Assam to add 80 model schools in tea garden areas by January as enrolment soars

CM Sarma says student enrolment in tea garden schools has risen from 12,000 to 35,000 in recent years;

Update: 2025-07-10 12:58 GMT
Assam to add 80 model schools in tea garden areas by January as enrolment soars

Himanta Biswa Sarma at the review and interactive session with headmasters of tea garden model schools and Adarsha Vidyalayas (Photo: @CMOfficeAssam / X)

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Guwahati, July 10: In a major push to transform education in Assam’s tea garden areas, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced 80 new model schools to be opened by January 2026.

The move aims to build on the remarkable surge in student enrolment, which has risen from around 12,000 to nearly 35,000 in tea garden schools in recent years.

“In 2021, we inaugurated our first set of model high schools in tea garden regions. Today, that number has grown to 118 schools. Now, we’re going further,  we will open 80 more model schools by January. Four tea gardens will share one school each, and the buildings are already ready,” Sarma said after a review meeting with headmasters and teachers of tea garden schools.

The Chief Minister highlighted the "silent but significant revolution" unfolding in these historically underserved communities. “From just over 12,000 students, we now have more than 30,000 tea garden children enrolled. This is a milestone and shows the progress we are making,” he said.

Teachers and headmasters from various tea garden schools participated in the meeting, sharing their suggestions on how to further improve educational outcomes.

Among the proposals discussed were constructing proper boundary walls, introducing breakfast in addition to midday meals, and extending mid-day meals up to Classes 9 and 10 to help tackle nutrition issues that often lead to dropouts.

Sarma acknowledged that while dropout rates remain a concern—particularly in Classes 8 and 9, when economic pressures push families to send children to work in tea gardens or factories—Assam has made significant progress.

“Dropouts have come down and are now close to the national average. The detailed report will be published in two to three months,” he added.

To strengthen the education eco-system further, the Assam government is working closely with international organisations like the Hans Foundation, which has pledged to invest Rs 300 crore over five years to upgrade model and standard schools in tea garden areas.

"Two teachers per model school are already being provided by the foundation. Additional support is being extended by global philanthropies such as the Bill Gates Foundation and the Azim Premji Foundation," said Sarma.

Currently, Assam has 57 CBSE model schools, most of them located in educationally backward blocks. "These schools boast impressive results, with pass percentages between 96% and 100% since their establishment in 2014–15," he added.

During the review meeting, Sarma also issued a stern reminder on maintaining decorum. He reprimanded a teacher for recording a conversation with him on his phone, calling the act “unprofessional” and instructing all staff to avoid such practices in future.

The opening of 80 more model schools is being seen as a significant leap towards ensuring brighter futures and breaking the generational cycle of poverty in these communities.

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