The Bihar government is set to launch a program in December aimed at assisting nearly 25 lakh children who are significantly falling behind their peers in schools. Some of these students, despite being in upper primary classes, struggle to read simple Hindi words, officials revealed on Thursday.
Under the initiative named ‘Mission Daksh,’ the State Education Department has instructed teachers to provide intensive mentoring to these students in groups of no more than five. Any negligence in this effort could lead to disciplinary actions against the teachers.
On November 21, KK Pathak, the Additional Chief Secretary of Education, wrote to all district magistrates, urging them to closely oversee the program’s progress on a daily basis starting from December 1. District-wise monitoring committees, led by district magistrates, will be established to ensure the effective implementation of ‘Mission Daksh.’
During routine inspections and monitoring conducted by district magistrates since July, it was observed that a considerable number of academically weak students exist in almost all state-run schools, as mentioned in the letter.
“In light of this, the department has decided to launch ‘Mission Daksh’ on December 1 in all government schools across the state to enhance the academic performance of these students,” the letter stated. It emphasized that academically weak students are significantly lagging behind their peers, with some unable to read simple Hindi words despite being in upper primary classes.
Pathak stressed the need to identify such students on a priority basis. Principals will then instruct teachers to conduct additional classes (post-lunch) with no more than five children at a time. The targeted approach aims to provide individualized attention, helping students grasp challenging concepts and bridge learning gaps. This approach also allows teachers to personalize their teaching methods to suit the unique needs of each weak student.
“All 25 lakh (approximately) such academically weak students will be appearing in their final examinations in April 2024. If these students fail in their final examinations, strict departmental action will be initiated against their headmasters, principals, and teachers by the Education Department,” warned Pathak.
The Nitish Kumar government has been implementing several stringent measures over the past year to enhance the quality of education in the state. In September, Pathak directed district education officers to engage with parents of students with less than 50% attendance and take measures for improvement.
