Laligurans Municipality to provide free education to 11 and 12 graders

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, July 12: Laligurans Municipality in Tehrathum district has decided not to enroll students in Class 11 at three of its secondary schools.

Chief Administrative Officer Santosh Ghimire said that Shriman Smarak Education Niketan Secondary School in Musankhel, Trijure Secondary School in Firke, and Singhadevi Secondary School in Mangalkabar will not be enrolling new students in Grade 11. These schools are among the eight community schools operating in the municipality.

According to Ghimire, the schools faced operational challenges due to a low number of students. The government has not allocated separate teaching positions for grades 11 and 12, and based on the current student-to-teacher ratio, requesting additional teachers from the federal government is not viable.

He added that when the municipality provides grants from its own budget to pay teachers, the Office of the Auditor General flags it as a policy discrepancy. As a result, a meeting of the Municipal Executive held on July 10, 2025, decided to halt enrollment in these three schools.

Due to these policy limitations and teacher-student ratio issues, continuing classes of Grade 11 and 12 has become impractical, he said.

Starting this academic session, classes 11 and 12 will be allowed to run only at Basanta Secondary School and Ratna Secondary School within the municipality. 

Students from the remaining six schools will receive free enrollment and monthly tuition, as well as food and accommodation provided by the municipality.

Enrollment at Krishna Secondary School in Ward No. 7, Public Secondary School in Ward No. 4, and Singhbahini Secondary School in Ward No. 5 has not been suspended. The municipality believes that students from these schools—located near Basanta and Ratna Secondary Schools—will take advantage of the free education and residential facilities offered.

“We believe parents will naturally enroll their children at Basanta or Ratna Secondary Schools since we are providing quality, free education nearby,” said municipality spokesperson Devendra Khadka.

Khadka added that student numbers have declined due to increasing migration. While in the past, rising population led to the establishment of more schools, current demographic trends have made it unfeasible to operate them all. 

"We were compelled to make this decision in such a pressing situation," he said.

Mayor Arjun Mawohang also announced the decision to discontinue Class 11 and 12 enrollment at the three schools to ensure quality education for all.

He noted that the number of students has been decreasing, with many opting to study in the Tarai. "Rather than running higher secondary classes with only one or two students in each school, we decided to consolidate students into one or two schools and offer free education," said the Mayor.

He urged other municipalities to adopt a similar approach. "Instead of keeping schools running with two or four students just to protect someone’s job or position, it is our responsibility to merge schools and ensure quality education," Mawohang emphasised.