Aasu to protest against govt decision to teach maths, science in English

Guwahati: The All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) on Friday announced a month-long agitation against the state government’s decision to teach maths and science in English in vernacular medium schools from Class 6 onwards.
The series of agitations will culminate with a meeting of academicians and educationists on June 27 in Guwahati, Aasu president (in-charge) and secretary Utpal Sarma and Sankarjyoti Boruah said.
“The decision of the government to teach maths and science in English from Class 6 is detrimental to the growth of Assamese, Bodo and other local languages. We have been opposing it since it was announced last year. Now, we will launch a month-long agitation from May 27 to press for withdrawal of the decision,” they said.
Rather than taking such decisions, students in vernacular-medium schools should be taught English properly so that they can be fluent in the language, the Aasu leaders maintained.
The series of agitations will start with a discussion with the teachers’ associations of the state on May 28.
It will be followed by a 10-hour fast by all regional committees of Aasu on May 31 and a ‘gana satyagraha’in Guwahati on June 6.
All the local committees will undertake a mass awareness drive regarding the government’s decision from June 8 to 14, followed by protest demonstrations at the district level on June 15 and a bicycle procession on June 24 in all the sub-divisions.
The stir will end with a meeting of academicians on June 27 in Guwahati.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, at a review meeting of the education department in July last year, had directed for the introduction of English as a medium of instruction for science and maths from Class 6 till Class 12, along with the continuation of the teaching of both subjects in the Assamese language. PTI