Even a "model school" set up on chief minister Nitish Kumar's instructions cannot stop the exodus of its students - that is the state of education in Bihar.
More than half the students who passed their matriculation from Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya in Jamui - set up on the pattern of Netarhat Residential School in Jharkhand - in the last two years (2015 and 2016) moved to other institutions for higher studies.
The trend continued this year too.
Out of the 120 students (60 boys and 60 girls) who passed the matric exam from Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya, only 36 have decided to continue their studies at the school in Class XI.
"The new academic session started on July first week, but till date only 36 students have attended classes in XI," an official of the school said under cover of anonymity as he is not authorised to brief the media.
However, school principal Rajiv Ranjan said: "I don't know why students are not coming to attend the classes, but only three students have taken transfer certificate (TC) from the school."
Sources said that many students have not applied for TC - needed to change schools - as they have not received the marksheet and certificate from the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB). Once they get marksheet and other certificates from the BSEB, they will apply for TC.
In 2015, the first batch of Simultala students who took the matric exam, only 54 out of 120 students took admission in class XI. The next year, in 2016, only 45 out of 120 students resumed classes in XI at the school.
The school, which was set up in 2010 in Jamui, around 200km south-east of Patna, was meant as an answer to Netarhat Residential School which went to Jharkhand after the bifurcation of Bihar in 2000.
Many, however, feel the school has not lived up to the "model institution" tag.
"Studying four years at Simultala Vidyalaya was a good experience but the school has shortage of teachers in some subjects," said Pallavi Bharti, who has secured ninth position in the matric exam this year with 455 marks out of total 500. "I am planning to pursue biology in class XI but there are no good teachers for the subject at Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya so I have decided to shift."
Another alumnus, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "The school is best for studying till matriculation, but at the Intermediate level the school does not have many qualified teachers, especially for science subjects."
Sources said most students opt to go out of the state, or seek admission at some good school in Patna in the Intermediate level.
The Simultala school offers Plus-Two level education in four streams: Mathematics, biology, commerce, and arts. The seats in all four streams are 30 each. In 2016, there were only six admissions - four boys and two girls - in the commerce stream.
There are also question marks over infrastructure at the school.
It still functions from a temporary campus because even after seven years construction work of the new building is yet to commence.
