Only 7 Physics teachers in Bihar's 3500 Govt schools

Guess why nearly 70 per cent students from Science stream failed in Bihar intermediate examination this year? Believe it or not, but there are only seven teachers for Physics in 3500 government schools in the State at Plus Two level.

And incidentally, all these seven teachers are posted in Patna, which essentially means that in 37 out of 38 districts in Bihar, there is no one to teach Physics to the Plus Two students.

According to one statistics published in a vernacular daily, there are 205 teachers for Biology, 296 for Chemistry, 176 for Maths, 876 teachers for Political Science in these government schools, but only seven for Physics.

Out of these seven teachers, three are appointed on regular basis, while the remaining four are working on contract. Those working as permanent staff are Dr Karunesh, Dr Subhash Chandra Singh and Akhilesh Jha. These three teachers have been teaching Physics since 1989 at Patliputra School, Patna Collegiate and Miller High School respectively. The remaining four on contract are posted either in Patna or nearby areas within the district.

An educationist told Deccan Herald on Wednesday that no body applies for the post of Physics teacher these days. “The universities, which produces Physics teachers, are itself in a shambles. Obviously the ‘product’ is not competent enough to qualify the Secondary Teachers Eligibility Test (STET),” the Assistant Professor told DH. Notably, a candidate has to clear the STET before being appointed as a teacher in the respective subject.

“Another major flaw is that STET has not been conducted in Bihar after 2011. In 2011, only four persons applied for the post of Physics teacher. Out of these four, three were appointed on contract in 2012, while the fourth person got his appointment letter in 2017,” informed the source.

To complete the Plus Two course, the government, therefore, reportedly roped in secondary school teachers. But this proved to be too little, too late.