Ranchi: A review meeting of the School Education and Literacy Department was held at the Jharkhand Ministry under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. During the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed in detail the progress of departmental schemes, academic arrangements in schools, infrastructure development and facilities being provided to students across the state.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that all government schemes and programmes related to schools are implemented effectively, transparently and reach students on time. He said that the state government is committed to providing better and quality education to children in Jharkhand. Along with strengthening basic infrastructure in government schools, modern resources and technologies related to teaching and learning are also being made available. Hemant Soren said that the examination results of students studying in government schools have shown continuous improvement. He instructed officials to focus on teacher training and all other aspects to further improve academic performance. The Chief Minister also directed the department to expedite the teacher recruitment process, stating that filling all vacant teaching posts is a priority of the state government.

He said that thousands of teachers have been appointed in recent months and the recruitment process should continue without delay. The Chief Minister instructed officials to complete all verification formalities by the end of this month to ensure timely payment of salaries to newly appointed teachers.

Jharkhand Performing Better Than National Average in Dropout Reduction

The Chief Minister emphasized that education forms the foundation of any state and the government aims to ensure access to quality education even in rural and remote areas. Officials informed him that dropout rates in primary and secondary education have declined significantly and Jharkhand is performing better than the national average in this regard. The department is running campaigns to ensure re-enrolment of dropout children and is coordinating with the Labour Department to identify children engaged in labour or other work who are deprived of school education. Distribution of books, study materials and bicycles is also being carried out in a time-bound manner. Officials informed the meeting that students are now passing matriculation examinations with improved marks. Schools with poor results are being identified and special attention is being given to improving facilities, teacher availability and academic arrangements there. The Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure internet facilities and proper functioning of ICT labs in all government schools.

Push to Expand CM Schools of Excellence

Hemant Soren directed officials to speed up the action plan to increase the number of CM Schools of Excellence to 5,000 so that quality education reaches students in every panchayat. He instructed the department to ensure within the next six to eight months that no school functions with only a single teacher. The Chief Minister suggested coordinating with School Management Committees to appoint educated and eligible local youths as teachers wherever required. He specifically stressed giving opportunities to female candidates so that studies are not affected due to shortage of teachers. He also directed officials to bring uniformity in teaching standards across government schools and to start a pilot project for transportation facilities to help students travel between home and school on time. The Chief Minister further instructed that large-scale plantation drives be undertaken in school campuses.

Residential Facilities and Quality Education for Underprivileged Children

The Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure quality education and proper residential facilities for underprivileged students studying in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Residential Schools operating across the state. Officials informed the meeting that there are 26 such residential schools in Jharkhand where around 4,000 underprivileged children are receiving free education along with boarding and lodging facilities. The government has also strengthened maintenance and infrastructure works in these schools.

Sports Activities to Be Encouraged in Government Schools 

Hemant Soren stressed that sports activities should be promoted alongside academics in government schools. He directed officials to identify talented students performing exceptionally well in sports competitions and provide them opportunities to excel further.

The Chief Minister noted that many children from Jharkhand have brought laurels to the state in the field of sports. Officials informed him that sports kits are being distributed in schools and full participation of Jharkhand students is being ensured in National School Games competitions. Physical education teachers are also actively working to improve sports activities in schools.

DPR for Proposed Dishom Guru Shibu Soren School Within a Week

During the meeting, officials gave a presentation regarding the proposed Dishom Guru Shibu Soren School to be established at the Jaguar Campus in Ranchi. The Chief Minister was informed that six acres of land within the campus have been identified for construction of the school. Officials briefed him on various aspects of the project plan, following which Hemant Soren issued several important directions and asked officials to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) within one week. The proposed school is being established to provide free education to children of martyred police personnel. During the meeting, the Chief Minister also interacted online with the management of Kasturba Gandhi Residential School Bundu and reviewed the facilities available at the institution.

Among those present in the meeting were Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh, School Education and Literacy Department Secretary Uma Shankar Singh, State Project Director Shashi Ranjan, Director of Secondary Education Rajesh Prasad, Director of Primary Education Manoj Kumar Ranjan and other senior officials.