Students attend a computer class at Simultala Residential School in Jamui. Picture by Deepak Kumar

For Muskan Kumari, the 11-year-old daughter of a labourer from Patna’s Mainpuri area, it was an opportunity of a lifetime when she got admission to Simultala Residential School.

Muskan, a Class VII student who aspires to become scientist, wasn’t satisfied with what she was learning at the government school she attended in Patna — she wanted to get education on a par with what children studying at top private schools get.

The ambitious girl came to know about the Simultala school from her uncle who saw an advertisement published in a newspaper inviting applications for admission to classes VI and VII. Muskan took the entrance test conducted by the school in February 2010 along with some 32,000 boys and girls vying for 120 seats. Muskan came out on top.

The school, a dream project of chief minister Nitish Kumar, was inaugurated in August 2010. It is modelled on the Netarhat Residential School that came up in 1954 in what was then undivided Bihar. After the bifurcation of the state in 2000, the Netarhat school went to Jharkhand’s kitty.

But what was to have been a smooth ride for what is billed as the best state government school in Bihar could end in turmoil if the institution, currently affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), switches to the Bihar board, whose academic credentials can in no way be compared to the CBSE or the ICSE. More than 70 per cent of the parents have threatened to withdraw their children if the human resource development department brings the school under Bihar State Examination Board.

“If parents withdraw their children, it will turn into just another government school,” said Ravikant Singh, a parent representative.

Officials were not willing to explain the reasons for the change of mind, but information culled from school authorities suggest that HRD minister P.K. Shahi believes the government would have more say in the running of the institution if it were brought under the Bihar board. Also, in case of CBSE affiliation, the state would have to pay salaries and perks to teachers and staff as per central norms. A teacher, for example, has to be paid the same package as a college lecturer, approximately Rs 35,000-40,000 per month. However, teachers at the Simultala school are paid around Rs 25,000 per month at present. Moreover, the government has to appoint teachers who are CBSE-trained, thus ruling out the chances of those who have undergone courses at state-run institutes.

Apart from affiliation problems, the school also faces a severe shortage of teachers. The school has 13 teachers, including the principal and vice-principal, who mainly look after administrative work. The school doesn’t have teachers for important subjects such as English, Chemistry, History, Sanskrit, Moral Value and Culture.

When the school was inaugurated by the chief minister last year, it was promised that it would be set up on an area of 100 acres. But now the HRD plans to set up the school over 56 acres.

The Simultala school benefits people from the lower end of the social spectrum as admission is totally on the basis of merit and education is very cheap and in most cases like Muskan’s, completely free of cost. The co-educational institution at present offers classes VI and VII but it will be extended to Class XII with every new batch every year.

Of the 237 students studying in the school, as many as 208 get free education. If a girl’s parental income is less than Rs 5 lakh per annum, she will get free education while for boys, the parents’ income should not be above Rs 3 lakh. The remaining 29 students pay fees ranging from Rs 10,000-25,000 per annum, much less than any private school of this model, and it covers their education, accommodation with food and uniform.

Situated on a picturesque hilltop surrounded by jungles at Jamui district, about 230km from Patna, the school is currently operating out of nine rented bungalows. The famed Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay too had constructed a bungalow, which is now being used to house teachers.

Over the years, the Naxalites have overrun the area and until about four years ago, it was prone to attacks. The slippery Maoists have now given way to snakes. Vice-principal Sunil Kumar said: “Poisonous snakes have been found on the campus. It’s a problem as we don’t have a full fledged dispensary or a full fledged doctor.”

He cited an example of a girl student who came down with fever. She had to be taken to Deoghar, about 60km away, in the night, as there were no medical facilities available at Simultala.

The biggest problem the school is facing presently is the poor power situation. Principal Rajiv Ranjan said: “As there is poor electricity, we spend a large amount of money in purchasing diesel for running generators.” The school has to depend on generators, which run till 10.30pm, after which it’s only darkness.

However, in spite of the problems, the school administration has been trying to do its best for the students. The school has separate laboratories for subjects such as science, social science, mathematics, language and computers.

Saurav Kumar, a student from East Champaran, said: “I have never expected that I will study in a school which is on a par with other top private institutions.” Saurav, the son of a farmer and whose role model is the legendary atomic scientist Homi Bhabha, said: “The computer lab of the school is better than even private schools.”