Chepang children in a Chitwan community school achieving outstanding results

Bharatpur, May 26: Children from the minority Chepang community have started achieving outstanding results in school examinations in recent period. 

Kandeshwori Basic School located at Kanda of Rapti Municipality-13, where children from only Chepang community study, was declared the best school in this year's class eight examinations in the local level. The school achieved the outstanding results in the first year of starting teaching in grade eight. 

School Headteacher Bal Krishna Thapaliya said the students of Chepang community are excelling in their studies after the establishment of a school with residential facility. 

A total of 13 Chepang students of the school had appeared in Grade Eight examination. Of them, a student secured A+ plus, seven students A and two students B+ results, he added.  

Thapaliya mentioned, "We are very happy with the results in the first year. We achieved this due to hard work of teachers and students, and the results have made all of us happy and excited." 

The study of Chepang students has improved after Laxmi Foundation operated a hostel in the school and Chepang students are taught from 4:00 am to 9:00 pm every day. 

There are 27 community schools in Rapti Municipality. Of them, three schools including Kandeshwori School had achieved cent per cent pass results in Grade Eight examination, shared Technical Assistant at Education Section of the Municipality, Laxmi Lamichhane. 

Lamichhane added the school has become successful to present an example that a school established in remote area could compete with schools in city areas. Kanda is the most remote place of Chitwan district. 

A local Sita Bahadur Chepang said the place which lacks transport and electricity facilities is getting improvement in the field of education. 

Stating that in recent period growing interest and devotion in education has been seen among Chepang kids, he added a concept has developed among the guardians that their children should be sent to school. 

Laxmi Foundation and Miteri Foundation started working for the upliftment of Chepang community and education of children keeping the poverty of Chepang community in mind. Laxmi Foundation has operated a hostel while Miteri Foundation made arrangement to run teaching learning activities up to class eight. 

Earlier, most of Chepang children here were compelled to discontinue their study after class 3, shared Headmaster Thapaliya. 

The guardians' financial condition is poor and they cannot afford to send their children to school while the children were compelled to drop out from school if different organisations had not supported them in their studies. 

The school has been facing problem to run classes in lack of teacher quotas despite running teaching learning activities up to grade eight with support of various donors. Now, the school has quota of seven teachers as well as 150 students. The school still lacks toilet and library, he added. (RSS)