Bihar seeks district reports on govt schools lacking basic facilities

District administrations across Bihar have been instructed to compile and submit details of government schools that still lack basic infrastructure such as boundary walls and access to clean drinking water, officials said.

The directive from the Education Department follows complaints from several districts that have challenged official claims of widespread improvements in school facilities.

While the state government has maintained that schools up to the higher secondary level have been established at the panchayat level with essential amenities in place, field reports continue to point to persistent gaps.

Officials said the exercise aims to identify schools where students are facing difficulties because of missing basic facilities.

Once the information is collected, corrective measures will be taken without delay to address the shortcomings, they said.

The state has mandated that all government schools must be equipped with clean drinking water, toilets, electricity, and boundary walls.

Although officials say most institutions meet these requirements, they acknowledge that several schools remain without key amenities.

Complaints related to the absence of boundary walls and safe drinking water have surfaced from multiple districts, raising concerns about student safety, hygiene, and attendance.

In some areas, poor infrastructure has affected the learning environment and discouraged regular classroom participation.

In response, the Education Department has asked districts to specifically identify government schools that do not have toilets, boundary walls, or drinking water facilities so they can be given priority for infrastructure support.

Officials noted that secondary schools have been opened at the panchayat level and many existing schools have been upgraded.

However, they said infrastructure development has not progressed uniformly, making the fresh assessment necessary.

Education Minister Sunil Kumar assured that the gaps would be addressed soon.

"Schools that lack boundary walls, clean water, and toilets will be provided with these facilities. All necessary amenities are being provided in schools, which has led to a significant increase in the number of students. Orders have been issued to promptly provide boundary walls and water facilities to schools that currently lack them," he said.

The department emphasized that improving school infrastructure is essential to creating a safe and supportive environment for children.

Officials said the assessment is part of a broader effort to strengthen the education system and ensure students are not subjected to avoidable hardships in government schools.