Guwahati, Jul 30 (PTI) The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Saturday opposed the state government’s decision to teach Mathematics and Science in English language from next academic session in all government and provincialised Assamese and other vernacular medium schools.The opposition party claimed that such a decision was in contradiction to the globally-accepted practise of encouraging education, particularly at the primary level, in mother tongue.Addressing a press conference here, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “The government’s argument that it is being done to ensure better performance by our students at all-India competitive examinations does not hold any ground." “Students from Assamese medium and other vernacular medium schools have achieved a lot in different spheres and across the globe,” he said.If the government wants to promote education in English also, they should formulate separate policy for it and not encroach on the domain of the Assamese and other vernacular medium schools, he asserted.The decision to teach mathematics and science in english from class 3 was taken at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, which was chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.Gogoi pointed that it is universally accepted that primary education must be in the mother tongue, with a University Grants Commission panel even suggesting college-level education in mother tongue. “The National Education Policy 2020 is based on promoting education in mother tongue. The prime minister himself in on record stating that even engineering and medical science should be taught in the vernacular languages,” the AJP chief maintained.Gogoi questioned on what basis the state’s cabinet decided to change the medium of instruction and asked, “Was there any expert panel formed on whose recommendation this has been done? Or do our ministers consider themselves experts on all matters?” He also alleged that Sarma, who had held the Education department for most part of last 20 years, had failed in his responsibility of developing a sound education system.“It is to hide his own failures that Sarma is now coming up with such tactics,” Gogoi claimed. PTI SSG RG