84 West Champaran schools still without buildings

Bettiah: Under the open sky of West Champaran, education often takes shape not within four walls but beneath rustling leaves. In dozens of govt schools across the district, children continue to study without permanent buildings, braving heatwaves, monsoon showers and biting winter cold.

The situation remains stark. At least 84 schools lack proper structures, compelling thousands of students to attend classes in the open, deprived of even basic facilities. Official data show that West Champaran has 1,551 primary schools, 900 middle schools and 336 high schools, including minority and project schools. Yet infrastructure gaps persist.


At Govt Upgraded Middle School, Gurchurwa Vriti Tola under Majhauliya block near Bettiah, around 230 students from classes I to VIII sit in clusters under separate trees. Blackboards lean precariously against trunks.

During the monsoon, classes are frequently suspended. Summer brings scorching heat and winter ushers in cold waves. “Two or three classes run side by side under trees, which affects teaching. When it rains, we are sent home,” said Divya Kumari, a student.

Headmaster Aditya Narayan said the school, established in 1987, has never received a proper building. “Earlier, enrolment was around 500. As families became financially better off, they shifted children to private schools. If a building is constructed, enrolment will rise again,” he said.

District programme officer Gargi Kumari said the school has two rooms and 11 decimals of allotted land. “A proposal has been submitted for constructing six rooms under the current budget. The Majhauliya block education officer has been instructed to make temporary arrangements for senior classes at a nearby primary school within one kilometre of Vriti Tola,” she said.

A similar picture emerges at Govt Primary School, Sabeya Musai Musahar Tola, about 10km from Bagaha subdivision headquarters. Established in 2000, its two-room structure has a partially collapsed roof.

Following a land dispute in 2018, another primary school was merged with it, intensifying the space crunch. Around 130 students, mostly Mahadalit children, now study in open fields or on raised platforms. “We are scared to sit inside because the roof is broken. So we study outside,” said Anjali, a Class IV student.

Headmaster Vinod Prasad Pal said repeated representations to authorities concerned have yielded no action.

“Our village has no school land. Hence children were tagged to a school 2km away. It is difficult for five-to ten-year-olds to walk that far. We leave early for work and constantly worry about their safety,” said Bittu Ram, a parent.

District education officer Ravindra Kumar acknowledged that around 84 schools remain building-less or landless. He said land identification and construction processes are underway and detailed project reports (DPRs) have been prepared. “The schools will be upgraded in phases under Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (BSEIDC) with modern and sustainable standards,” he said.