The HSLC (High School Leaving Certificate) Class 10 results for 2025 declared on April 11 have sounded an alarm bell across Assam. With a pass percentage of 63.98%, down sharply from 75.7% in 2024, this year’s results reflect more than just a temporary slump. The numbers reveal a deeper, persistent crisis—especially among marginalised communities. Students from Scheduled Castes recorded a pass percentage of 58.56%, while the Tea Garden community fared even worse at 51.89%, well below the state average. These outcomes point to systemic inequality, underinvestment, and a need for urgent educational reform. In response, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has acknowledged the disparity, promising focused interventions in the 2025–26 academic session. While this acknowledgement is welcome, it is not nearly enough. Assam’s education system does not need patchwork solutions—it requires a complete rethinking of strategy, with equity, quality, and long-term impact at its core.
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The problem lies not only in educational delivery but also in the state’s current focus. Over the past year, the government has channelled significant attention and resources into organising grand cultural showcases. Events like the massive Jhumur dance performance in Guwahati, involving over 8,000 artistes from the tea garden community, and the record-setting Bihu celebration with 12,000 dancers, have taken centre stage. While such initiatives play a role in preserving and celebrating Assam’s rich cultural identity, they cannot become a substitute for the hard, often invisible work required to reform the education system. Cultural pride and educational progress are not mutually exclusive, but the balance has clearly tipped in favour of spectacle over substance. When thousands of students—particularly those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds—struggle with basic literacy and numeracy, large-scale performances should not take precedence. These events may lift morale temporarily, but they do little to address the entrenched learning crisis playing out in classrooms across rural and tribal Assam.
Some efforts like Gunotsav, an initiative to assess school performance and learning outcomes, are steps in the right direction. However, assessment alone is not a solution. The data gathered must be followed by targeted, sustained action: teacher training, curriculum revision, infrastructure upgrades, and localised intervention models that recognise the linguistic and social contexts of marginalised communities. The state also needs to ensure that every child has access to digital learning tools, well-qualified educators, safe school environments, and adequate academic support. Scholarships and incentive programs should be expanded to cover all high-risk students. Regular community engagement and parental involvement in school governance can also play a transformative role. Assam has already proven that it can organise, mobilise, and celebrate its heritage with pride. Now, that same energy must be redirected toward ensuring that its children—especially the most vulnerable—receive the education they deserve. No amount of folk dance performances can compensate for lost opportunities in a failing school system. The future of Assam depends not on the number of cultural records it breaks, but on the number of students it uplifts. Education must take centre stage—consistently, urgently, and unapologetically.
