Scheduled Castes Education in Assam

Poli Konwar

Poli Konwar obtained her Master Degree in the subject of Education from Dibrugarh University, Assam in 2003. She obtained M.Phil. Degree in 2008. She received her Ph.D. from Dibrugarh University in 2018.

She is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, Gargaon College, Simaluguri under Dibrugarh University. She has contributed research papers to dierent academic journals and edited books. She is the author of Primary Education in Assam Past Present and Future published by Mittal Publications, New Delhi

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

he primary education is considered as an important factor which can play a significant role for the overall development of society and economy. A sound primary education may lead to sound secondary and higher education. Primary education deserves the highest priority not only on ground of social justice but also for increasing overall national productivity of a country. Primary education has the power to meet basic learning needs for a sustained improvement of quality of life. It is the birth right of every child that primary education makes person capable of reading and writing and knowing the environmental scenario in which he lives. There has been significant positive impact of the access and quality of primary education on aggregate social and economic growth. The primary education had been accepted as the starting point for promoting gender equality and empowering women in a society. Government of India accepted RTE Act to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years. Although the government has taken different measures for development of primary education in Assam, could not attain much progress even after completing more but the state than six decades of economic planning. In this background, an effort has been made to study the different aspects of primary education of Scheduled Castes in Assam.

The study would not have been possible for me without the co-operation and help of a number of persons. I have no words to express my deep sense of indebtedness to Professor Nitul Kr. Gogoi Sir, Department of Anthropology, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh for his valuable suggestions for this work.

I express my indebtedness to my husband Dr. Krishna Jyoti Handique, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Gargaon College, Simaluguri for untiring support and patience throughout my work.

I am thankful to my lovely daughters Maitreye Krishna Handique and Gargee Krishna Handique who had been a constant source of inspiration from the beginning till the completion of the work.

Last but not least, I acknowledge my thankful to Mittal Publications, New Delhi for taking the responsibility to publish this work.

Dr. Poli Konwar