Govt schools to launch sessions on mock interview, public speaking

Ranchi: Govt schools in the city are undergoing a transformation, shifting focus from mere syllabus completion to comprehensive personality development. To prepare students for competitive examinations, govt middle schools will soon introduce training modules on public speaking and interview preparation.

The initiative follows the successful rollout of foundational programmes during the 2025-26 session, when students were introduced to a general knowledge module and group discussions. Building on that, the district administration plans to expand its curriculum for the 2026-27 session to include extempore, declamation, debates and mock interviews for senior students.

Ranchi district superintendent of education (DSE) Badal Raj said, “Extempore and declamation sessions will start as schools reopen after summer vacation. We are planning to introduce mock interviews this year as well.”

Officials said the mock interview sessions will focus on removing performance anxiety, helping students build their confidence to face interview panels, articulate their opinions clearly and respond to questions without hesitation.

Highlighting the rationale, Raj said, “Be it admissions in premier higher education institutes or competitive examinations for jobs, general knowledge, public speaking, group discussions and interviews are an integral part of the modern screening process. We are trying to help children develop confidence to face these challenges from a young age so they can be future-ready.”

The new modules build on two flagship initiatives from the previous academic year: ‘GK Quest’ for classes 1 to 8 and structured group discussions for classes 6 to 8.

The ‘GK Quest’ programme currently benefits around 2 lakh students across 2,100 govt primary and middle schools in the district. A video featuring 50 GK questions and answers is shared with schools every month. Videos have been shared on nine topics so far, helping students master over 450 questions. Meanwhile, group discussion sessions encourage students in classes 6 to 8 to debate age-appropriate subjects.

Raj said teacher feedback was positive. “The response to these initiatives has been overwhelming, leading to a visible improvement in the overall confidence of our students, as well as a marked enhancement in both their verbal and written expression,” he said.