Nevertheless Adhikari manages a wry smile and says, "At least nobody was hurt."
And that is a tremendous consolation for all those associated with the school. Considering the scale of destruction in the Gangabu and Balaju area, the staff, guardians, and students consider themselves fortunate. Still whenever they think about the future, they also realize that they haven't been as lucky.
May 31, the date is set. It's the day by which the government has requested schools and colleges to resume classes. Thus principals and teachers in Kathmandu are scrambling about. They are trying to assess the damages, arrange alternate solutions, address the various concerns of the parents, and make plans for themselves from here on. The establishments that weren't hit as hard are hopeful that they will be able to open their gates by the said deadline. Those who have some suspicious infrastructural damages are trying to find other vacant buildings or open spaces or merge different classes together. They expect some logistical problems but are keen to meet the expectation of the government.
But then there are a few like Deep Jyoti Boarding Secondary School that have no hopes for May 31 or even the week after. They are certain that it's impossible to resume classes in such a short time.
"This collapsed building covered an area of 12,000 square feet. It had a botanical garden, a projection room, a massive hall that was also used by the community, and more than a dozen classrooms equipped with fans. Now it's all a big rubble mess. In order to reopen a school, you need a building. We lost the bigger one of the two we had. So obviously there is no way we can abide by the government's order," explains Adhikari.
This has inevitably left the students and the staff in a lurch. They look at the fallen building and feel helpless. However JP Nepal, whose son studies in the ninth grade at Deep Jyoti insists they all are sympathetic towards the school's challenges.
"None of us could have imagined that such a catastrophe was possible. The building was strong and sturdy. We never assumed that it was in any kind of risk. It was a shock to see it in such a state. Since then we have been in constant contact with the principal. I, for one, am convinced that they are trying their best. I don't want to move my son elsewhere. Even though they are not opening right away, eventually I believe they will. For the moment, we guardians are trying to help out in whichever way we can," says Nepal.
This is true. Since clearing the heap of debris itself is proving to be such a mammoth task, there has been overwhelming support. The mornings and the evenings are often a humbling and heartwarming sight with local residents, guardians, staff members and some students voluntarily coming over to heave and clear the load. In fact, Adhikari is living on the school premises itself. He sleeps at one of the now abandoned hostel rooms, wakes up in the morning and joins the five laborers he has hired to completely dismantle the wrecked school building. He has recently learnt how to cut iron bars as well.
In between the manual work though, as the principal of Deep Jyoti Boarding Secondary School, he feels the weight of a much bigger responsibility lying on his shoulders. "It had only been a week since the new session had begun. Despite the horror of this loss though, there honestly wasn't a moment when I considered closing the school. We have about 856 students and we can't abandon them. Resuming classes is going to be tricky but I'm determined to do it."
Adhikari's plan for the future involves tents and open spaces. His idea is to use the nearby football pitch and other abandoned fields close by. He is examining the possibility of using the ground floor of the school's other building that survived the quake. He reveals that some friends and well wishers have also donated furniture. He recently ordered white board on credit and has also gathered about two third of the required tents through donations. He plans to merge the classes as well. This unfortunately means that he will have to ask some of his teachers and other staff members to take a leave for the time being.
That's his tentative strategy to move forward but it's still all up in the air. He plans to present it to members of the board, teachers, and some guardians at the meeting that is scheduled for this Saturday. In his opinion it's the only way they can resume classes, but Adhikari also expects to see some objections and concerns being raised.
Interestingly a team of first class officers formed by the Ministry of Education will also be present at the meeting. Binay Kumar Mishra is part of the team. He reveals that the Ministry of Education has formed several such groups and has given each the responsibility to counsel and support the schools and colleges that are in need of it.
"This operation has only recently begun. We met with the principal (Adhikari) on Wednesday but we plan to stay with him and support him until his school is fully functional. We will keep track of their progress and report back to the ministry as well," informs Mishra.
When asked if their 'support' will be a financial one too, Mishra revealed that there have been no such arrangements made by the Ministry of Education yet.
However, Adhikari says that he is ready to make peace with it. "There are other significant ways in which the government can help us. We will be teaching in tents on open grounds so they can assist us to make the environment suitable for studying. Help us build toilets or provide drinking water for example. Since they have started this initiative, it's the least the government can do."
Bibek Magar having heard snippets of the school's future plans as well as the government's feeble attempts to look involved can't help but be concerned about his children's future. His younger kid is in UKG whereas the older one studies in the eighth grade at Deep Jyoti Boarding Secondary School. "I'm debating whether to wait or move my children to some other school. I almost asked for their recommendations but then again, my children are not in the best state of mind to study. The earthquake experience has felt them terrified. My biggest concern at the moment is their safety. Using tents on open fields is a good idea safety wise and I appreciate the efforts the school is making but is it really viable? How long are they going to carry on like this?" says Magar.
Adhikari couldn't answer these questions even if he wanted too. He can only hope for the best. Like the rest of the schools and colleges around the capital, he and his staff too are working tirelessly to get their students back to where they belong, in the classes. However, they represent the 575 schools that have been completely destroyed in 36 different districts across the country. All these schools have a steep road to recovery ahead of them.
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