A central team on Thursday visited Patna to review the progress of various educational schemes running in the state with assistance from the Union government.
The team, comprising officials in the human resource development (HRD) ministry, met with senior officers in the state education department. It included R. Bhattacharya, secretary, department of school education, and Vrinda Sarup, additional secretary, elementary education.
The officers reviewed the progress in teacher recruitment based on the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET), construction of classrooms, midday meal and other central-funded schemes. The state education department was represented by Amarjeet Sinha, secretary, education, Bihar Education Project Council director Rahul Singh and others.
Joint director, education, R.S. Singh said: “The central government officials directed the education department officials to speed up the teacher recruitment drive.”
Sources said the government has recruited around 25,000 teachers since the drive started last year. At least 75,000 teachers are yet to be recruited for elementary and secondary schools.
The senior HRD officials also asked the state government to speed up the construction of classrooms. The state department sought more funds from the Centre for the construction of classrooms and salaries of teachers to be recruited through TET.
The central team was also told about the state government’s plans to increase community participation in the midday meal scheme.