The Bihar government on Wednesday issued a notification for promoting all students of the 2019-20 academic session from class 1 to 11, except class 10, to the next class without annual examination. For class 10 and 12 students, board examinations are held.
The notification, marked to all the head masters and principals, has been issued as holding of examination is not possible since all schools have been closed from March 13 to April 14 amid COVID-19 outbreak.
In Bihar, education in government schools has been badly hit since Durga Puja last year due to sent-up examinations, closure due to cold wave and later due to board examinations. Since February 17, the teachers have also been on strike and the government also released their salary only for the month of January and rest of the non-strike period.
On Wednesday, however, the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC) released Rs 802.74 crore for salary payment to primary teachers for the month of March, but with a rider that the full payment should be made only to those who have not been on strike. “For those who have rejoined, payment be made for the period except the strike duration,” said a BEPC letter to all the DEOs and DPOs
With the continuing strike starting to take a toll on school teachers in the midst of coronavirus outbreak and the their association also circulating details of some of the teachers breathing their last during the lockdown period, the Bihar government did provided them a window to join work without any hassles, but the teachers want some amicable settlement on their demands. The government is in no mood for that in the midst of the crisis.
In a letter to the district programme officer (establishment), the district education officer (DEO) of Patna Jyoti Kumar recently wrote that those headmasters in-charge or teachers desirous of withdrawing from strike and rejoining need not go to schools during the lockdown period to give their joining. Similar letters were also issued by few other DEOs also.
“They can give joining letter to their controlling officers through whatsapp, clearly mentioning the strike period and the date of assuming duty. The application will be approved the day they report after the schools reopen,” said the letter, adding that verbal approval from the additional chief secretary, department of education, rK Mahajan, has been obtained on phone.
It is not known how many teachers have reported on duty, but the Bihar education project council (BEPC) did release Rs 802.74-crore for salary payment to primary teachers for the month of March on Wednesday, but with a rider that that full payment should be made only to those who have not been on strike. “For those who have rejoined, payment be made for the period except the strike duration,” said a BEPC letter to all the DEOs and DPOs.
