Where will children study after demolition of school?

 Kathmandu, Apr. 28: Looking at the chaotic situation after the bulldozer demolished the squatter settlements on the banks of the Manohara River reminds a song ‘Another Day in Paradise’ sung by Phil Collins in 1989.

The song tells a story of a homeless woman, with the lyrics, “She calls out to the man on the street

Sir, can you help me?

It’s cold, and I have nowhere to sleep

Is there somewhere you can tell me?”

Through the song, Collins appeals directly to God by singing, “Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do? Oh Lord, there must be something you can say.”

Prem Sherpa's sorrow reflects that of parents affected by the demolition of a school in the heart of the squatter settlement on the Manohara riverbank, echoing a 40-year-old popular song.

Prem's 7-year-old son, Joel Sherpa, is currently in Grade 2 and was expected to be promoted to Grade 3 in the upcoming academic session. However, his hopes for this advancement have been shattered due to the government's move to remove squatter settlements.

While the bulldozer was demolishing the school, Joel was seen with his tiny bicycle, accompanied by his parents and 6-month-old sister, moving towards the new shelter provided by the government.

As the squatter settlement is being cleared, Prem Sherpa’s family is not only looking for food and shelter, but also a new school for Joel. Prem doesn’t know where to enroll Joel in the new session.

Junu, Joel’s, is deeply frustrated. The recent incident has caused chaos in her family, and as the settlement clears, she expresses her disappointment.

On Monday, Junu and her husband, Prem, had a bitter fight, which required many people to intervene. As a result, Junu and Prem are confused about whether to leave the Manohara area or not.

Crying in front of the bulldozer, Junu expressed her desire to leave the Manohara area, while her husband did not share the same wish.

"I am the mom of a six-month-old daughter, similarly I have a seven-year-old son. I’m feeling overwhelmed because, on one hand, I’m worried about what to feed my baby, and on the other hand, I’m concerned about where to educate my seven-year-old. Because of this, I want to move to a new place that the government will provide, which has better management. However, my husband is not ready to leave, as he argues against it," said Junu.

During the argument, Prem explained that he needs to find work for regular meals, as he has opportunities to find it in the Manohara area, where he has lived for more than 20 years.

“I need to work every day to feed my family. For that, this area might be favourable. But my wife wants to leave this area. Which I don’t want because I have no hope in a new settlement,” said Prem.

Prem and Junu are also worried because of their son Joel’s possible school, as they are forced to leave such an area. Like Prem and Junu, hundreds of parents are confused about where to enroll their children after the school was demolished in the heart of the settlement.

 With the demolition of the Saraswati Basic School located in Manohara, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-1 on Monday, many locals, including students, were affected. Indira Mahat stated that she couldn’t witness the demolition of the school. When a bulldozer entered the settlement, Principal Mahat requested both the Nepal police and the metropolitan police not to proceed with demolishing the school.

"I don't know what will happen now. We have to talk to the local level,” Mahat said.

According to Principal Mahat, the school offers education up to Grade 8. A total of 280 students are studying. Only half of them are children from squatter families.  The school was established in 2062 BS. It has been operating since 2064 BS with government recognition.

Rajat Lama, who had attended the same school a decade ago, became emotional upon seeing the school being demolished. He stated, "Even if other settlements were demolished, it didn’t feel right to flatten the school."

Jitendra Gurung, 63, is also concerned about his grandchildren's education after their school, which had affordable fees, was demolished.

Meanwhile, the National Campaign for Education has issued a statement arguing against the demolition of the school. The NCE has demanded immediate and sustainable management, stating that the incident will have an impact on the psychology of the children.