Bad governance and inadequate education have a symbiotic relationship, one leading to the other. Generally bad governance is linked only to the state, absolving of civil society the responsibility. In Bihar, both the state and civil society are blameworthy for the lack of governance and the falling standards of education. This has become deliberate policy, especially under Laloo Prasad Yadav’s government to keep the masses uneducated, which suits his political interests. Civil society, on its part, has failed to find an alternative to Laloo Yadav due to caste and class factors. 

  At the primary level, government schools are the only option for poor people, especially in rural areas. The government has failed to provide adequate infrastructure for these schools, in terms of buildings, teachers etc. The primary schools do not have even blackboards and chalk. Most of the teachers are from the upper class or upper caste and belong to powerful sections of the society, whose bias discourages the lower caste and class students from attending schools. Though a number of teachers were appointed belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the 1990s, they do not work regularly, as the government does not pay their salary. The lack of roads and poor transport facilities is another reason for their non-attendance. 

  The majority of the rural population belongs to the lower castes and classes and have no means to send their wards to school. Given the inadequate wages (which is the lowest in Bihar) and the large family size (family planning remains ineffective) the children are seen as a work force, who are more productive in the fields. Also the logic in rural Bihar is that, even if the children are educated, the state is not going to provide them employment, (even state employment does not guarantee a salary in Bihar!) so one has to come back to the fields; then why waste financial resources to educate them?

  Government schools in urban Bihar (both primary and secondary) have different problems. Massive irregularity in the selection process and rampant corruption has affected the quality of education. Besides, teaching have some unique problems in Bihar. There is rampant copying, and students threaten teachers if they act against their wishes. Both the state and society are not really bothered about this situation, and sincere teachers are at the receiving end in most cases, as parents threaten them physically and use political influence to get them transferred for not letting the students copy! Students copying at the examination centers, with a knife on their table, is a common phenomenon in Bihar.

  Though teaching standards in private schools are much better, they remain limited at present to urban areas, and the majority of people cannot afford their tuition fees.

  College education is even worse. Ever since Jagannath Mishra, a former Chief Minister, started "unaided colleges" in the mid 80 's, the standard of college education has deteriorated rapidly. A large number of engineering, management, and degree colleges were opened with no regulations. These colleges can enroll any number of candidates and employ any number of teachers. With no academic calendar and willingness to provide a degree for a price, these colleges have brought educational chaos. Government colleges are also in a pathetic state, almost always behind schedule, leading to career problems for students. College students in Bihar are normally at least four to five years behind their batch mates outside the state. Hence, they prefer private colleges, where irrespective of attending classes, a degree is assured. 

  Adding to these problems has come the biggest threat, politicisation and criminalisation of the campus. All political parties view the campus as a recruiting ground, resulting in increasing violence and declining standards. The academic calendar is set by criminal elements inside the campus, who have a nexus with the non-teaching staff. Statistics reveal that thousands of students in various educational institutions are history-sheeters. In practical terms, the higher the crime graph of a student, the greater his chance of occupying a position in politics, thus securing a "bright future". Besides politicization and criminalisation, the campuses are also divided along caste lines.

  Given these educational conditions, most students finish their education learning their first lessons in corruption, criminal and caste politics. The entire educational system moulds the individual negatively, leading them to become part of a corrupt society. A corrupt society can never pressure the state to provide good governance, which is what the ruling elite (belonging to both the ruling and opposition parties) want. 

  Without a proper system of education, good governance will remain a distant dream in Bihar.