Shukrabahadur Gurung in Chomrong village, who earns around 40,000 per month as his donkeys serve as a means of transport in Nayapul-Chomrong route, wants his son to have a strong over English. [break]
While 5-year-old Rijon marches to an English medium school in Pokhara, his two sisters, 11-year-old Rojina and 9-year-old Roshani attend a government school. Interestingly, the girls are well aware of the discrimination and complain about it to the father.
However, Gurung is far much occupied by the excitement to see his son speak fluent English rather than brood over the complaints of the daughters. "I have only one son, no wonder, I would wish him to have strong command over English," he said. Rijon studies in Nursery.
According to the father, he wanted to send the girls to English medium school, too. However, due to insufficient income he was not able to do so.
"Moreover, the daughters would go their to husbands´ house after marriage, while son will look after us when we would turn grey and feeble," he said. "My youngest daughter often complains that her brother is going to a boarding school unlike her," he reports. "They do not understand my financial condition."
This is not a one-off case though. A number of parents in the village prioritize son over daughters while it comes to their education.
According to Chhavilal Paudel, principal of Dhaulashree Secondary School in Chorong, most of the boys in the village go to private schools in Pokhara and other places, while the girls go to government schools.
"It is very sad that such discriminations exist in well-off families," he said. Krishna Prasad Paudel, principal of Ghandruk Meshrambaraha Secondary School adds that the girls are psychologically affected when they see that their parents are not willing to give equal opportunity to them. "We try to make the parents understand the need to treat the girls and boys equally, but they do not pay heed."
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