DC orders surprise school checks to boost attendance

District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan chaired a monthly Education Department review meeting at the Collectorate auditorium on Friday. He issued strict directives to boost student attendance and improve school infrastructure.

The comprehensive session evaluated general government schools, residential institutions, and Mukhyamantri Utkrisht Vidyalayas. Officials also reviewed key departmental schemes and administrative targets during the gathering.

Focusing on residential schools, Ranjan instructed the District Education Officer, District Superintendent of Education, and block officials to conduct mandatory inspections at least twice every month.

Inspection teams must thoroughly evaluate student accommodation, food quality, teaching processes, hygiene, drinking water, and toilet facilities across these residential campuses.

Addressing security gaps, the Deputy Commissioner ordered the immediate repair of faulty CCTV cameras at the Sundarnagar residential school. He also mandated a district-wide functionality check of all cameras.

Expressing concern over the district’s 70 percent student attendance rate, Ranjan urged teachers and school management committees to ensure regular classroom participation.

To enforce accountability, he directed both the DEO and DSE to conduct surprise inspections of five schools each. He also mandated regular Parent-Teacher Meetings across all institutions.

Teachers must contact parents of chronically absent students directly to identify underlying issues. This direct outreach aims to strengthen school-parent coordination and improve daily attendance.

Officials reported that 90 percent of students have completed Aadhaar verification on the UDISE+ portal, adding 1,508 new entries recently. Ranjan ordered teams to finish remaining verifications immediately.

Addressing 4,025 pending student bank accounts, he directed officials to launch a special post-Chhath drive. Block-level banking teams will monitor and expedite these account openings.

Reviewing academic standards, Ranjan stressed timely syllabus completion, subject-wise evaluations, and remedial classes for weaker students ahead of board exams. He also mandated full teacher participation in upcoming training.

Deputy Development Commissioner Nagendra Paswan, the DEO, the DSE, and other officials attended the session.