Migration empties schools in Baitadi

BY GOKARNA DAYAL, Baitadi, Nov. 26: Villages in Baitadi that had remained densely populated even during the years of armed conflict are now getting deserted rapidly as families lock their homes and migrate to India in search of work. 

Rising unemployment has forced many parents to leave their villages, carrying their children with them, leading to a sharp drop in school enrolment. As a result, 114 basic-level community schools across the district are now on the verge of closure. Official records show that the number of students in community schools has decreased by 7,854 compared to last year.

Latinath Basic School in Airadi village of Purchaudi Municipality-7, established in 1993, has completely shut down after Dalit families moved to India for employment. Similar situations have emerged in other municipalities as well. 

In Melauli Municipality-4, Sunaulo Basic School in Titabai and the Bhumiraj Basic School in Beuradi have also closed for the same reason. 

Meanwhile, Melauli Municipality alone merged 10 basic schools this year. Although local governments are responsible for education from the basic level to grade 12, the lack of students at the foundational level has pushed 114 schools in 10 local levels toward closure.

Baitadi currently has 534 community schools, including those operating from grades one to five, grades six to eight, grades nine to 10, and grades 11 to 12. In the academic year 2024/25, there were 69,882 students in community schools across the district. That number has dropped to 62,028 in the current academic session. There is no official data explaining where the missing 7,854 students have gone.

According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit of Baitadi, the basic level alone lost 2,364 students within a year. Last year, 37,520 students were enrolled in grades one to five, but this year only 35,156 remain. In grades six to eight, the number of students fell from 16,948 last year to 15,679 this year, a decline of 1,279. In grades nine to 12, the district saw a dramatic drop of 4,221 students, taking enrollment from 15,414 to 11,193. Information officer Pushkar Raj Sharma said that the steepest decline is occurring at the basic level and in grades nine to 12, with thousands leaving each year.

Despite these falling numbers, local governments continue to spend huge sums on education. Dasharathchand Municipality spends around Rs. 400 million annually on the sector, yet 12 of its basic-level schools do not have a single student. Patan Municipality, which spends more than Rs. 300 million a year, has 14 empty schools. In total, the four municipalities and six rural municipalities in the district spend more than four billion rupees annually on education, even as classrooms grow emptier by the year. The impact of migration is also being felt in higher education. Enrolment is steadily declining in the district’s 14 campuses. Jagannath Multiple Campus in Gotalapani, the district headquarters, has experienced a drop of more than 50 per cent in recent years. Campus Chief Dr. Surendra Bam said that in 2018, the campus had around 500 students, but this year, only around 200 have enrolled, and fewer than half of them attend classes regularly.