Low teacher training scores, high dropouts plague Assam’s education progress

The Performance Grading Index 2.0 released by the Union Education Ministry is a tell-tale sign of how the school education system continues to fail the State children.

It punches holes in the policy and approach adopted by the government, which has been hindering students’ academic and overall development. The State has been ranked in the second lowest grade along with nine other States, including five from the Northeast, in the grading index. Assam’s score is in the range of 461-520, and is tenth from the bottom among the 36 States and UTs assessed.

In fact, compared to the previous assessment, the State’s rank dropped a few points in the domain ‘Access’ - an assessment of enrolment, retention of students, transition of students to the next grade, identification and mainstreaming of out-of-school children – and is now third from the bottom just above Arunachal and Meghalaya. In the teacher Education and Training Domain, Assam, with a score of 52.1, is just above the worst performing Meghalaya (46.8).

Despite decades of investment in expanding access to education, the outcomes of school education in the State remain deeply concerning. Dropout rates continue to be disturbing, particularly at the secondary level, where many students fall through the cracks due to poor learning outcomes, lack of motivation, and socio-economic pressures.

The issue lies not just in access, but in quality as well. For years, the State government has focused heavily on building schools and upgrading infrastructure. While these are essential, they alone cannot ensure meaningful learning. True educational reform demands a shift in focus toward what happens inside the classroom – the quality of teaching, curriculum delivery, and student engagement.

One of the most overlooked areas is teacher education and training. Teachers are the backbone of the education system, yet many are inadequately trained. Moreover, teachers are frequently burdened with non-teaching duties like election work, census surveys, and administrative tasks, reducing their classroom effectiveness.

This systemic misuse of teaching manpower further weakens the core purpose of education. The widespread use of “freebies” – such as midday meals, bicycles, and uniforms – is often justified as a means to improve enrolment and retention.

While these measures have succeeded in bringing children to school, they have not necessarily translated into better learning outcomes. Freebies can support education, but they cannot replace a strong academic foundation, qualified teachers, and effective teaching practices. When incentives become the main attraction, the core goal of learning risks being overshadowed.

Efforts to assess the quality of education through initiatives like Gunotsav have also fallen short. These initiatives tend to focus more on metrics than on meaningful learning. To truly transform school education, the government must prioritise teacher capacity building, reduce non-teaching assignments, and create a culture of accountability and support in schools.