Patna: The Bihar government has sought details of children of bureaucrats studying in government schools in all 38 districts of the eastern Indian state.
Earlier on July 13, while hearing a writ petition by guest schools teachers whose services were terminated, the Patna High Court in an interim order sought from the state government details of the wards of IAS, IPS and Class-1 & II officers studying in government schools.
Additional Chief Secretary of the State Education Department Sanjay Kumar said that in view of the court directive, he had written to all District Magistrates (DMs), Superintendents of Police (SPs) and district education officers to collect the details.
He would also hold a review meeting through videoconference with all DMs and SPs on August 4, he said.
The court is scheduled to hear the case on August 16.
Earlier, while responding to the counter-affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary in the case, Justice Anil Kumar Upadhyay of High Court had observed, “The Chief Secretary has made tall claims and highlighted the steps taken for improvement in the quality of education but those policies and schemes are only glorifying the records where these policy documents are maintained to understand the qualitative change and improvement. The court is of the considered view that improvement in the system can be gauged by the faith of people towards the system”.
“Let the Chief Secretary convene a videoconference of District Magistrates of all the districts of the State to solicit the information from them as to how many wards of the IAS and IPS and Class-I & II officers in the State service are undergoing studies in the government-run elementary and other schools. Therefore, the CS shall file affidavit, furnishing details of wards of the elite class studying in the government run schools, as it will instil confidence in society,” the court said.
“The court hopes and trusts that honest efforts will be made by the Chief Secretary and appropriate affidavit be filed for the improvement of educational system,” Justice Upadhyay said.
“The education system cannot be improved as long as it is based on the concept of segregated system — one for elite section and other for poor Biharis who have to remain content with mid-day meal, free books, uniform and bicycles with poor or no teaching,” the court observed.
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