Patna: Bihar’s flagship bicycle scheme, which has transformed school education in the state, is set to be implemented in Zambia and Mali with financial assistance from the United Nations. The initiative was highlighted by Bihar’s Education Minister, Sunil Kumar, during an Assembly session on Monday while discussing the achievements of the education department after presenting the third supplementary budget.
The minister revealed that a US-based professor and educationist recently visited Bihar to conduct a ground study of the cycle scheme introduced by the Nitish Kumar-led government. The study particularly focused on its impact on girls’ education, observing how the initiative significantly increased female enrollment in government schools, bringing their numbers on par with boys.
Following the study, the professor submitted a report to the UN, which was subsequently reviewed by UN experts. The findings were received positively, with the UN recommending that Zambia and Mali adopt the scheme. Education experts from both African nations have now decided to conduct further studies before implementing it. The UN has also announced financial aid to support the initiative in these countries.
Bihar’s cycle scheme was launched in 2007 on the initiative of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to provide bicycles to girls in the ninth standard. The programme led to a sharp increase in school enrollments, particularly among girls, and changed the social landscape of rural areas as more girls took to cycling to school. The scheme gained international recognition and was extended to boys in 2009. Currently, around 12 lakh students benefit from the initiative annually.
