Students appearing for the Bihar Board’s Class 10 and 12 examinations will no longer have the word “fail” printed on their marksheets, with the state Education Department deciding to replace it with the term “Kaushal ke liye patra (eligible for skills)”.

Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari announced the proposed change at a review meeting on Thursday night, saying the rules would be amended and the Bihar School Examination Board will issue necessary instructions.

Tiwari said a student’s inability to secure the expected marks in an examination should not be treated as a reflection of his or her talent. “It is necessary to maintain the morale of children,” he said, adding that words such as “fail” would therefore not be used on certificates.

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The department also plans to introduce special classes for students appearing for the Matric supplementary examination. “These classes will be conducted for a month to provide students with additional preparation and improve their chances of clearing the examination,” an official said.

More changes

The announcement comes amid a series of changes in the state’s school education system aimed at giving greater space to activities beyond conventional classroom teaching. Earlier this month, the Education Department announced that government schools would operate for a shorter period on Saturdays, with the day designated as a “no bag day”.

Under the arrangement announced on August 6 in line with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s announcement, government schools will remain open from 9.30 am to 1 pm on Saturdays, compared with 9.30 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday.

As per the department, Classes 1 to 8 will continue academic and other activities until noon, followed by mid-day meals from noon to 12.40 pm, after which students will be allowed to leave. In secondary and higher secondary schools, teaching and other scheduled activities will continue until 1 pm.

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“The no-bag day is intended to expose students to theatre, music and other creative activities,” the official said, adding that teachers proficient in art and music would be appointed for the purpose.

Teachers, meanwhile, are required to spend an hour after classroom duties on activities including lesson planning, assessment, updating teacher diaries, checking homework, laboratory management and remedial classes, as required, the officer said.

The Education Minister made the latest announcement during a meeting that also reviewed preparations for the September 5 Teachers’ Day function at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall.

“Chief Minister Choudhary is scheduled to inaugurate the event and launch a Teacher Cooperation Portal,” the official said, adding that two Deputy Chief Ministers are also expected to attend.

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“One teacher selected from each district will receive a state award. Children from 10 model schools in Patna selected as Saraswati Vidya Niketan schools will also be invited, along with teachers from DIETs, SCERT and teacher-training centres,” the official said.

Separately, CM Choudhary at an event on Thursday also announced that Bihar would establish a women’s university in which “all officials and employees, from the vice-chancellor and professors to other staff, as well as all students, would be women”.