Patna: The Bihar Education Department has tightened its instructions for government school teachers, introducing renewed restrictions on their dress code, mobile phone usage and conduct during school hours. Teachers have been directed not to wear jeans and T-shirts to school, stay away from personal mobile phones during teaching hours and taste mid-day meals served to students to check their quality.
The latest instructions have brought teachers’ workplace conduct under renewed scrutiny, with some of these guidelines having been issued previously as well.
Teachers Cannot Wear Jeans and T-Shirts to School
The restriction on wearing jeans and T-shirts is not entirely new. During the tenure of former Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department, K.K. Pathak, similar instructions were issued for teachers.
Last month, the department reiterated the dress code, directing teachers not to attend school wearing jeans and T-shirts.
The instructions were followed by disciplinary action in one district, where a teacher was suspended within two to three days of the order for allegedly wearing jeans to school.
Teachers Must Taste Mid-Day Meals and Maintain Reports
Another instruction concerns the quality of mid-day meals served to students in government schools.
Teachers, particularly those working in middle schools, have been directed to taste the food prepared for students and assess whether it is fit for consumption.
They must also prepare a report confirming the quality and edibility of the meal. The report is required to be kept safely on the school premises, as it may be inspected on any day.
Mobile Phone Use Restricted During School Hours
The department has also instructed teachers to stay away from personal mobile phones during school hours.
The objective is to ensure that teachers remain focused on classroom activities and teaching responsibilities rather than spending time on their phones.
Teachers have also received instructions regarding their classroom conduct, including how they should stand while teaching.
Teachers Asked to Monitor Students’ Homework
The instructions also cover students’ homework and communication with parents.
Teachers have been asked to check whether students complete their assigned homework and whether all the given tasks have been finished.
They must also communicate with parents to inform them about their children’s homework completion and academic progress.
Education Department’s Focus on Teachers’ Conduct
The latest instructions indicate renewed attention to teachers’ dress, classroom discipline, food quality monitoring and academic responsibilities in Bihar’s government schools.
While some guidelines existed earlier, their repeated issuance and disciplinary enforcement have brought them back into focus.
