A closed school at Sultanganj block in Bhagalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

Many school buildings on the kanwariya path have been transformed into month-long makeshift camps for devotees or security personnel dealing a blow to academics.

More than 7,000 students of government primary or high schools located at Sultanganj block in Bhagalpur have been deprived of studies for around a month. Eighteen government schools, including four high schools, are closed from July 22-August 22 for the Shravani Mela and the buildings located beside the kanwariya path (route of the pilgrims to Deoghar) have been transformed into camps for security personnel or as rest houses for devotees.

Many residents, however, believe that the closure of the institutions have helped them engage their kids in their business. Apart from the temporary shops set up along the devotee route, the children earn money by dancing and entertaining the kanwariyas.

“We used to dance and shout bol bum and the kanwariyas used to drop coins. We earned around Rs 10-20 by evening,” said Kundan Kumar, a student of a primary school at Lakhanpur Mushari. Kundan, along with a group of children, was found dancing beside the kanwariya path on Wednesday.

“Though they are missing the midday meal owing to closure of the schools, my children earn sufficient money by the grace of Bholanath,” said Bhamri Devi of Binobanagar.

Manikant Prasad Gupta, the block extension education officer of Sultanganj, said 14 primary and middle schools, along with four high schools located beside the 12-km-stretch of the kanwariya path, were closed owing to the Shravani Mela. “Owing to the religious fair, the studies of the students in the 18 schools have been affected,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong in closing the schools for a month. The buildings are used to help the kanwariyas. Baba Bholanath will help the students and others for offering services for his devotees,” said Ramdeo Yadav of Rampur Kamroy village.

The district programme officer of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, Subash Kumar, said the studies get hampered every year during the mela period at Sultanganj. “The education department has not taken any decision on additional classes after schools re-open to make up for lost time. Neither is there any proposal to shift the students to other schools.”