Guwahati: All govt-run high school and higher-secondary schools in Assam will have at least one smart classroom by March 2026, education minister Ranoj Pegu told the state assembly on Thursday.

The opposition targeted the govt for failing to provide adequate teachers in govt schools with unequal infrastructure. Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi criticised state govt for the dropout rate and the fact that many primary schools are run by one or two teachers.

“I am happy to inform the House that the govt will complete the construction of smart classrooms in every govt-run high school and higher-secondary school in the state by March 2026,” Pegu said.

Pegu countered Akhil, asserting that Assam is progressing with a place in the Akanshi II category in the performance grading index of schools. “Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, and the northeastern states are below us,” Pegu said. He mentioned that Assam is in close competition with states like Odisha in the performance grading index.

According to UDISE data, he said Assam was able to reduce the dropout rate in schools since 2021-22. He added that at the secondary level, the dropout rate for Assam was 29.5% in 2022-23, but in the latest ranking, it improved to 17.5%. “With a 79.6% gross enrolment rate in Assam, we are ahead of the all-India GER in secondary education, which is 78.7%,” Pegu said.

He said there are numerous parameters showing that Assam is in a better position in the performance grading index and that UDISE assessment outcomes in the state are improving year by year.

Pegu added that the education department is working in close coordination with the social welfare department, and state govt has built 10,000 anganwadi kendras with an expenditure of Rs 2,500 crore.

He added that the weaknesses at the pre-primary level have been addressed, and now the effort is to develop high schools and higher secondary schools. Thus, 2,000 schools are being rebuilt with an expenditure of Rs 7 to 8 crore for each of these schools.

“In the last three years, an investment of Rs 2,000 crore has been made, and around 400 schools have been rebuilt by state school education department to boost secondary education,” he said.

Regarding the shortage of teachers in some rural and remote areas of the state, Pegu said that the govt is proceeding with a plan to appoint teachers school-wise so that teachers cannot transfer out of these schools.

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