Education in Bihar

Bihar has been a major centre of learning and home to one of the oldest universities of India dating back to the fifth century and the tradition of learning which had its origin from ancient times was lost during the medieval period when it is believed that marauding armies of the invaders destroyed these centres of learning.

Bihar saw a revival during the later part of the

After a series of reforms and steps taken by BSEB such as interviewing toppers before releasing results, the pass percentage has increased considerably. In 2020, 80.44% students who had appeared for class 12 BSEB examination were declared passed. Similarly, for class 10, the pass percentage for 2020 examination improved to 80.59%. To increase the pass percentage, the pattern of examination was also changed with MCQs playing a key role in this improvement.^[citation needed]

History of Education

Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the

Bihar saw a revival of its education system during the later part of the

Bihar was one of the key educational hub of east India before independence. In the 1960s major educational reforms were implemented to streamline the education structure of state by the then education minister and educationist late Satender Narain Sinha; however the phenomenal changes were short-lived as the successive governments failed to implement it.^{[clarification needed]} In 1964 Bihar School of Yoga was established at Munger. Bihar has an inadequate educational infrastructure creating a huge mismatch between demand and supply. This problem is further compounded by increases in population and governance issue specially during Lalu-Rabri era but revived after Nitish kumar became Chief minister. Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure,^[3] better health care facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption.^[4] The craving for higher education among the general population of Bihar has led to a migration of the student community from the state. This has led to a "flooding" of students to seek educational opportunities in other states, such as New Delhi and Karnataka, even for graduation level college education. Researchers found out that 37.8% of Bihar's teachers could not be found during unannounced visits to schools, the worst teacher absence rate in India and one of the worst in the world.^[5][6] In spite of the inadequate investment on education in Bihar, compared to other poorer Indian states, the students have done well.

Literacy

From the British times, Bihar has had a system of district schools (called Zila schools), located at of the older districts of Bihar. In addition, there were private and semi aided schools which were run and administered by local village communities. Several of them were known for their high quality education.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the state government took over management of most privately run schools. This adversely affected school education in the state since the state government was ill-equipped to manage the schools through its bureaucrats who were trained for law and order duties. Though the state accorded them government recognition, the standard started to fall. The state did not take over the schools run by the Christian missionaries and these schools provided a fillip (boost) to quality education in Bihar.

As in other states, the central government runs a number of

With the efforts of politician Nitish Kumar Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya was setup in 2010. The school has a distinction of producing toppers of the Bihar School Examination Board.

The number of private schools, including school-chains and Missionary Schools run by Christian Missionaries as well as Madrasas, or schools run by Muslim clerics, has increased in the post liberalisation era.

Most of the schools in Bihar are affiliated with the

Bihar is home of 8

With institute like Super 30, Patna has emerged as a major center for engineering and civil services coaching. The major private IIT-JEE coaching institutes have opened up their branches in Bihar and this has reduced the number of students who go to, for example, Kota and Delhi for engineering/medical coaching.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Employability

Bihar e-Governance Services & Technologies (BeST) and the government of Bihar have initiated a unique program to establish a centre of excellence called Bihar Knowledge Center, a finishing school to equip students with the latest skills and customised short-term training programs at an affordable cost. The centre aims to attract the youth of the state to improve their technical, professional, and soft skills, to meet the current requirements of the industrial job market.^[28] The National Employability Report of Engineering Graduates, 2014,^[29] puts graduates from Bihar in the top 25 percent of the country, and rates Bihar as one of the three top states at producing engineering graduates in terms of quality and employability.^[30]

Educational Challenges

In Bihar, one of the most populous states of India, women's education represents a complex relationship between major advancements and setbacks. The state's historical and current socioeconomic inequality greatly influences its struggling educational system which lags behind all other states in India. The state is largely dependent on agriculture, which dwindles socioeconomic opportunities for its residents. Recently, women's education has improved as a result of government and grassroots initiatives. However, the educational landscape in Bihar still faces major challenges including infrastructure disparities, socioeconomic limitations, cultural expectations, and the influence of societal standards.

