Principal secretary, education, Amarjeet Sinha on Thursday said the state government would demand funds from the Centre to construct 42,000 classrooms in the state.

A day after chief minister Nitish Kumar announced a special scheme to develop Dharmasati-Gandaman into a model village, Sinha said: “Students have started to come in huge numbers, so we need more classrooms. We will demand funds from the Centre to construct around 42,000 extra classrooms.”

To ensure proper running of classes, the principal secretary also said: “Since the strength of the students has increased, the schools will be run in two shifts. Classes I to V will be from 7am to 12noon, while those up to Class VIII will be run from 12noon to 5 in the evening.”

He added that teachers have been instructed not to engage in non-teaching works from 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. “The responsibility of the midday meal in every school is up to the institution’s Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti. These are policy decisions and are matters that are need to be discussed,” he said.

Since tragedy struck at Saran’s Gandaman Primary School last week, students have also become alert when it comes to their safety. Sinha spoke of one such incident on Thursday.

“Students have become alert in the state. One such example came to the fore on Wednesday when a suspicious person tried to enter a school in Banka and students took action by bringing him to the notice of the teachers.”