Bihar government schools remove over 20 lakh students for being absent for three straight days

Government schools in Bihar have struck off the names of more than 20 lakh students for remaining absent, The Indian Express reported.

More than 70,000 schools across the state’s 38 districts have so far removed names of students enrolled between classes 1 and 12, data collected by the Bihar education department showed, according to the newspaper. Over 1.5 lakh of these 20 lakh students are in classes 10 and 12, who will not be able to write their state board examinations.

On Monday, Bihar Secondary Education Director Kanhaiya Prasad Srivastava reportedly asked officials to ensure that the class 10 and 12 students whose names had been removed do not write the state board examinations.

Following inspections at government schools over the past four months, the education department asked schools to remove students who had been absent for a period of 30 days, reported The Indian Express.

This time period was later reduced to 15 days. Eventually, schools were permitted to remove names of students who had been absent for three consecutive days without informing the authorities.

Citing unidentified officials of the education department, the newspaper reported that the move was aimed at ensuring that the government’s resources are utilised well and benefit deserving students.

Many students remain absent for long periods from school because their...

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