Express News Service
PATNA: Official data shows that a total of 10 lakh children dropped out of school from various districts of Bihar due to the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
Six lakh children, enrolled in classes 5 to 6 of government schools, dropped out while four lakh children from classes 8 and 9 left their respective schools.
To bring these students back into classrooms, the education department of Bihar government has decided to launch ‘Admission Drive’ across the state from April 1.
Sharing this news, director of Primary education department Dr Ranjit K Singh said that the special admission drive to bring back all dropouts back to school will be carried out from April.
School headmasters, of primary to high school level, have been given the task to carry out the admission drive on a larger scale to reduce student dropouts.
Dr Singh said “we have also finalised to conduct bridge-courses for all students in schools, whose courses could not be completed due to lockdown in the state.”
He further added that the bridge course will continue for three months between April and June, for all classes.
Dr Singh said that the students are also being motivated to complete their courses with the help of ‘Vidha-Vahni’ app developed by the education department with a facility to upload notes of all subjects on it.
Meanwhile, a proposal is being prepared by the NCC Directorate of Bihar to place NCC under the Education Department and include it as a ‘Choice Based Credit Course’ in higher educational institutions.
A proposal to this effect has already been pared by the NCC Directorate for the expansion and strengthening of NCC in the state.
If the proposal is accepted by the government, Bihar will be the first state in the country to include NCC under the education department and in the Choice Based Credit Course.
The biggest advantage for the NCC, after its inclusion in the education department, will be that their credit performances will be added to their academic performances apart from basic training.