BAJURA: Durga BK (16) from Kolti-8 of Bajura district was very unhappy to leave school last year. But, she was forced to stop her education as her village did not have any secondary school. Neither were her parents ready to send her to the nearest secondary school in Kolti Bazaar.

It takes around three hours to reach Kolti Bazaar from Durga's village, on foot. The path is also quite difficult for children. Parents do not easily allow girls to take rooms around the school on rent and live independently thanks to financial crisis and security concerns.

Like Durga, her friends Abisara BK, Mina BK, Maya BK and Premkala Luwar also left school after the seventh grade.

"We wish to continue the study," an emotional Premkala said, "But, it seems that being born in a poor family was our sin, for which we are being punished."

"Now, we spend our days in farming," she said.

Around 35 Dalit families live in this area. Only three men have passed the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations.

"We don't have any secondary school in the village," local Jaidhu BK said, "No parent agrees to send their girls to Kolti for study."

Some parents, however, have dared to send their sons to Kolti for completion of the secondary education, he added.

"Were there any school around here," local woman Piuli Sarki said while adding that her two daughters also left school recently, "We all would help our girls continue their education."

Local community leader Aphilal Rokaya said the Kalika Lower Secondary School of the village could not be upgraded to the secondary level due to lack of budget.