School students uncertain when their classes will begin

By Basu Dev Sharma/Sher Bahadur Sarki,Jajarkot/Bajura, Apr. 20: Although textbooks reached schools before the beginning of the new academic year, students have been unable to attend classes due to ongoing teachers’ protest that has left schools closed.

Last year, many children had already enrolled in schools by mid-April. This year, even though textbooks arrived on time in the rural districts, teachers have left for the federal capital to join the protest, leaving the schools closed. 

If community school teachers had not taken to the streets of Kathmandu, schools across the country would now be busy with student enrolment campaigns, preparing annual work plans, distributing books and organising door-to-door awareness drives.

But the protest has brought all academic activities to a halt in community schools of Bajura and Jajarkot. With most teachers away from the district, student enrolment and teaching have completely halted. 

According to our Jajarkot correspondent, textbooks in community schools remain locked in store rooms. Instead of going to school, children are at home, engaged in household chores. The student enrolment campaign has been completely stalled.

With the start of the new academic year, students used to queue for enrolment and for textbooks in Tribhuvan Secondary School in Thaplechaur, Bheri Municipality–3. But this year, even by the first week of the new session, the school has not reopened.

The enrolment campaign, which was supposed to begin on April 15, has been halted due to the Nepal Teachers’ Federation-led protest that started on April 2.

Satyadevi Neupane from Bheri Municipality–13 said she has not been able to enrol because her school is still closed. 

She added that the protest has disrupted their studies.

Although the government delivered textbooks on time, closure of schools has made it difficult for students to start classes.

Niraj Rokaya, owner of Balika Stationery in Jajakot, said 17 of the 27 community schools in Bheri Municipality have received textbooks, while the rest will get them soon. 

The books arrived on April 3 and were to be distributed during enrolment, but with the process of enrolment halted, they remain unused.

While community schools have halted the enrolment campaign, private schools have launched door-to-door campaigns to attract students. With public schools closed, private schools are drawing more students.

Community schools, meant to ensure education access for poor, Dalit, and marginalised children, are facing setbacks during the enrolment season, indirectly benefiting private institutions.

Meanwhile, in Bajura, community schools usually see large student turnouts for enrolment by mid-April. Classes would normally begin by now. But this year, schools are left deserted.

After announcing the results of the last academic year, teachers in Bajura also left for Kathmandu to join the protest, leaving the schools closed. In the past, students enrolled on the first day of the campaign. But this year, there has been no enrolment so far, said Madan Nepali, a local of Budhiganga Municipality. 

He added that by now, classes should have already started, but everything remains shut.

Children busy with household chores amid school closures Since schools in the district remain closed for a long time, children are now spending their days doing household chores instead of studying.

Pramila B.K. from Budhiganga Municipality–10, who used to go to school regularly, said, “If schools were open, I’d be studying. Now I stay home and help with chores.”

She added that after receiving her exam results, she hasn’t been back to school. “All the schools are closed, so we haven’t even been able to enrol.”

With schools shut, she said she spends her time grazing cattle and collecting firewood, grass, and grains at home.

Teachers in protest said they won’t return to classrooms until their demands are met. As all teachers from the district have gone to Kathmandu, there is no certainty about when the enrolment will begin.

According to the Lal Bahadur Bista, information office at the Education Development and Coordination Unit, Bajura, schools would only resume once the protest comes to an end. 

All 612 schools in the district remain closed, and enrolment is on hold. Bajura has a total of 615 schools: 228 up to Grade 3, 176 up to Grade 5, 112 up to Grade 8, 67 up to Grade 10, 29 up to Grade 12, and three under the CAPs programme. 

Although textbooks have arrived, students are still at home, unsure when the school will resume.