No Road To Education: Bihar School Forces Students To Trek Through Fields For Decades
Established over 32 years ago, the school still lacks a proper road from any direction.
Published : March 31, 2026 at 7:33 PM IST
Gaya: While the Bihar government continues to claim improvements in the education system, ground realities tell a different story. In many places, government schools struggle with inadequate infrastructure or a shortage of teachers. In Gaya, however, a school has an even more unusual challenge; it has a building, but no access road.
Students and teachers of the Government Middle School in Bikopur, located in the Banke Bazar block, are forced to use narrow foot trails through agricultural fields to reach the campus. During the monsoon, these paths turn muddy and dangerous.
Established over 32 years ago, the school still lacks a proper road from any direction. The school is surrounded by privately owned farms, and neither students nor staff have a designated route to the premises. Children navigate through field ridges and uneven pathways. They often walk about a kilometre to attend classes.
The situation worsens during the rainy season, when the muddy tracks become slippery. Students slip and sustain injuries.
"We don't have a proper road to school. We walk a kilometre through fields to somehow reach here. This has been the situation for years, but nothing has changed," said Deepa Kumari, a Class VII student.
There are about 300 students, with over 200 attending the school regularly. However, it has only five classrooms. There is also a shortage of benches and desks, and only five teachers are posted against a sanctioned strength of eight. Drinking water facilities are inadequate, so children return home frequently, especially during the summer.
"Even though many students attend daily, there aren't enough classrooms or seating arrangements. There is no proper drinking water facility either," said Meera Kumari, a student.
Teachers face similar challenges. "There is no proper route for anyone. During the rains, we have to park our bikes half a kilometre away. Children often remove their footwear to walk through the mud," said Kumar Vasudev, the in-charge headmaster. He added that several appeals to authorities for a road have gone unanswered.
For higher education, it is even worse. Students must travel 10–12 kilometres to reach the nearest high school in Parsawan. With no direct road and forest routes, which is risky, many children drop out after Class VIII.
Girls are particularly affected. Due to safety concerns and distance, families often discontinue their education and arrange early marriages.
"There is no high school nearby. After Class VIII, we have to travel long distances through forest paths, which is not safe. Many girls are not allowed to continue studies," said Poonam Kumari, a student.
According to officials, the main hurdle in constructing a road is the lack of available land. The school is surrounded by privately owned fields, and acquiring land for a road has been a challenge for decades.
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