The Nitish Kumar government has often spoken proudly about leading an “education revolution” in Bihar, with a proposed education budget of ₹60,964.87 crore for the 2025–26 financial year. But on the ground, the situation in many rural schools tells a very different story. Basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, and safe classrooms remain a distant dream. At the Upgraded Middle School in Nahwa village under the Masaurhi block of Patna district, a two-storey building was built in 2019 when the school was upgraded — but even today, there is no toilet for either students or teachers.
I am writing about this issue because it highlights the deep gap between government promises and actual conditions in Bihar’s rural education system. Despite large budgets and ambitious announcements, children and teachers in many schools are struggling without the most basic amenities. The absence of toilets doesn’t just make life uncomfortable — it directly affects attendance, learning, and health, especially for female students and teachers. This is not just a local issue; it represents a larger failure in how public money and policy priorities are translated into real change at the grassroots level. It’s important to talk about it so that awareness can lead to accountability.
A reality far from the promise
The Bihar government’s education budget may look impressive on paper, but the condition of many schools reflects neglect at the most basic level. At Nahwa’s Upgraded Middle School, students and teachers go through daily struggles. Without toilets, teachers avoid drinking water, and students, especially girls, skip classes to avoid embarrassment. Female teachers like Preeti Kumari share how humiliating and uncomfortable the situation is — often having to visit nearby homes to use toilets during school hours.
Even though the building was completed five years ago, the school has yet to get any funds for toilets or maintenance. The lack of sanitation has also made it hard to retain female teachers, and the attendance of adolescent girls drops sharply once they reach puberty.
When infrastructure gaps lead to falling attendance
A school without toilets automatically becomes a place where learning suffers. According to local reports, several students in Nahwa and nearby villages miss school frequently because they cannot manage without proper facilities. Parents also hesitate to send their daughters to such schools. This defeats the purpose of government campaigns like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” and “Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan”, which aimed to ensure separate toilets for girls in every school.
Teachers at the school said that repeated requests to local authorities have gone unanswered. While funds are often sanctioned for new construction or digital learning programs, basic sanitation infrastructure remains neglected. This imbalance between high-tech promises and ground-level needs is one of the biggest flaws in Bihar’s education system today.
What the government claims vs what’s happening on the ground
| Government Claim | Ground Reality |
|---|---|
| Education revolution with major reforms | Schools lack toilets, water, and furniture |
| Digital classrooms and smart learning | Students study in poor conditions without basic facilities |
| Focus on girls’ education | Girls drop out due to lack of toilets and safety concerns |
| ₹60,964 crore education budget for 2025–26 | Minimal visible improvement in rural schools |
While the government’s official reports often highlight progress in enrollment and teacher recruitment, the quality of school infrastructure remains alarmingly poor. In many villages, classrooms have broken roofs, no boundary walls, and no access to clean drinking water — conditions that make regular schooling nearly impossible.
The human cost of neglect
It’s easy to talk about policy reforms, but the real story is about the people who suffer silently every day. In schools like the one in Nahwa, the absence of a toilet has made even routine work a challenge. Female teachers say they avoid eating during the day to manage without facilities, often leading to health problems. Girls stop attending school during menstruation or drop out entirely after a certain age.
When students skip school for days due to discomfort or embarrassment, their academic progress falls behind. Teachers struggle to maintain discipline or enthusiasm in an environment where even basic dignity is missing. These are the realities behind the glowing claims of an “education revolution.”
