Patna,(BiharTimes): Unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who interacted with children on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday has a piece of advice for teachers and said education should not be politicized and it would be wrong if anybody tried to do so.

Claiming that there is no politicisation of education in Bihar, Manjhi while talking to the media said initially students in the state were not supposed to be addressed by prime minister Narendra Modi, but the plan was later changed. He said because of the lack of infrastructure the children of the state government schools could not listen to the PM. As some private schools have the infrastructure they made arrangements to relay the speech.

On the other hand while speaking at the Teachers’ Day function at the S K Memorial Hall the chief minister asked the teachers to discharge their duty with responsibility. He added that `parents and teachers should ensure proper and all-round development of boys and girls.

The chief minister said there was a time when teachers were accorded the status of a priest but nowadays they are only worried about their family and children. It may be all right, but they should also think that they are citizens of the state.

The chief minister said the teachers should create an environment of respect towards them and the education should not be just bookish.

Flaying the para-teachers for repeatedly demanding more salary, Manjhi said they should first see the condition of government treasury than raise such issue. However, he assured them that the state government was contemplating increase in their salaries and other perks.

He said if the private schools, which are mushrooming in the state, are destroyed then the education standard in the state would further deteriorate. He also pointed out that 90 per cent of government school teachers send their children to private schools for education.

He announced that government would open one primary school for every 40 families in the state, and work is already on to have one Plus two school in each panchayat.

Manjhi said when he took admission in Class VIII in 1956 he had to walk eight kilometres daily to reach the high school. Now a Plus-two school in each panchayat would lessen the trouble, especially for girls.