Jharkhand CM Schools of Excellence; Hemant Soren targets 5,000 schools, pushes teacher expansion

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday directed officials to expedite the action plan to increase the number of CM Schools of Excellence to 5,000 in the state to provide quality education to students from marginalised sections.

The CM, while reviewing the progress of the School Education and Literacy department, also asked officials to ensure that no school runs with just a single teacher during the next six to eight months. Currently, 80 CM Schools of Excellence are operational in the state, offering education at par with private schools.

"The aim is to ensure that quality education reaches students in every panchayat. During the next six to eight months, it should also be ensured that no school runs with just a single teacher," the CM said, according to an official release. Soren also instructed officials to operate a transportation facility under a pilot project so that students can be transported from home to school and back.

"The state has performed better in many areas in primary education and literacy. The results in the CM Schools of Excellence have also been better this time. Along with education, children are progressing in other fields as well," Soren posted on X.

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He further said, "The department has been directed to soon start new CM Schools of Excellence, Dishom Guru Shibu Soren Residential School in Jaguar campus, increase retention in schools, reduce the dropout rate, especially for girls, increase the number of teachers, provide quality education to children, train teachers in innovative ways, take children on exposure visits, and keep teachers away from administrative responsibilities so they can focus more on teaching..."

Officials informed the chief minister that the number of dropout children in primary and secondary education has decreased. "Jharkhand is performing better than the national average in terms of school dropouts. The education department is running a special campaign to ensure the enrolment of dropout children. In coordination with the Labour department, efforts are being made to identify children engaged in labour or other work who are deprived of school education," officials told the CM, the release stated.