Questions regarding the guarantee of quality education in Bihar's government schools remain open, as ensuring the safety of educational premises often takes priority. The situation escalated after the death of seven-year-old Ritika Kumari in Khagdia, when construction debris collapsed on her from the school stairs. An inspection conducted by AajTak in various districts of Bihar showed that children are at risk in many places due to dilapidated roofs, cracked walls, and destroyed supports.
In Kiratpur Darbanga, a building support has already failed, and the roof is being held up with bricks and benches. In Chhapra, the roof overhead could collapse, in Muzaffarpur, the roof leaks during the rain, and in Bagalpur, there is a shortage of space, forcing children to study outdoors, while in Begusarai, children are studying in corridors due to the dilapidation of the premises.
Despite the fact that leaders, MPs, and parliamentarians are aware of the problems, no action is being taken.
The condition of the school in Kiratpur Darbanga demonstrates how close Bihar's education system is to collapse. One of the supports in the government school failed about four to five months ago. To prevent the roof from falling, it is being supported with benches and bricks. Children are forced to study daily under the threat of death. To ensure safety, classes are held in an open area outside the classroom. Children from the first to fifth grade attend this school. Plastering on the walls and roof has fallen off in several places, there are large cracks, and the internal iron rods are covered with rust.
Given the condition of the building, teachers do not teach in the damaged parts. Instead, classes are organized under tents on the school grounds. However, the question arises as to how much water such a temporary canopy can hold during the rainy season. The future of the students in Darbanga currently depends on this temporary arrangement.
According to the school director, Rajendra Kumar, information about the dilapidated building was repeatedly conveyed to officials at both the block and district levels. He claims that the information was provided about five or six times, and official letters were sent, and officials conducted inspections. Nevertheless, neither new construction nor major repairs have been organized so far.
Following the death of a child in Khagdia, the Bihar Education Minister Mitilish Tiwari stated that the school director's duty is to inform the government promptly about the building's dilapidation. He also warned that measures would be taken in case of untimely provision of information. However, the school director in Kiratpur Darbanga insists that information about the dilapidated building was conveyed to officials multiple times. This raises the question: why was the building not secured if the school administration claims to have provided all necessary data?
During this investigation, it is important to mention the statement made by the Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Chaudhary, recently in the AajTak program 'Panchayat Aajtak Bihar'. The Chief Minister announced the launch of the 'Seva Sankalp aur Kayakalp' campaign to improve the condition of government schools. He stated that necessary equipment in rural schools, such as bathrooms, gates, fences, and painting, will be repaired.
According to the Chief Minister, the government plans to spend about 20 thousand crore rupees over the next two years. He has instructed officials to improve the condition of the schools. Samrat Chaudhary set a target for completing minor and urgent works, such as installing gates, repairing fences, and painting, by November 30. As for works related to new construction, the deadline was set for March 31.
However, the situation at Kiratpur Darbanga school is much more serious. This is not just about repairing bathrooms, gates, or painting; one of the building's supports has failed, and children have to study under a tent outside the dilapidated building. This incident at the government school in Kiratpur, Bihar, was also raised in the Bihar Assembly. Local MP Maitili Thakur raised the issue of the school building's condition during the budget session. Despite the passing months, significant changes in the condition of the school building have not occurred.
At Ramchandra Prasad Mahashay Arya School in Chhapra city, the plastering on the staircase roof has fallen off in several places, and the roof reinforcement is visible externally. Part of the plastering above the stairs has also fallen off. The roof in the classrooms where children study is also dilapidated in several places, and rebar is visible after the plaster fell. Due to the poor condition of many classrooms, studies have been suspended. According to the senior teacher of the school, Upendra Kumar Pataka, the school has children from the first to eighth grade, numbering about 250. Multiple written notifications have been sent to the Education Department regarding the building's condition. Lack of space is also creating problems with enrolling new students.
In Muzaffarpur, in the Government Primary School located in Block No. 39, children study under a dilapidated tent roof and in cracked walls.