“The SEBA has completed all the necessary arrangements to hold the HSLC and the Assam High Madrassa (AHM) examinations as per schedule all over the State, that is from February 25,” SEBA Secretary Dilwar Hussain said in a statement.

A total of 3,40,277 candidates are appearing in the examination through 720 centres throughout the State. For conducting the examinations, 1,400 teachers, 800 supervising officers and 80 zonal supervising officers are needed. It may be mentioned that the supervising officers also comprise of teachers.

Dismissing apprehensions that the boycott call would disrupt smooth holding of the examinations, sources in the SEBA said that the Board, along with the State Government were taking all necessary steps, both administrative as well as academic, so that the examination could pass off without any hassle.

“Only one organisation of teachers and employees has resorted to the stir, and the other two representative bodies – the Asom High School Shikshak Santha and the Asom Shikshak Karmachari Samanway Samiti – are cooperating with us,” the sources said, adding that no shortage of teachers would, therefore, be felt.

Meanwhile, the agitating AMSKS today renewed its resolve to continue with its stir and held the State Government responsible for the present stalemate. Accusing the State Government of adopting a confrontationist stand against the teachers, it said that all its efforts since the last six months to start a dialogue with the Government over its long-pending grievances did not yield anything due to the adamant attitude of the authorities.

“Earlier, we had even called off our proposed non-cooperation in the greater interests of the students, but the insensitive Government mistook our simplicity as weakness,” general secretary Ashish Ranjan Dey said, adding that the teachers would be the last persons to play with the students’ future.

Terming as “unfortunate and detrimental to collective interest of the teachers” the decision of the other two organisations to cooperate with the Government, Dey said that the step would prove to be suicidal for the teaching community in the long run.

(The Assam Tribune, 25/2/2005)