The region's history of exploitation contributes heavily to the current suffering state of the educational system. During the British Raj, the colonial government and the local zamindars jointly focused on collecting taxes, which overshadowed the critical need for educational opportunities to allow for economic and social development. After independence from Britain, the trend of educational neglect continued, although with elected government officials in charge.^[31] The choice to place revenue collection at the utmost importance ahead of comprehensive development greatly hindered access to quality education for socioeconomic opportunities. Bihar is the second poorest state in all of India.^[32] In Bihar, around 80% of the population relies on agricultural production, and over 40% of the population is considered to be below the poverty line.^[33] The state has poor levels of educational attainment and a high rate of illiteracy. Access to education is a major factor in the region's poverty. High rates of unemployment are prevalent due to the population possessing a limited skillset as a result of an inadequate education system. The poverty cycle is further perpetuated by large amounts of the population not meeting the requirements for higher-paying jobs due to a lack of education.

Due to the region's historical neglect, poor infrastructure development, and economic constraints that contribute to high dropout rates, Bihar has historically low literacy rates. The state still has the lowest literacy rate in India, despite seeing an increase from a 47% rate of illiteracy in 2001 to 63% in 2011.^{[citation needed]} The low literacy rate emphasizes the necessity for improvements in the education system and socioeconomic issues. The region also has a dropout rate of 83% at the secondary level of education.^[34] The rarity of a child pursuing a secondary education beyond basic coursework in elementary school means that keeping kids enrolled in school represents a significant obstacle.

The school system in Bihar lacks infrastructure, adequate teachers, and resources. Firstly, there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Only 55% of teachers teaching secondary school and 40% at the higher secondary level have adequate qualifications for their job.^[35] Furthermore, the majority of schools are lacking in resources and infrastructure. In 2016, approximately 0.8% of schools in Bihar had access to computers.^[36] In 2016, 30.7% of schools did not have library books available for students to use.^[37] Additionally, around 29.4% of schools did not have a toilet available and usable.^[38] Schools in Bihar are lacking in infrastructure, qualified teachers, and funding.

In Bihar, the education of women represents a significant issue. Issues such as gender inequality in India add an extra barrier that prevents schooling for young girls. Women's access to education is often hampered by societal and economic pressures on them. Around half of Biharis are literate; however, only around one-third of women are literate.^{[citation needed]} Due to the prevalence of gender roles, a young girl is likely destined to be married off and thus there are often no perceived benefits of educating her. Child marriage represents a significant issue that is extremely prevalent in Bihar. The education of a young woman is not as critical as the education of a young man because he is expected to provide for his family through working. In Bihar, over 24.5% of young girls aged 7–18 will drop out of secondary school.^[39] It is common for young girls approaching puberty to drop out of school to focus on preparing for getting married. The struggling educational landscape in Bihar disproportionately affects woman.

More rural and impoverished areas are also more challenged by Bihar's failing education system. Urban areas have higher literacy rates than rural. Literacy rates are higher in the central urban areas of Bihar and the lowest in the north and east regions of the state.^{[citation needed]} The urban literacy rate is 58.42%; whereas, the rural literacy rate is 29.57%.^{[citation needed]} Districts in rural areas tend to have a large population of impoverished Muslim communities. Rural communities are disproportionately affected by the education crisis because of the wealth disparities between rural and urban districts. In the state's rural regions, parents understand the importance of educating their children; however, due to socio-cultural and economic factors, a priority of getting married off or working often trumps receiving an education. In Bihar, the total number of children working more than six months a year is around 0.54 million and there are approximately 0.58 million children who are working less than six months a year.^[40] Child labour presents a significant barrier that blocks children from receiving an education. Many children do not have educational opportunities or options available to them because they must work to support their families financially. The education system in Bihar faces numerous challenges including gender disparities, limited funding, poverty, lack of resources, and socio-cultural expectations. The cycle of poverty will persist unless there is a call to action to change the way that the government educates its citizens and provides resources to its education system.

See also

References