Guwahati: In a bid to impart regular education to the students, the Assam government has decided to close down all state-run madrassas and Sanskrit Tols in the state within a period of six months.
Education Minister of the state, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it was not the duty of a secular government to teach religion, scriptures and languages as Arabic to children.
He spoke to a national media and said, “We have about 1,200 madrassas and 200 Sanskrit tols in Assam without any independent boards to run them. A lot of problems have cropped up because these people get a certificate equivalent to matriculation or high secondary school. That is why the state government has decided to convert all madrassas and Sanskrit tols into regular schools,”
Himanta Biswa Sarma explained that this move was made so that children do not lose out on general education because of their parents’ decisions to send the children to madrassas and Sanskrit Tols.
He said, ” As the state government is a secular entity, it cannot fund organisations involved in religious teaching. Private madrassas and Sanskrit tols can continue to run, but we will soon bring a new law to ensure they function in accordance with a regulatory framework.”
