The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Friday announced a month-long agitation against the state government’s decision to teach maths and science in English in vernacular medium schools from Class 6 onwards.

The series of agitation will culminate with a meeting of academicians and educationists on June 27 at Guwahati, AASU president (in-charge) and secretary Utpal Sarma and Sankarjyoti Boruah said here.

“The decision of the government to teach maths and science in English from Class 6 is detrimental to the growth of Assamese, Bodo and other local languages. We have been opposing it since it was announced last year.

“Now, we will launch a month-long agitation from May 27 to press for withdrawal of the decision,” they said.

Rather than taking such decisions, students in vernacular medium schools should be taught English properly so that they can be fluent in the language, the AASU leaders maintained.

The series of agitations will start with a discussion with the teachers’ associations of the state on May 28.

It will be followed by a 10-hour fast by all anchalik (regional) committees of AASU on May 31 and a gana satyagraha at Guwahati on June 6.

All the local committees will undertake a mass awareness drive regarding the government’s decision from June 8 to 14, followed by protest demonstrations at the district level on June 15 and a bicycle procession on June 24 in all the sub-divisions.

The stir will end with a meeting of academicians on June 27 in Guwahati.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, at a review meeting of the Education department in July last year, had directed for the introduction of English as a medium of instruction for science and maths from Class 6 till Class 12, along with the continuation of the teaching of both subjects in the Assamese language.