Despite his age and interest to attend school, he has no choice but to stay home doing household works or idling."I want to study and grow up to be a successful person. But there is no school here," he said, expressing disappointment. There are 20 children in the village who do not study in lack of school. Not just in the village, the whole Bihi VDC does not have a single school.
There used to be two schools - Gomba Himali Primary School in ward-2 and Kakra Primary School in ward-4 of the VDC. However, those schools were shut years ago due to lack of teachers, the government monitoring and concern among stakeholders. The closure of the schools in the VDC has deprived local children of their rights to education. A large number of children in the VDC are illiterate.
"The schools in the VDC were shut after teachers remained absent for a long period of time even as they continued receiving salaries. Later, the teachers were transferred elsewhere. Even parents showed no interest in sending their children to school, let alone bothered by the closures," said Nabina Gurung, a local.
"Lack of awareness among parents should not be the reason why younger generation is left uneducated."
Sonam Sangmo, a local of Bihi-4, has admitted her daughter to a Mahendra Higher Secondary School at the district headquarters. Likewise, her son is studying in Kathmandu. Both his children live in the hostels of their respective schools. With no school in the VDC, even the parents like Sangmo, who care about their children's education, are forced send their children far from home for studies.
Half of the school-going age children in the VDC do not attend school. Although the VDC has not had a functioning school for years, the District Education Office has no plans for resuming schools in the VDC.
"The difficult topography of the VDC made it difficult for students to attend school regularly. We are planning to open five schools with hostel facilities in the upper part of the VDC," said the District Education Officer Deependra Subedi. "As the school was very far, many students were reluctant to attend. The hostel facilities would help change their minds," he added.
Related story
Children of illiterate parents outshine educated in Public Serv...
