Bihar govt cuts school holidays, BJP and teacher bodies criticise decision

By Alok Mohit

PATNA: The Bihar government has announced a significant reduction in holidays for state-run schools between September and December, triggering sharp reaction from the teachers and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In its order of August 29, the government said the holidays were being cut down from originally marked 23 days during the period to 11 in accordance with the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009 that necessitated at least 200 days of schooling for Classes 1 to 5 and a minimum of 220 days for Classes 6 to 8.

According to the order issued by the director, secondary education, the holidays for Durga Puja have been reduced from six days to three days, including a Sunday. Also, there is a one-day holiday each for Diwali and Chitragupta Puja and two days for Chhath Puja.

The holidays cancelled include that of Janmashtami, Haritalika teej vrat (fast), jiutiya vrat and Guru Nanak Jayanti or Kartik Purnima.

Strongly criticising the decision, Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Wednesday took to X (formerly Twitter) to say that tomorrow the “Shariat law could be enforced in Bihar”.

“The education department of Bihar has cancelled holidays on Durga Puja, Chhath and Diwali. Tomorrow, it is quite possible Shariat could be enforced in the state and there could be ban on Hindu festivals,” he wrote.

Teachers’ organisations said that the schools already had 253 working days in a year. The government should focus on allowing teaching on those days by cutting down non-academic work given to the teachers, the Bihar Shikshak Manch said.

“The government engages teachers for everything under the Sun around the year with minimum facilities and then expects them to deliver,” said Bihar secondary teachers’ association president Shatrughan Prasad Singh.

TET primary teachers’ association (TPTA) said the education department was harbouring an “anti-Hindu mentality”. TPTA convenor Raju Singh said he would soon call a meeting to decide on a phase-wise agitation against the order.

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(Author Alok Mohit is former senior News Editor of Hindustan Times Patna and Chandigarh editions; can be contacted at mohit.alok19@gmail.com)