Education in Bihar – An Introduction
Nalanda and Vikramshila are the oldest seats of learning since time immemorial which was located in Bihar. Bihar per the 2011 census has a population of 104.1 million and is ranked the third highest populated state of india. Of the given population 52.08% are males and 47.93% are females. The total literacy rate is 61.80% of which male literacy is 71.2% and female literacy is 46.40%. Both male and female literacy rates are much below the average national literacy rate of 81.30%. The urge for quality higher education has led to the heavy exodus of students from the state. Though the intelligence quotient of children of the state is better compared to other states, the teacher absence rate is the worst in the world. In spite of all the adversities, the state has a very rich legacy of education and is the second largest contributor to the prestigious Indian Administrative Service after Uttar Pradesh.
School Education in Bihar
Education in Bihar at the primary and upper primary level has been increasing progressively. There has been a significant growth in primary schools, but the growth of upper primary schools has been dismal up to the year 2009-2010. The average number of classrooms of government schools is 3.1. Against the national average of student per classroom of 32 the average student per classroom in Bihar is 88. Only 50% of the schools have a girl’s toilet and the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in the upper primary schools is 60% of the national average. At the secondary level per the statistics available for 2009-2010 the overall GER is around 20% as against an all India average of around 46 percent. This was due to low transition of less than 50% from elementary to secondary stage of education. If GER is to annually increase by 5% the same will entail the opening of 200 new secondary schools every year. The state government has a herculean task to accomplish. Studies at the intermediate level (+2) in Bihar are carried out under government high schools, Universities, intermediate colleges, private high schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE and madrassa schools.
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Higher Education in Bihar
The demand for higher education in Bihar is very high and infrastructure to fulfil the same is inadequate, resulting in students migrating to other states to acquire requisite and quality education. However there are sufficient numbers of universities and technical institutions in the state, but barring a few the rest are not up to the required national standards due to the absence of industry interface and the paucity of qualified faculty. Students are way below the average national standards which causes educational migration to other states where they deem to add more educational value to their respective profiles to stand a better chance for gaining appropriate placements and remuneration on employment.
Education in Bihar – Future.
Education in Bihar remains grossly inadequate as compared to the national standards and parameters. A committed and focussed all round development is required to align it to the national mainstream and provide quality education to its future generation whose exodus to other states for attaining educational excellence continues unabated.