- Thursday, 14 May 2026
Only four students enrolled in Khotang's Bachaladevi School
Photo: TRN Three students present at the school are being taught together in the same classroom, despite four students being enrolled.
By Raj Kumar Bhattarai,Khotang, May 14: At Bachaladevi Basic School in Hauchur of Rawabesi Rural Municipality-6, Khotang, which offers classes up to Grade-3, only four students have enrolled in the new academic session.
Out of the classes running from Early Childhood Development (ECD) to Grade 3, two classes remain empty. Two students are enrolled in the ECD class and two in Grade 1, while Grades 2 and 3 have no students at all, according to Kalpana Karki, Head teacher of the school.
She said that although there were 21 students in the previous academic session, only four students enrolled this year.
Established in 1992 (2049 BS), the school is now facing a crisis due to the lack of students. At one time, a single class used to accommodate up to 30 students, but now classrooms remain empty.
The school currently has four staff members: one permanent teacher, one ECD teacher, one privately funded teacher and one office assistant. Ironically, the number of staff equals the number of students.
The decline in student numbers is attributed to the falling birth rate in the village and parents’ growing preference for private schools. Some children of the area have joined Sharda Secondary School in Hauchur, where education is provided in English. Other parents have sent their children to private schools in cities such as Diktel, Itahari and Kathmandu.
Representatives and employees of Rawabesi Rural Municipality have reportedly been holding discussions in all wards regarding educational reform plans, including merging schools with low student numbers.
Chiranjibi Karki, Ward Chairperson of the Hauchur said preparations are underway to merge Bachaladevi Basic School with another school under the same plan. However, parents have demanded that the ECD class remain at the current location.
The school has two earthquake-resistant buildings with two rooms each. The classrooms are plastered and dust-free, and facilities such as toilets and drinking water are available. Despite having adequate infrastructure, the school’s existence is now at risk after 34 years due to the lack of students.
