Patna: Government schools will have extra-curricular activities and morning prayers on the lines of private schools.

Principal secretary, education, R.K. Mahajan has issued a letter to all government schools to hold morning prayers, have class monitors and conduct regular assessment of academic and extra-curricular activities in the classes.

According to the education department directive, all schools have to hold morning prayers on loudspeakers which called for mandatory attendance for all teachers, staff and school students to attend morning prayers. Moreover, the schools have also directed to hold news-reading and moral education sessions after the morning prayers.

The education department has prepared a prayer, which it has circulated among all schools and be read by school students. The lines mentions all faiths. The lines of morning prayers read... " Tu hi Ram hain, tu Rahim hain, tu Karim, Krishna, khuda hua, Tu hi wahe guru, tu hi Yeshu Masih, Har naam me tu hi sama raha..."

The education department has also directed schools to have a state morning prayer eulogising the state's rich cultural history.

The education department letter which The Telegraph is in possession of also directs schools to elect a class monitor and chhatra sansad (students' parliament) in classes. The chhatra sansad will have a Prime Minister, education minister and sports minister.

Amit Ranjan, a Class IX student of Miller School, Patna, said: "Sessions such as news readings will be beneficial, as students can know things going on in the state, nation and world. Students from all classes will get opportunity to conduct the news-reading session on a rotational basis."

Abhishek Kumar, a teacher from Bapu Samarak Girls' High School, Rajendra Nagar, said: "We have seen such types of sessions in private and convent schools but the new initiative will enable all-round development of students in government schools too."

The education department has directed school principals to upload videos and pictures of these activities on the WhatsApp group. Each such group will have schools from a particular block as its members.