Students in school established for Lama children decline

BY RAJAN RAWAT,Humla, Aprl.1: The number of Lama students in schools established for the Lama community has significantly declined due to the growing trend of Lama families enrolling their children in private schools in the district headquarters and outside the district. 

Chyama Lama from Bargaun of Simkot Rural Municipality-3 stated that only a few Lama students remain in the village school, as most have left to study in the district headquarters and outside. 

Chyama pointed out that the main reason for this situation is parents leaving the village. With only elderly residents remaining while parents settle in the district headquarters with their children, the village school now faces the risk of closure. Chyama has enrolled her two children in a private school in Simkot

Chhimi Lama, the headmaster of Raling Secondary School, located in a Lama settlement in Simkot Rural Municipality-3, also confirmed that despite being established for Lama students, the school has seen a significant decline in enrollment. Originally founded to serve students from six Lama settlements, Bargaun, Torpa, Hutik, Limatang, Gumbatalki and Langdu, the school has seen a significant drop in attendance as more parents relocate to district headquarters and Kathmandu, preferring to send their children to better schools there. 

Currently, only one student from Tumpot village, two from Torpa and four from Bargaun are enrolled in the school. There are no students from Limatang and Gumbatalki, and students from Langdu village have also stopped attending the school. 

Ward Chairman Pama Lama acknowledged that the shift of Lama students to private schools in district headquarters and Kathmandu has created challenges. He said that since parents cannot be forced to enroll their children in local schools, there is a real possibility that the school may eventually shut down due to a lack of students. He added that had students from neighboring Ward Nos. 1 and 2 of Thehe village not been attending, the Raling school would have faced closure two years ago.  

Raling Secondary School, which offers classes from early childhood development to grade 10, currently has 135 students, the majority of whom belong to Dalit and Chhetri communities. Chairman Lama emphasised the need to create an environment that provides quality education to attract students back to village schools.