has not improved this year compared to pre-pandemic years. The authorities conducted special remedial classes. Pegu stated that the performance of the rural schools went down compared to the urban ones as the online mode could not reach everyone.

The pass percentage for 2022 stood at 56.49% in the Class 10 matriculation examination, conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA). The pass percentage last year had soared to 93.1% from 64.8% in 2020. 

Also Read: Assam PAT Result 2022 Tomorrow, Scorecard link at dte.assam.gov.in