Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has said he wants the children of ministers, MLAs and government officials to study in government schools, arguing that the education system will only be considered truly transformed when affluent families begin choosing public institutions.
Addressing a programme at Gyan Bhawan in Patna on Friday, the Chief Minister said the Education Department had been instructed to work towards introducing such a system within the next one to two years.
‘Real Change Will Be Visible Then’
Samrat Chaudhary said government schools continue to be attended largely by children from economically weaker families, even as the state invests in improving infrastructure and academic standards.
He said the government aims to create a situation where families holding public office also send their children to government schools, adding that this would be a true measure of confidence in the state’s education system.
Government Expanding School Infrastructure
Highlighting recent initiatives, the Chief Minister said Bihar has established 551 Saraswati Vidya Niketan model schools and is introducing live classroom teaching in government schools.
He also said arrangements are being made to provide NEET and JEE coaching within government schools to improve students’ access to competitive examination preparation.
The remarks were made during the launch of the Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan, organised to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas.
Focus On Higher Education
The Chief Minister said Bihar continues to lose a large number of students to educational institutions outside the state.
He noted that the government spends around Rs 18,000 crore under the Student Credit Card Scheme to support students pursuing higher education elsewhere.
To reduce this dependence, he said the state has opened 211 degree colleges, enabling students to access higher education closer to their homes.
Samrat Chaudhary also referred to the revival of Nalanda University, which he said was made possible through the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and noted that work is underway to establish Vikramshila University in Bhagalpur.
Appeal To Religious Institutions
The Chief Minister called upon maths (monasteries) and temples to establish schools and colleges, assuring them that the state government would provide recognition to eligible institutions.
He also announced that the government plans to establish more than 400 additional degree colleges across Bihar in the coming years as part of its effort to strengthen the state’s higher education network.
