Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary on Thursday asked the education department to improve the academic environment in govt schools with emphasis on modern facilities, quality teaching and better results. The review meeting at his official residence came amid growing student protests over teaching, infrastructure and midday meals.After education department secretary Rajiv Roushan presented details of academic arrangements and facilities in model schools, Samrat directed officials to make these schools more effective and distinctive. He called for regular reviews and inspections of teaching, teacher availability and student attendance.“Effectively implement the ‘Ek Adhikari-Ek Model School’ arrangement by directly linking officials with schools, so that the problems of schools can be resolved in a time-bound manner,” he said, also directing surprise inspections.Samrat said school quality depended not only on infrastructure but also on teaching and students’ all-round development. He asked model schools to hold parent-teacher meetings every three months and develop regular interaction with former students to help current pupils benefit from their experience.He also directed officials to provide talented govt school students with guidance and resources to prepare for JEE and NEET. The e-learning and 24×7 interactive digital learning platform of the Bihar School Examination Board should also be made more effective, he said.“By making maximum use of digital mediums, students should be provided quality study material, guidance from subject experts, and modern teaching resources,” he said. He added, “Preparing Bihar’s students for future challenges through quality education, a better academic environment, and the proper use of modern technology is a priority of the state govt.”The directives came against the backdrop of recent student protests. Students in Gaya’s Tekari block had marched around 4km over poor facilities, while students at an Ambedkar residential school in Sugauli staged a 20-hour hunger strike over midday meals. In Nalanda, around three dozen students fell sick after detergent powder was mistakenly added to their meal. The RJD also held a protest march to Lok Bhavan on Wednesday over students’ grievances.
