Lucknow, June 14 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh teachers will undergo training sessions to improve relations with students and understand them better. The move comes after the government blamed the teachers’ apathy towards students as a reason for declining academic performance. “The move intends to allay fears of students, who hesitate to approach their teachers or seek their guidance when they face problem in their studies. We want to bring teachers and students closer,” State Secondary Education Board Secretary Prabha Tripathi told IANS.

The teachers’ training session will be organised in a phased manner from June 18 in Allahabad.

According to the board officials, the state government has blamed poor relationship between students and teachers for the decline in academic performance.

“In its letter, the government has said that owing to the irresponsible teachers, students are not interested in attending their class. As a result academic atmosphere has suffered considerably,” said a senior official preferring anonymity.

This year, the pass percentage of Uttar Pradesh board class 10 exams of 40.07 percent was lowest for the past six years.

Similarly, class 12 exam results of 65.05 percent pass were also a six-year low, the officials said.