"It would affordable for our family to bear the cost if we could complete higher education from a campus in own district. But considering the ongoing frictions between the administration and the lecturers it seems we won't be able to complete our studies from here," said Janaki Buda, a student of B.ED second year at the campus. "In this cold winter, you get up early morning and rush to class, but when you reach, you don't have teacher to teacher," she said expressing frustration for such dejections every day.
Janaki's home in Sainpasela VDC, which is a day's travel from Chainpur, the district headquarters, where the campus is located. To complete her education she has been living in a rented room in the town. "My parents must be thinking that their daughter is studying at an excellent institution but see how my reality sharply contradicts with their expectation," she said in frustration while informing hardly one or two classes are conducted in a day at the campus.
According to Bikash Khadka, an eleven class student at the campus said he had come to the headquarters in hope of better education even though there were few other options around. "But it seems that choosing this college was not a good decision after all. The campus does not care about our education. Even if the teachers come to campus, they don't provide course lectures."
Khadka informed that the students have met the campus chief several times for discussion the issue. They also staged a sit-in at the campus demanding regular classes. "However, nothing worked. We pay them fees duly. I wonder what they do with it as the teachers always report of not getting salaries," he said.
Ganesh Khati, student of Population major at the Bachelor level informed throughout the year their classes have operated hardly for three days. "The teachers are claiming that they have not received salaries. I wonder why they should be paid since they don't even care to fulfill their duties," he said adding "do they even care how our families have been managing to pay for our education and how and why we have been staying here in district headquarters?"
There are 18 lecturers and 13 staffs in the campus that was established in 1980. Their total monthly salary amount reaches Rs 828,164, according to Ratanlal Joshi, the accountant at the campus. "Students' fee is not sufficient to cover the salaries of all the staff members and lecturers. Since it is a private campus, it does not get government support," he informed while trying to explain the reason for the teachers not getting their salaries on time. He further added that the situation has been partly invited by the management team members who appoint their relatives and favorites.
Lecturers allege that they have been forced to take such extreme measures as the campus has not paid them salaries for over a year. According to Bhanubhakta Joshi, lecturer of English, he has not received a penny from the campus since 13 months. "I have no other income source other than the campus job. You can imagine how I am managing my family expenses without a salary since 13 months," he lamented.
However, the campus chief Mohan Raj Joshi claimed that the situation is not as worse as it has been reported by students and teachers. He said that only few classes have been affected. "Sometimes, teachers are out of station due to their work. That's another matter," he said while conceding that the campus, sometimes does have financial constraints. "We are going to pay them off. We have called meeting of the management committee for addressing this issue," he said. "It's not good to blame each - other. Students who complain about classes being hampered might be those who do not come to campus regularly," he further added in an attempt to play down reports that of class obstruction.
The campus charges Rs 250, 700, 450 and 1200 for Plus Two, BBS, BED and Masters Level students per month respectively.
My parents must be thinking that their daughter is studying at an excellent institution but see how my reality sharply contradicts with their expectation.
-- Janaki Buda, a second year B.ED student at the campus
Photo caption: Students of Jay Prithvi Multiple campus sit around a bon fire made inside the campus premises in this recent picture. Most of the time students remain out of their classes as lecturers don't show up for classes.
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