Bihar Education Dept Asks District Authorities to Ramp Up Inspections of Schools, Colleges
The Bihar Education Department has issued directives to district authorities, urging them to intensify their inspections of schools and colleges. Additionally, the department emphasized the importance of ensuring that teachers are solely dedicated to their teaching roles and not diverted to non-teaching tasks. In light of the imminent restart of the caste survey in the state, the department suspended all ongoing teacher training sessions, including those for new recruits. The training will now proceed exclusively for staff members not involved in the survey, starting from August 7.
In a letter dated August 1, 2023, the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Education Department, K K Pathak, requested District Magistrates (DMs) to ensure that no schools in their respective districts are left without teachers due to their involvement in the caste survey. The letter further emphasized that teachers should refrain from engaging in any administrative duties apart from the caste survey to maintain the quality of education in government schools.
A subsequent letter, dated August 2, 2023, was addressed to all senior officials of the education department by the Director of Administration. The letter urged these officials to conduct inspections of at least ten schools or degree colleges per week. It emphasized the regular submission of inspection reports to headquarters.
Despite the suspension of ongoing training sessions due to the caste survey, the Bihar Education Department announced that training will resume on August 7 for teachers not participating in the survey. This decision follows the Patna High Court's validation of the caste survey as legal. The state government allocated Rs 500 crore from its contingency fund for the survey, with the general administration department overseeing its implementation. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director, Sajjan R, wrote to heads of educational institutions, urging them to recommence residential training for new batches of teachers, starting from August 7.