Co-ed model school in each dist soon: Nitish

PATNA: Each district of the state will soon have a well-equipped co-educational model school where the students will gain admission on the basis of written competitive examinations. Stating this while participating in a discussion on "Secondary education: Vision 2010" at BSTA auditorium here on Sunday, chief minister Nitish sought full co-operation from the Bihar Secondary Teachers' Association (BSTA) in efficient running of the schools. He also sought the BSTA's co-operation towards imparting quality education to students in government schools. Pointing out that the state government is not interested in merely making school students literate but intend to impart knowledge and skill to them with a view to make them well trained, knowledgeable and skilled human being capable of leading the society and nation, the CM said all these depended on teachers engaged in imparting education, right from primary to university level. Nitish said his government wanted to raise the standard of education in government schools so that the rural students could shine at the national level. "The state government will provide all facilities to government schools such as school compound, buildings, toilets, drinking water, laboratories, libraries and other amenities." However, he cautioned that those found guilty of misusing fund meant for construction of the school buildings would be jailed. Pointing out that providing education and medicare services to common people are top priority of the state government, the CM said this was why supply of free medicine had been re-started in government hospitals and efforts were being made to impart quality education in government schools. In a scathing attack on his political rivals, the CM said those who were criticising his government's move to appoint 2.36 lakh teachers in government schools were doing so out of sheer utter frustration. He said in the age of grassroots democracy, panchayati raj institutions had been empowered to appoint school teachers which was bound to yield good results. However, contrary to the expectations of the BSTA leaders and secondary teachers assembled there, the CM refrained from announcing increasing the retirement age of the secondary school teachers by two years despite repeated plea from their side. The BSTA leaders, including former MP Shatrughna Prasad Singh and MLC Kedar Pandey, appealed to the CM to raise the retirement age of the secondary teachers as done in the case of university teachers. Speaking on the occasion, minister for human resource development Brishan Patel said one lakh primary school buildings would be constructed during the current financial year. Minister for science and technology Anil Kumar and building construction minister Monazir Hasan also addressed the function.