Patna: The education department will soon collaborate with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), polytechnics and engineering colleges across the state to provide skill training to govt school students from classes IX to XII, additional chief secretary S Siddharth said during the ‘Shiksha Ki Baat’; programme on Saturday.
We believe skill training for school students is of utmost importance. Hence, the department has decided to associate with the nearby ITIs, polytechnics and engineering colleges of the state for the same. We will soon hold a meeting and a decision to this effect will be taken this month itself”, said Siddharth, adding that students of Class VIII might also be included in the programme.
Starting December 1, the entry and exit timings of students will be registered with their photos. “Earlier, only entry attendance of students was done with photos, but from December 1, even their exit attendance will have to be registered with their respective photos so that both entry and exit can be monitored” said Siddharth.
Addressing the question of school timings, Siddharth said headmasters would be authorized to implement flexible timings for teachers, but this would apply only to schools where the number of rooms is insufficient compared to the number of classes.
Headmasters can shift the timing of classes as per requirements, but this arrangement of staggered timing would be allowed only for schools with few rooms and more classes, he said. The attendance module on the e-Shikshakosh portal is also being revised, allowing headmasters to assign specific timings for teachers to conduct classes.
Regarding extracurricular activities, Siddharth said schools would now dedicate one period daily to activities like dance, music, sports and painting. “The related information must also be uploaded to the e-Shikshakosh portal for monitoring by the department. Our aim is to make education all-encompassing, and students should be well-versed in other activities along with curricular ones,” he said.
On the issue of washroom cleanliness, Siddharth said sufficient funds have been provided to ensure maintenance staff is available for the purpose. However, he acknowledged ongoing complaints about poorly maintained facilities. “We will try to sort out the problem,” he promised. He also urged teachers to focus on teaching during school hours and avoid distractions like talking on the phone or browsing the internet.
