Bihar plans to start BA, BSc degree colleges in schools; teachers flag space, staff crunch

Bihar plans to have degree colleges in every block but to begin with, a large chunk of these new institutions will jostle for space with senior secondary schools. The state’s 213 blocks without any college will be prioritised in the first phase and classes are expected to begin in July 2026, a prospect teachers and authorities feel deeply ambivalent about.

While expansion of college access is welcome, academics in higher education point to the shortage of teachers and the fact that the Bihar government hasn’t said much on appointments.

School teachers fear being squeezed into smaller spaces in their own institutions. Some say they don’t have room to spare at all, let alone for undergraduate-level laboratories for BSc degrees. The government says that colleges will run from the schools as an “interim measure”.

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BA, BSc in schools

The proposal was first made during the 2025–26 budget speech in the Bihar Assembly when Samrat Choudhary, now the deputy chief minister, said that the government intends to open a degree college in every block, following a public-private partnership format.

Colleges are planned for 534 blocks in Bihar. The government has said that classes are expected to begin by July 2026 in schools, as permanent campuses are being developed. Earlier in February, chief minister Nitisk Kumar wrote on social media: “Under the resolve of ‘Advanced Education-Bright Future’ of Saat Nischay-3 programme, a decision has been made to open degree colleges in all the blocks of the state so that students, particularly girls, conveniently access higher education.”

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BA, BSc degrees: Staff, infrastructure shortages

While the initiative has been welcomed, teachers and students have raised concerns about faculty shortages, infrastructure gaps and the feasibility of implementation within a short time frame.

Vineet Lal, assistant professor of political science at Nalanda College, under Patliputra University, Patna, sees merit in the idea but also flags structural challenges.

“See, it is okay. Things can be made possible. A few of the schools have good buildings, so that should not be a concern,” he said. “But the issue is that there are few teachers. How will they deal with that in three or four months? The government has not said anything.”

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He believes the rollout may begin with humanities courses. Bachelor of Arts degrees are easier to roll out and make less demands on infra.

“Whenever the government comes up with new policies for any stream, they do not start with science subjects but with humanities in the first phase. Implementation in the science stream comes later,” he said, adding that humanities courses require fewer laboratories.

However, he pointed to a critical gap in staffing. “There is already pressure on assistant professors. Universities need teachers but vacancies are not created. Many positions in colleges are lying vacant. If vacancies still exist, from where will they recruit professors for new colleges? Existing colleges are surviving because of visiting faculty. How will they manage more institutions?”

School teachers flag problems

Three school teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they have not yet received any official notification but are expecting notifications soon. “We got to know from the media. Any day we might get the notification,” one teacher said.

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According to a teacher from Saran district, not every block has the space and laboratory infrastructure required for running degree classes. “Some schools have land and space, but many do not. In several upgraded plus-two schools, there is only one lab. At least eight rooms are required in a school up to Class 12, apart from separate labs for science subjects,” a teacher said.

Another teacher cited the example of Barauli block in Gopalganj district, which does not have a government degree college. The schools themselves are under-resourced.

Another teacher from Gopalganj pointed out that there is an acute shortage of teachers. “There are schools where students are admitted in science in Classes 11 and 12 but there is not a single teacher to teach science. Teachers transferred to rural areas cannot be retained. They leave,” they said. “Today, some plus-two schools are running in just very few rooms.”

They criticised the centralised admission portal for Class 11, saying subject choices are offered without ensuring availability of teachers. “Before allotting seats, authorities should check whether teachers are there to teach the subjects. Students are suffering, and coaching centres are mushrooming in block-level markets,” a teacher said, estimating that 2,000 to 3,000 students queue up daily at some private coaching centres.

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Infrastructure provided under various schemes is also underutilised, they claimed. “Instruments for the Atal Tinkering Lab have been dumped together in a hall. No teacher is there to use them. Eighty per cent of schools in rural and sub-urban areas face similar issues,” one teacher said.

Degree Colleges: ‘Basic things need attention’

Bala Jee, a student of Patna University, is sceptical about the project.

“Schools and colleges do not have basic facilities. They announce things just for the sake of announcing. There is no practical work on the ground,” he said.

He pointed to the implementation of the National Education Policy in Bihar’s universities. “The new NEP has been implemented, but books are not available yet. Libraries in many colleges remain closed,” he said.

According to him, issues of campus administration and basic maintenance also persist. “Most schools do not have sweepers or cleaners. These are basic things that need attention before expanding degree courses,” he said.