In a significant move, the Assam government has transformed and renamed 1,281 madrassas situated across 21 districts into middle English (ME) schools. Previously funded by the government, these madrassas have now been repurposed as general schools, marking a strategic shift in the education landscape.
These converted schools are distributed across the state, with a concentration in the lower Assam region and Barak Valley districts. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu announced the change through a notification on Wednesday, indicating that the upper primary schools, formerly known as “ME Madrassa,” would now be recognized as “ME School.”
Dhubri district leads with the highest number of 269 ME madrassas being renamed, followed by 165 in Nagaon and 158 in Barpeta district, primarily located in the lower Assam region. Additionally, Goalpara and Hailakandi districts have witnessed 99 and 87 madrassas being rebranded as “ME Schools,” respectively.
The Chief Minister’s office stated, “Taking a step towards converting all government and provincialized Madrassas into regular schools, @SchoolEdnAssam has changed the names of 1,281 ME Madrasa into ME English.”
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has consistently emphasized the government’s inability to bear the expenses of religious education. The conversion process was initiated following the Assam Repealing Act, 2020, which repealed the Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialization) Act, 1995, and the Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialization of Services of Employees and Re-Organization of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018.
Since April 1, 2021, the state government has already converted 610 state-run madrassas into upper primary, high, and higher secondary schools, maintaining the status, pay, allowances, and service conditions of the teaching and non-teaching staff.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, in an earlier statement, expressed the intention to replace all madrassas in Assam with schools, colleges, and universities, highlighting the government’s focus on promoting general education.
