Bihar

• 29 Jan 2025

Bihar Sets Minimum Teacher Requirements for Primary & Middle Schools

Why in News? 

The Bihar Education Department has established new standards for the minimum number of teachers required in primary and middle schools.  

 Key Points 

• According to these new guidelines, primary schools (classes 1 to 5) must have at least five teachers, including the head teacher.  
  • For schools encompassing classes 1 to 8, a minimum of nine teachers, including the principal, is mandated.  
• District Education Officers have been instructed to upload reports detailing the approved and required number of teachers for each school on the e-ShikshaKosh portal by 31 January 2025. 
  • The department emphasizes that each teacher should have at least one dedicated classroom, and the actual assessment of teacher requirements will be based on the availability of rooms in each school.  
• In primary schools with student numbers ranging from 1 to 120, five teachers are mandatory.  
  • For student numbers between 121 and 150, six teachers are required. For every additional 40 students beyond 150, one extra teacher will be appointed. 
• In classes 6 to 8, for student numbers up to 105, the staffing requirements are as follows: 
  • One teacher for Science and Mathematics 
  • One teacher for Social Studies 
  • One teacher for Hindi 
  • One teacher for English 
  • Additionally, provisions can be made for Urdu and Sanskrit teachers as needed.  
  • For every additional 35 students beyond 105, one extra teacher will be appointed. 
• These measures aim to ensure adequate teacher-student ratios and improve the quality of education in Bihar's schools. 

 e-ShikshaKosh Portal 

• About:      
  • e-ShikshaKosh is an integrated digital platform designed to streamline educational data management, enhancing decision-making, optimizing resources, and enabling real-time monitoring by consolidating data from various sources.  
• Key Benefits 
  • Enhanced Decision-Making: Consolidates data to improve decision-making and resource optimization. 
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Provides up-to-date information for continuous monitoring. 
  • Efficiency: Addresses inefficiencies, reduces redundancy, and ensures strong governance. 
  • Comprehensive View: Offers a holistic view of educational metrics. 
  • Academic Improvement: Supports continuous improvement in academic quality and equity. 
  • Sustainability & Inclusion: Promotes a sustainable, inclusive, and well-managed learning environment. 
  • Integrated Functions: Combines multiple educational functions like teaching standards, student performance monitoring, and e-learning programs into one platform.