10. Modern Education in Bam:

After the British took over the administration of Cachar, they implemented a new system of settlement in the region. Following this new settlement policy, the process of granting land settlements in the Bam region began in 1885. As a result of this process, enterprising households from various villages of Cachar started settling in the Bam region after obtaining land settlements. New settlements began to develop in the Bam area. Those who established these new settlements had a penchant for modern education. Consequently, by 1895, three primary schools were established in the Bam area. Among them were the 157 No. Ramprasadpur Thambal L.P. School, whose first teacher was Radhacharan Raha; the 168 No. Mahadevpur L.P. School, whose first teacher was Girish Chandra Das; and the 169 No. Debipur L.P. School, whose first teacher was Suryamohan Das.

Subsequently, in 1920, a primary school was established in Hawaithang. The main initiator of this school was the then Circle Sarpanch, Mashraf Ali Lasker. The first teacher was Kalaraja Chowdhury.

Afterwards, the Iliyas Ali L.P. School was started in Bhagbazar. The founding teacher was Anfar Ali Lasker. Then the Vidyaratnapur L.P. School was established.

In this way, the number of schools in the area gradually increased, and by 2024, 85 L.P. schools have been established in the Bam area, fulfilling the responsibility of illuminating the entire region with education.

There are four M.V. schools in the area. Among them, the Old Channighat M.V. School was established in 1930. The headmaster was Mahendra Chandra Sikdar. Then, in 1939, the Dhalai Umatara M.V. School was started. The Jamalpur M.V. School was established in 1942. The headmaster was Bipin Bihari Das. There are 13 M.E. schools in the area. Besides the aforementioned provincialized schools, there are many private educational institutions in Bam. Following the establishment of a conducive educational environment at the primary level in Bam, the 'Bam Nityananda High English School' was founded for secondary education. This school began its journey in 1938.  However, the institution had started as 'Bam Nityananda M.E. School' in 1922. In 1922, with the initiative, patronage, and land donation of Honorable Shri Krishnajivan Purkayastha, Krishnacharan Barman, and Krishnadhan Barman, along with the efforts and supervision of other noble individuals and the financial contribution of Nityananda Barman, the Bam Nityananda M.E. School was established. Consequently, from 1922, the M.E. school started as the first M.E. school in the area, located in Lantugram-Sadagram. Currently, it has become the 'Bam Nityananda Multipurpose Higher Secondary School'. Spread across a vast area of ​​22 bighas of land, this educational institution is one of the renowned educational institutions in the valley. This institution has produced many accomplished individuals in the area. Many students who studied at this school have achieved success in life, serving with distinction in responsible positions at the state, national, and international levels. The school is a source of pride for the Bam region. It is noteworthy that the headmaster of the school, Shri Manikya Chandra Nath, served as the headmaster for 37 years, establishing the school as a renowned model institution. He was the second graduate from Cachar. The Bam region is grateful for the contributions of this accomplished teacher.

Following the example of this renowned educational institution, another high school in Bam has further brightened the educational environment in the area. This school is named 'Bam Vidyapeeth High School'. The school initially started as an M.E. school in 1952.  Later, in 1958, it was upgraded to a high school. This is another exemplary institution in the field of education in the Bam region. Mohiuddin Ahmed resigned from his job as an Assistant Cooperative Officer in the Cooperative Department of the Government of Assam and took charge as the founding headmaster of the newly established high school, dedicating himself to the expansion of education in the southern region of Bam. Including these two educational institutions, there are now 18 high schools and senior secondary schools in the Bham area. It can be said that in Bham, there is approximately one high school or senior secondary school for every 1000 families. In addition, there is a Kendriya Vidyalaya and a Sainik School nearby, close to the Mizoram border. In 2023, another success story was added to the educational landscape of Bham. A private degree college named South Cachar College was established in Bhagabazar (Islamabad) through the initiative of a private trust called the Reed Foundation. This college, affiliated with Assam University, has undoubtedly provided an unprecedented opportunity for the expansion of higher education in the region, especially for girls.

These educational institutions are spreading modern Western education in the area and creating conscious citizens. This tradition has been built through the collective efforts of the local people