At least 1281 Madrasas spread over 31 districts in the state of Assam have been renamed and converted into general schools by the government, officials announced on Thursday.
State education minister Ranoj Pegu shared the details on his X handle.
Changes approved by the state government
"The nomenclature of the 1281 Upper Primary Schools ME Madrassa under Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam shall be known as ME School with immediate effect," stated the order that Pegu shared. This change was approved by the state government.
The Assamese government passed a law in January 2021 that made it possible for all Madrasas run by the state government to become regular schools.
He wrote, “Consequent to conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasas into general schools under Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA). Department of School Education, Assam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into Middle English (ME) School by a notification today.”
It affected 731 madrasas and Arabic colleges under the jurisdiction of the State Madrasa Education Board, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, and Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), excluding private madrasas.
During a rally in Karnataka in March of this year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that he preferred educational institutions over Islamic religious centers and that his government had closed 600 madrasas. He intended to close all madrasas.
