Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Are there government-run schools in Bodh Gaya?

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Yes, there are. State education generally offers basic subjects in the school curriculum. Prajna Vihar School offers a holistic education for the development of the person. Ethics, empathy, values, the arts, harmony and religious/secular sharing are distinctive features of our school. We provide a comprehensive range of subjects as given in government run schools. Parents in Bodh Gaya are keen to send their children to our school.

 

​Q. What is the quality of life in Bihar?

 

Bihar is one of the poorest and most populous states in India. Hindus make up around 83% of Bihar's population and 17% follow Islam, according to the last population census in 2011. In rural areas of Bihar, male and female literacy rate is 57.1 and 29.6 respectively - perhaps the lowest literacy rates for any state in India. There are villages far from a road, where not a single person can read or write. Few households there have access to piped water.

 

Our school is located a 10-minute walk from the Bodhi Tree, a Buddhist pilgrimage destination and World Heritage Site. The historic stupa marks the place of the Buddha’s enlightenment. Pilgrims and tourists worldwide, and from within India, come to Bodh Gaya. This boosts the local economy especially hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and more. Prices of essentials go up as well. This places extra hardship on the poor in Bodh Gaya, who face a daily financial struggle to feed their families. Season for majority of visitors runs from October to March, when the weather is cooler and not in the monsoon season.

 

Life expectancy among the poor is around 59 years. The poor have little or no money for medical treatment for themselves and their family. There are no social services.

 

​Q. Who attends the school?

 

Admission priority is given to the children of the poor, of the underprivileged.

 

Most of the Prajna Vihar School families earn their living as small farmers, day labourers, cleaners in hotels, gardeners, rickshaw drivers or run or work in stalls in the market. One father of three of our pupils puts 108 beads on a coloured string to create a mala for mantras. He is paid per mala starting work every day when the light comes up and finishes when darkness comes. His eyes and health suffer.

 

About a decade ago, we expanded school admission to include a minor percentage of middle-class children. This decision now contributes to social harmony and integration of castes. The caste system has a certain similarity as the class system in the UK – much separation of the rich from the poor. Our children/teenagers of salaried workers/ families with a business and the poor/underprivileged learn from each other in the school. The school tries to develop the talents of all children – not just those clever in academic subjects.

 

Q. Why did the founders of the school decline to start a Buddhist school in Bodh Gaya? Why is the school inter-religious?

 

As in other social/political areas, religions are vulnerable to sectarianism. Strong identification with one faith can contribute to hostility towards another faith. There are villages, sections of towns and cities where people do not speak to others of a different faith. A whole community of people can suffer blame due to one bad apple. We wished to develop an inter-faith vision. All faiths are respected and no religion is given priority over another. Children in our school have changed the culture of mistrust and negativity in their village or home area in Bodh Gaya. They go home and play with children regardless of whether they belong to a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or family or of no religion.

 

Q. Who runs the school on a day-to-day basis?

 

The Prajna Vihar Inter Religious Education Society (PVIRES) is the legal body which owns the school property and buildings, engages the principal and deputy, reviews the financial audits, sets annual budgets, determines policies, and has regular meetings to govern the organization.

 

In 2024, the PVIRES Director, PR (Princy) Dwyer (also the director of the YMCA in Gaya), and PVIRES treasurer, Kiran Lama (also the head of the Daijokyo Temple) directly oversee the Sisters’ work and consult with the teachers.

 

Donors and supporters of the school from overseas and India visit annually the school, sometimes speak to the pupils and meet with the teachers to learn about developments and needs for the school. We have an international network of people, who co-operate together. Pupils also make an important contribution to the vision of the school.

 

In 1990, we created the first classroom for beggar children in a local Buddhist monastery. A Buddhist monk gave support to the start of the school. The class expanded to two bamboo huts in a field for two classes. As our fledgling school expanded, we contacted the Sisters of Queen of the Apostles in Varanasi and asked the head nun of the convent to provide us with a principal and deputy, The nuns have many years of experience providing a quality education. Founded originally in Germany around 1876, the sisters are a local Catholic monastic order of nuns who specialise in running schools. Their contract is renewed every two years.

 

Q. What does the school teach?

 

The school offers classes in Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, Ethics, Civics, General Knowledge, Computing, Music, and Dance. Traditional dance has been a school specialty offering regular concerts. The school has revitalised classical dance, a long tradition fading in Bihar due to daily life struggles. We have sent groups of students to Varanasi for further training in traditional Indian music and dance. We have a library and a computer lab. The school does not have the financial resources for a science lab.

 

Q. How much of my donation will go to the school?

 

Our fundraisers are primarily western volunteers. Fundraisers in the West or India are volunteers, who do not receive any payment or percentage for raising funds. There are unavoidable administrative costs (less than 5%) which include credit card and third-party payment processing fees of an international charity, who support our school and other schools, primarily in Asia and Africa. Parents of the children also contribute to running costs of the school.

 

Please see our link To Donate for further information.

 

If you wish to make a large donation, please ask our fundraisers about the most cost-effective way of making your donation in the currency you plan to use.

 

​Q. Can I visit the school?

 

Yes. We welcome visitors, educators, and volunteers. With permission of a teacher, you can sit and listen in a class, watch practice sessions for classical and contemporary dance/music (Bollywood), talk to the children and teachers. The head teacher and her team of teachers, as well as the children, love visitors from India and around the world visiting the school, a happy, vibrant and welcoming place.

 

There are daily flights to Gaya from New Delhi, Kolkata and elsewhere. It takes about 20 minutes in the taxi to Bodh Gaya from the airport. There are express trains from all over India to Gaya. It takes around 30 minutes in the taxi to Bodh Gaya from the railway station.

 

Bodh Gaya has many hotels for visitors, and the school is just a short walk from the Mahabodhi Temple. Most locals and hotel managers can direct you to the Prajna Vihar School.

 

The coordinates of the school for online maps (such as google maps) are: 24.692138, 84.987915.

 

To make sure school is in session before you arrive, and to determine a suitable time to visit, please contact our principal: (+91) 919 940 9016, email: prajnavihar@rediffmail.com.

 

To find the school. Don’t hesitate to ask locals. It is the large building in Mastipur village. As you walk out of Bodh Gaya towards the Royal Thai Monastery, the road bends to the right, about 300 metres before the monastery. Just there you will see a track on the left-hand side of the road. If uncertain ask slowly and clearly for the direction to Prajna Vihar School. The start of the track is five minutes’ walk away from the school. Locals will point you in the right direction.

 

If you have questions , please get in touch with us. See Contact tab.

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Warmest wishes

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