BRIEF HISTORY OF NORMAL SCHOOL, JORHAT
"Teacher is made, not in-borne." Understanding this fact Napoleon ( 1769-1811 ) started teacher training system in France. Later on, like France in England Normal School (A training College for Teacher's-Chamber Dictionary) was established. During British Ruling it was started in India also.
Just like the other States, Teacher Training Institution was started in Assam before Independence. In the year 1835 by the courtesy of William Robinson, Inspector of schools, a class was opened in English Seminary, Guwahati for the Normal Training. On 4th July' 1853, Anandaram Dhekial Phukan submitted a petition to Jorge Aldrumost Mills of Calcutta Dewani Court requesting to establish one Normal School in Assam. On his Petition permission to establish Normal Schools in Assam was granted. Ahead of this the Inspector of Schools Mr. William Robinson advised to open Normal Schools at Guwahati, Sibsagar and Tezpur. After Guwahati, in the other two places also Normal School was established.
In 1874 Guwahati Normal School was up graded to 'Class l' Normal School. There were two types of training groups in this Normal School ;
- Normal Training : 3 years duration
- Teacher Training : 1 year duration
Normal passed teachers were appointed in middle schools and Teacher Training passed teachers were appointed in primary schools.
In the year 1906, Guwahati Normal School was shifted to Jorhat. In 1925, the prominent worker Of the Assam Sahitya Sabha, literature Sree Charat Chandra Goswami coming from Nalbari became the Principal of Jorhat Normal School. Under his hard work-ship the Normal Practicing Schools, Hostels are established and many developmental works were completed. For his courtesy the First Magazine in Assam 'Prabhat' was published in 1916 from the Normal School, Jorhat.
Up to 1977, the administrative and academic activities were running under D.P.I., Assam. But from May' 1991, the Normal Schools are running under SCERT. In between 1977 and 1991, the Normal Schools were under the Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam.
The Normal Practicing Schools of Jorhat were running under Jorhat Normal School up to 1991, after which these are running under the Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam.
Jorhat Normal School completed its glorious 100 years in 2006 and in 2016 there was 100 years celebration of the magazine, "Prabhat".
The four Normal practicing Schools along with Jorhat Govt. Girls M. E. are now amalgamated as Jorhat Model Composite School from 5 March, 2012 by the Order of the Govt. of Assam which is the ISt Model Composite School ( bi-medium ) in Assam from Govt. side.