Itanagar, (Asian independent) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced on Wednesday that all government schools in the state established before Independence would be declared as ‘Heritage School’ and given special attention for infrastructure development, adding that a museum will also be set up within the premises of each such school.
The Chief Minister’s announcement came in response to a request by the organisers of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Government Secondary School in Balek near Pasighat, for declaring the institute as a Heritage School.
Established as a lower primary school in 1946, the Government Secondary School is celebrating its platinum jubilee, which was declared open by the Chief Minister on Wednesday.
“This is one of the best requests that I have come across. Not only this school, but all pre-Independence government schools in the state will be declared as Heritage Schools with a museum showcasing their rich history,” he said.
“This is a historic occasion. The school’s journey of 75 years is a big milestone given the fact that Arunachal Pradesh was born as a Union Territory in 1972 and became a full-fledged state only in 1987,” Khandu said.
Hailing the school for producing many luminaries in its long journey of 75 years, he paid rich tributes to those who have passed away and congratulated those who are serving in various capacities and those who have retired.
Khandu said that from 3-4 schools established before Independence, Arunachal now has more than 3,000 government schools across the state.
“We have faced immense challenges, particularly in the education sector, but we have kept our progress steadfast,” he said.
The Chief Minister, however, emphasised on quality rather than quantity.
“We have focused more on establishing schools after schools without keeping an eye on the quality of education being imparted in them,” he said.
Khandu blamed the huge number of schools without proper infrastructure and manpower in the state on ‘politics of appeasement’.
He asserted that his government does not believe in political appeasement, but on quality of schemes and projects.
“We have taken education very seriously. In fact, we have shut down about 400 government schools having zero attendance. The process is still on. We don’t need more schools but we need quality education in the existing schools for which the government is extending all support,” he said.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated five development projects and laid the foundations for 13 more projects at Pasighat, besides announcing a new market on a land donated by the locals.