Teachers conducting board exams to be spared from caste survey work: Bihar govt

The Bihar government has directed all the district magistrates (DM) and district education officers (DEO) not to involve teachers with the ongoing caste survey in the state who are busy conducting intermediate practical examinations.

The first phase of the caste survey began on January 7 and will end on January 21. The second phase will take place in April.

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“It has come to light that the involvement of teachers in the caste survey has led to an adverse impact on the practical board exams. It is, therefore, requested not to take the services of teachers required for conducting practical exams,” additional chief secretary (education) Dipak Kumar Singh wrote to the DMs and DEOs of the state.

Over 13.18 lakh students will take the practical exams across 1,464 centres, according to official data. The intermediate practical exams are scheduled from January 10-20.

According to the sources, school teachers were engaged in the caste survey duty on a large scale, and they have raised voices citing cold weather, which has forced the closure of schools till January 14, leading to a disruption in academic work at a crucial time.

The teachers have also urged the authorities that they be spared from school work during the survey period.

Saddled with a whole range of non-academic work, Bihar schools are the worst sufferers due to erratic classes, absenteeism of both teachers and students and non-completion of syllabi.

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Bihar Primary Teachers’ Association too has raised concern over the issue saying, “The teachers are undergoing residential induction training, but despite the cold wave, there is no arrangement. They are sleeping on the floor.”

According to the association, they have also written to the education minister in this regard. “In some districts, the teachers were asked to do survey work apart from their school duty. That is not humanly possible,” the association said.