20% of the students attend classes in Bihar, survey reveals

Noted Economist and Social Scientist, Jean Dreze released a comprehensive survey on Friday, centering on the failure of the schooling system in Bihar. The survey explicitly states that only 20% of the total strength of students attend classes at government primary and upper primary schools in Bihar. The survey was conducted across 11 blocks of two districts of Araria and Kathiar of North Bihar and 81 government schools at random were shortlisted. The 32 page propounded report was published by Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, a non-governmental organization with the able guidance of Jean Dreze.

The survey has revealed that schools of North Bihar are in danger of being replaced by ‘cheap’ and ‘dingy’ tuition centers, and immediate action must be taken to avert this crisis. “Where are the kids? The curious case of government schools in Bihar. The teachers are not there, the quality of education is poor, infrastructure is dismal, the midday meal is of poor quality, and the direct benefit transfer for textbooks and uniforms is a failure”, said economist Dreze while addressing the media on Friday.

It has been noted that majority of the schools lack the bare basic infrastructural layout. About 90% of the schools do not have playgrounds or libraries; they do not have proper walls either. “The survey reveals a serious failure to ensure even minimum norms of schooling in north Bihar. Inadequate resources, ineffective policies and indifferent action are the issues these schools face and which can be seen as a reflection of their interdependent failures. The COVID-19 pandemic not only exacerbated these issues but also added new ones”, reads the survey.

When the survey was conducted, only 20% of the total students were seen attending the classes. The report says that this is a massive crisis, not only limited to Araria and Kathiar, but has plagued the entirety of Bihar. “Education is important for all and everything depends on quality education. It is sad that government school students go to private tuition at the time of school”, observed Jean Dreze.

Another factor that contributed to the low attendance rate is the failure of the Direct Benefit Transfer system. The scheme was designed to provide the school essentials like text-books and school uniforms. However, many school going students do not receive the allocated funds or the funds are channeled for other purposes.

The survey further observes that the abysmal infrastructural provisions of the government schools are directly proportional to the steep rise in the number of private coaching centers across the state. The survey reads, “Given the sorry state of government schools, many students rely on private tuitions. A nexus has been formed between dysfunctional government schools and private tuitions, where the role of the school has been reduced to merely providing a midday meal and arranging examinations.”

Jean Dreze’s survey has urged the authorities to take immediate steps to mitigate the crisis, as the government schools could soon be replaced by private coaching centers.