Bihar has removed around 22 lakh students’ names from state schools. The Additional Chief Secretary of Bihar’s Education Department, KK Pathak, ordered this removal because these students were not attending school. This decision is part of a campaign by the state government to identify and exclude students who are not regularly going to school.
The Bihar Education Department is concerned that many students are frequently absent from school. Surprisingly, among the students whose names have been removed from the school registers, approximately 1.5 lakh were supposed to appear in board exams next year. This raises questions about how these 1.5 lakh students will be able to take their board exams.
Over the past four months, government schools in Bihar have been inspected as per the Bihar Education Department’s instructions. Schools were initially asked to cancel the registration of students who were absent for 30 days, which was later reduced to 15 days. Finally, schools were instructed to remove the names of students who were absent for three consecutive days without notifying school authorities. During the investigation, it was discovered that although the names of these students were marked in the attendance book, they were not actually attending school.
Reports indicate that more than 70,000 schools in 38 districts of Bihar have removed the names of 22 lakh students from classes 1 to 12 in the school attendance records. This includes 2,66,564 students from class 9 to 12 who have been excluded. The Bihar School Examination Board has banned these students from participating in upcoming matriculation and intermediate exams.
Before removing students’ names, the Education Department’s order requires schools to assess how many days a student’s attendance has been below 50 percent and to notify students and their parents when a student is absent for three consecutive days. Even after this, if students do not attend school for 15 days, their enrollment can be canceled. An anonymous Education Department official mentioned that many students enroll in both government and private schools, which leads to these actions. The Education Department has received reports from districts about this issue, and students whose names have been removed will not receive benefits like uniforms, scholarships, or bicycles.
This move by the Education Department aims to ensure efficient use of government resources and to provide benefits only to deserving students. It also aims to streamline the mid-day meal scheme and prevent schools from falsely inflating student attendance during meal times.
The extended absences of students are attributed to parents or guardians making them work in fields or family businesses. The government wants dedicated students in schools to focus on their development and receive government benefits and scholarships.
However, this decision has affected schools across Bihar, and many are questioning the government’s approach, especially the sudden removal of students’ names without prior notice. Teachers and students argue that a more flexible approach is needed, as unexpected circumstances can lead to students being absent for three days.
