Patna: The Bihar School Examination Board has extended the last date for submitting Simultala Residential School's Class VI admission forms to May 3.

The state school board conducts the process for the institution in Jamui, around 165km from Patna. The last date to submit the admission forms was April 26.

Board chairman Anand Kishor said: "The board had decided to extend the form filling dates based on directions of the education department."

The tentative date for the preliminary test is May-end while the mains will be held by June-end. Total 120 seats - 60 each for boys and girls - in Class VI are up for grabs.

Sources in the school, however, said the decision to extend the last date was taken so that more candidates would apply. Till April 26, the board has received nearly 6,000 applications for admission to Class VI. In 2010, when the school conducted the first admission test, the institution received around 35,000 application forms. In 2017, when the school board conducted the admission process for classes VI, VII and IX, 19,000 applications were received.

A former faculty member of the Jamui school said: "Though the board has extended the form submission dates so that it can get more applicants, the fact is it is losing its reputation.

"There are many reasons for the school failing to attract students. Its academic session is delayed and students get less than six months to complete their course. Besides, even after eight years of starting, the school still functions from rented accommodation," the teacher added.

Another teacher at the Simultala school said: "The school is running from a transit campus - rented houses in Simultala - and a temporary structure made of PVC sheets. There have been times that reptiles like snakes are found on the campus because there is no concrete structure."