Assam to Introduce School-Based Teacher Posting; Seven Subjects in Higher Secondary Soon: Education Minister Ranoj Pegu

Guwahati: Education Minister Ranoj Pegu today informed the Assam Legislative Assembly that the government is introducing a school-based teacher appointment system, which will require teachers to work in the same school for their full service period. This new system aims to solve the long-standing problem of teachers refusing to work in remote and interior areas.

Speaking during the discussion on the Education Department’s Supplementary Demand for 2025–26, the minister said, “Many teachers avoid remote areas by seeking transfers. Under the Chief Minister’s guidance, we are adopting school-based recruitment so that no transfer is required. If someone wants to leave, they will have to resign.” He added that such posts will no longer fall under Assam or district cadres.

Pegu also said that the government will soon fill all vacant posts in both primary and secondary education. Out of the 15,000 vacant primary teacher posts, 5,500 appointments are already done, and 4,500 candidates have completed document verification, who will join shortly. Recruitment for the remaining 5,000 posts—which fell vacant last year—will also begin soon.

For secondary education, the minister said that 8,000 out of 12,000 vacant posts have already been filled, and recruitment for the remaining 4,000 posts will be processed in December.

Higher Secondary to Have Seven Subjects

The minister announced that Higher Secondary (HS) students will now study seven subjects.
Environmental Science will be added in Class 11, and General Knowledge will be added in Class 12 to help students perform better in competitive exams.

Pegu also said Assam is the first state in India to sign collaboration agreements with departments like Industries, Fisheries, and Agriculture for school education.

Focus on Skill Development

The Education Minister stressed the need for modern skill-based education, saying that new-age subjects like AI, 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, and industrial internet will replace older skill courses like carpentry and security.
He informed that the state is partnering with major corporate groups for future job opportunities.

Response to Criticism in the Assembly

Several MLAs criticised the state’s education system. Responding to this, Pegu defended the government:

• On the comparison with Kerala, he said Kerala’s government school enrolment is only 37%, while Assam has 69% enrolment in government schools.
• Replying to Akhil Gogoi’s remark calling Assam’s education system poor, Pegu said Gogoi had “insulted the people of Sivasagar,” which topped Gunotsav rankings and represents quality government education.

He also denied media reports claiming Assam ranks second from the bottom in national education rankings. He clarified that in the national Performance Grading Index, Assam is in the Aspirational-2 category, scoring 512 out of 1000 points, and stands 26th from the top and 11th from the bottom.

Dropout Rates Reduced; Enrolment Improved

The minister said dropout rates have dropped significantly—from 29.5% to 17.5%—and enrolment has increased:

• Senior Secondary enrolment: 37.1% → 37.6%
• Secondary enrolment: 75% → 79.6%

New School Infrastructure and Smart Classrooms

Under the National Education Policy, Assam will strengthen schooling from age three to Class 12.
The government will construct 2000 upgraded school buildings at a cost of ₹7–9 crore each.
In the last three years, 400 new schools have been built with an expenditure of ₹2000 crore. Digital smart classrooms will be introduced in all schools by March.