The Bihar Education Department has raised serious concerns about low student attendance in certain schools. They have proposed strict measures, including the possible expulsion of students who are absent for 15 consecutive days without valid reasons. The department’s Additional Chief Secretary, K K Pathak, has issued a directive to all district magistrates, recommending measures to address this issue.
The directive also highlights the need to track students who are enrolled in private schools but have registered in government schools to benefit from the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for textbooks and uniforms. It emphasizes that while there has been a notable increase in student attendance in the state, approximately 10 percent of schools still report attendance levels below 50 percent, which is a cause for concern.
District Education Officers are instructed to identify five such schools in their respective areas and engage with the parents of absentee students to improve attendance. Additionally, students who are absent for an extended period without valid reasons may face expulsion. The communication to district magistrates also calls for scrutiny to ensure that students are not simultaneously enrolled in two schools.
Complaints have been received regarding students who enroll in government schools solely for the purpose of benefiting from DBT schemes while attending private schools. The department aims to ensure that such cases are identified and addressed, including the cancellation of enrolment for students living outside the state.
Regular inspections have revealed that most schools have achieved nearly full attendance of both teachers and students. However, these inspections have also highlighted various infrastructure deficiencies, particularly the shortage of classrooms and teachers in some schools.
Source: PTI
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