Assam to weed out 'Ghost Schools and Teachers', says Education Minister

Assam's Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu, announced on July 9 that the state is intensifying efforts to eliminate "ghost schools and teachers" following the successful detection of "ghost students." Pegu revealed that special grants to schools failing to provide complete staff information will be withheld, with the salaries of such employees set to be stopped in the coming months.

Addressing a press conference, Minister Pegu expressed concern over the existence of "ghost schools and teachers" that only exist on paper as a means to fraudulently obtain government funds. In June, during a reconciliation exercise of enrollment figures, approximately 4.50 lakh ghost students were identified in government and private schools across the state.

Highlighting the next phase of the initiative, Pegu revealed that more than 11,000 lower and upper primary government schools have failed to provide comprehensive staff details as requested by the education department. The information was to be uploaded onto a dedicated portal called 'Shikshya Setu'. Pegu emphasized that until all details are provided, annual school grants and sports and physical education grants for the year 2023-24 will be put on hold.

Pegu further announced that grants will be sanctioned for schools that have provided complete information. However, failure to comply may result in the suspension of salaries starting from August or September. The minister clarified that the requested details were basic, such as educational qualifications, joining dates, and transfers. He underscored that accountability to the public requires transparency and responsible use of public funds.

While over 2.08 lakh teaching and non-teaching employees have uploaded their information, approximately 35,500 individuals are yet to do so. Pegu urged those pending to submit their details promptly, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling this requirement to maintain trust and integrity.

Minister Pegu assured schools that complete uploading of the data would result in the immediate release of grants. However, no specific timeframe was provided for the disbursement.