Citing absence, Bihar schools strike 20 lakh off rolls; 1.5 lakh may miss Boards

According to officials, two categories of students will be particularly impacted — those who remained absent from schools to help their parents in agriculture or small business work, and those who are enrolled simultaneously in private schools and keep government  schools as a “back-up” in case they don’t do well there.

While Education Minister Chandrashekhar was not available for comment, an education department official explained: “There are no cases of ghost enrolments anymore since Aadhaar cards have been made mandatory for enrolling. But some parents enrol their wards in government and private schools with the hope of getting benefits under our scholarship scheme. However, we have made 75 per cent attendance mandatory for availing those benefits.”

Teachers’ associations, however, called the move “arbitrary” and an “infringement” on provisions of the Right to Education Act. They said they would challenge the decision before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

Under the Bihar education department’s instructions, inspections have been taking place at government schools over the last four months. During that time, schools were first told to deregister students who remained absent for 30 days. That period was then brought down to 15 days, and eventually, schools were given the go-ahead to strike off names of students who remain absent for three consecutive days without informing school authorities.

According to data collected by the education department, more than 70,000 schools across 38 districts in the state have so far struck off the names of 20 lakh students – enrolled in classes 1 to 12. Of these, more than 1.5 lakh are in classes 10 and 12. About 2.5 crore students study in Bihar government schools. Of them, about 16 lakh students write Class 10 Boards and another 13 lakh take the Class 12 Boards every year.

On Monday, Bihar’s Secondary Education Director Kanhaiya Prasad Srivastava wrote to the state’s regional deputy directors of education and district education officers, asking them to ensure that class 10 and 12 students whose names were removed do not take the Bihar School Education Board exams.

According to an education department official, authorities have come to know that many students remain absent for long periods from school because their parents or guardians make them work in fields or their businesses. “Some children also study in private schools simultaneously. We want only serious students in schools so we can focus on them. All government benefits and scholarships should go to genuine students. Only regular students should avail of the government’s lunch scheme, too,” the official told The Indian Express.

Opposing the move, Bihar Teacher Eligibility Test Association president Amit Vikram said the government should try to motivate students to be more regular, instead of completely turning them away.

“We wonder how and why the government ignored the Right to Education Act’s provisions for universal education. A school can strike off the name of a child only if he or she is enrolled in another school, and is absent for a very long duration. We will soon sit with other associations and challenge the arbitrary decision of the government before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights,” Vikram said.