Bihar teacher recruitment rules wipe out decades of school service; leave them without recognition, fair pay

“We have served for years and we only want recognition,” said Vikas*, a government school teacher in Bihar’s Patna district. But recognition is precisely what thousands of educators in Bihar are being denied, despite teaching for over a decade. They are now officially classified as “new joinees” under the state’s latest recruitment overhaul.

Avinash*, too, has been teaching in a government school in Bihar’s Jamui district for over a decade. Yet, in 2025, official records list him as a new joinee, wiping out years of service and placing him on par with fresh recruits.

“We have lost all faith in the government. Whichever government is in power, they never do anything for the teachers,” he said.

According to UDISE+ 2024-25, there are 94,339 government schools and over 2.11 crore students enrolled across the state.

This change in recruitment pathway is one of the biggest education policy reforms introduced by the Nitish Kumar government in the state. Polling for the Bihar assembly elections is on November 6 and 11

Bihar: BPSC TRE, teacher recruitment changes

The source of this crisis lies in Bihar’s hasty policy changes. Until recently, many teachers in the state worked as ‘Niyojit Shikshaks’ – temporary staff employed by panchayats, municipalities, or zila parishads. They were not considered state government employees and their salaries were managed locally.

In 2023, the Nitish Kumar government introduced the Bihar School Teacher Rules under which all existing teachers were to be absorbed as state government employees through the Bihar Public Service Commission's (BPSC) Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE). The exam rolled out in phases – Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 – with a BPSC TRE Tier 4 advertisement now out.

However, a second policy change in August 2025 brought further modifications to the recruitment and absorption process. As a result, teachers’ prior service under local bodies are no longer officially recognised by the state. Teachers find themselves stripped of seniority, facing pay disparities and categorised along with fresh graduates.

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Bihar Schools: A system under strain

Bihar’s school education infrastructure is vast, but overstretched. While the total number of teachers may appear adequate on paper, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

Official data released in August 2025 revealed that 29 schools in Bihar are functioning without a single teacher, while 1,865 schools have only one teacher each. As many as 1.75 lakh students are enrolled in such single-teacher schools.

“Every panchayat has a school now, but where are the teachers?” asks Rohit* who teaches in a school in Patna district. “If there is a teacher for physics, there is no teacher for chemistry or maths. For the science stream in Classes 11 and 12, schools do not have teachers for all subjects. In the Arts stream, there are no teachers for subjects like psychology, sociology, or philosophy. Students are taking admission, but there are no teachers.”

The shortage of subject-specific teachers is acute, particularly for senior classes, which means that students often do not understand the subjects they choose. The science and arts streams especially are affected, Rohit said, leaving students with limited options and putting extra pressure on the few teachers available.

“For Classes 11 and 12, there are 120 students for every stream in each class. In Classes 9 and 10, there is no limit. Any number of students can get admission depending on the space available. I teach social studies for Classes 9 and 10. There are 280 students – 140 in each class. Each class is then divided into two sections of 70 students each. It is very difficult.”

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Teacher Recruitment: Salary, experience

Senior teachers say that they are receiving lower salaries than those who are newly-recruited, despite having served far longer. Many who have taught for 18 years have not received salary revisions mandated under the 7th Pay Commission.

“The government does not care about teachers. If teachers are unhappy, how can they teach students properly? Every government promises to help people before elections, but no one promises anything to teachers,” said Vikas.

Some teachers want to protest, but the fear of job loss keeps them silent. “We have to be tight lipped,” he said.

“I teach Sanskrit, I can teach Hindi if required. But I will not be able to teach any other subject. But this is what is happening in Bihar. In the school I teach in, there are no teachers for most of the subjects. This way the children also don't come to school regularly,” said Akash* who teaches in a school in Madhepura district.

Also read West Bengal: After 10-year wait for school jobs, Lepcha teachers now unpaid for 3 months

Private coaching centres mushrooming

As a result the vacuum has fueled a thriving private coaching industry. “Ultimately the coaching centres are doing their business as many students cannot attend school,” Akash said. Vikas also echoed the same emotion.

The shortage of teachers, unequal salaries, and lack of recognition not only affect teachers but also students’ learning outcomes. Many schools operate with insufficient staff, making it difficult to offer subject-wise instruction, especially in streams like science and arts.

“We want subject-wise teachers, a teacher cannot multi-task or be forced to teach subjects outside their expertise. I teach social studies, I cannot teach Sanskrit. Students will receive quality education only when there are subject teachers,” Avinash said.

*Names changed on request

This is the second story in a series on education reforms in Bihar.