GUWAHATI: Assam is off the block in implementation of NE well ahead of the national deadline as the state cabinet on Wednesday approved replacing of the 10+2 school education system with the new 5+3+3+4 configuration from April, 2023.
"The cabinet has approved the structure change from 2023 well in advance of the national deadline of 2024. We can rightfully claim that we are one of the top states to have started implementing the NE," CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said in his post-cabinet briefing.
"The total years of schooling will now be increased to 15 years from existing 12 years," Sarma added. The new school education structure, while diluting the Class 10 board exam, brings three years of kindergarten classes or playschools under the ambit of formal education, which means that the span of the Right to Education Act will now cover ages 3 to 18.
"We will hold the class 10 examination but that will not be of much significance," Sarma said. He added that it has also been decided to merge Assam Board of Secondary Education (SEBA), which conducts Class 10 exam, and Assam's Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), which conducts the Class 12 exam, into one entity.
Under the new structure, children will spend five years in the "foundational" stage, three years in the 'preparatory' stage, three years in the 'middle' stage, and four years in the 'secondary' stage.
The five years pre-school stage and the three years preparatory stage for classes 3, 4 and 5 will be under the elementary education directorate. The three years middle stage for classes 6, 7 and 8 and the four years secondary stage for classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be under the education directorate.
