DHADING, March 2: Chepangs in Goirang village of Dhading have never experienced how it feels like using electricity. Sometimes, they cannot even light their lamps when they have no oil in stock. A community school in one such village has received computers. Chepang kids have now seen computers, but have not learnt to use them. 

“There is computer course for children. But due to the lack of power, we cannot operate the computers,” said Sushma Bhattarai, a computer teacher at Goirang Elementary School of Rorang Rural Municipality. “We recently received computers. But students are getting theoretical knowledge about computers.”

There are three computers and printers at the school. And the machines are only gathering dust. “We are waiting for electricity to come in our village. But don’t know when will that happen,” said Bhattarai. 

The Chepang village lacked road connectivity until last year. Isolated, their life offered little opportunities. Roads have changed things in the village now. However, the dream of electricity has not come true yet. 

“Not just our school but the entire village is waiting for electricity. If we had electricity, we would have felt much more connected to the world, life would have been much easier,” said Bhattarai. 

Baaskharka Elementary School at Benighat shares the same fate. Though the school has computers, there is no electricity in the village. 

“Computer as a subject was introduced a decade ago. But we have been teaching only theory to the children,” said the school principal Surendra Shrestha. “There is no electricity here.”

This school has Tamang students. Except for three, all of the 213 students are Tamangs. And they are not getting practical knowledge of computers. 

“It is a very big setback for the children. In today’s world, it is important to be technology friendly. In fact, computer is a compulsory subject in most of the schools including ours, but we are not been able to run practical classes,” said Shrestha.

Meanwhile, resource person at the education department of Rorang Rural Municipality Rameshwar Pokharel stated that the problem is going to be over very soon. “The computers and printers were distributed to the schools from our annual budget under education. We are also working for electrifying the villages. Poles are being fixed, works are going on speedily,” he said. He informed that seven community schools were provided with computers and printers this year. 

 
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• Dhading
 
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