Kavre, April 23

Ram Kumar Sedhai from Methinkot of Kanshikhanda Municipality-7, Kavre quit many classes last winter after the biting cold shook his spine inside the makeshift tent.

Fourth grader Sedhai has not changed his mind about not attending classes though the chill has long gone away. The reason: scorching heat in the temporary tent.

District Education Office Kavre constructed temporary teaching centres in most of the schools devastated by the deadly quake of April 25 last year. However, for Krishna of Lower Secondary School, Methinkot, the temporary learning centre has remained a mirage.

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Ram Kumar said he missed classes for more than 15 days in the winter. “Now, it is too hot. I shall go to school only after a month,” he said. School teacher Indra Kafle said attendance had declined in winter and the same was the case in summer.

Students from Aajad Secondary School at trading hub in Banepa too are having a hard time studying inside temporary tents.

Bharat Tamang, a student, shared they were facing an ordeal due to lack of classroom.

Ninth grader Bharat said, “The soaring temperature has made it very hard to sit inside the tent. When will we have a building with proper classrooms? Bharat wondered. He has shunned the idea of going to school in the scorching heat.

The new academic session has already kicked in, but Bharat and his friends are planning to attend classes only after two weeks. “When there is storm, I feel the tent is being blown away and the room is filled with dust,” Bharat said.

School Head teacher Mahendra Yadav admitted that students/children were forced to study in a difficult situation. “Children face torture in winter and summer, but we have no choice,” said Yadav.

According to District Education Office Kavre, 81 out of 514 schools were completely damaged. More than 300 schools suffered partial damage. Unfortunately, the education office could not provide resources for temporary learning centres.

Some student organisations have built makeshift tents at some schools while donor agencies have provided some schools with tents.

DEO Nanda Lal Paudel said his office had received budget for construction of buildings for two dozen schools only. “It is very hard to sit inside makeshift tents but it takes time to construct buildings in all schools,” Paudel added.