Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 4:

Elderly women if given an opportunity can prove their worth in the education sphere as their eagerness to learn and study outbeats regular students. This has been amply proved by the women who regularly attend Prerana Mahila Madhyamik School at Satdobato.

This school is for women between 14 to 62 years. Most of them have been deprived of formal education due to social and economic factors.

Santu Tamang, who hails from Chitwan, attended school upto grade five and then started working at a garment factory in Kathmandu. “Though I learnt to work and earn money, my quest for knowledge and the opportunity provided by the school helped me to lead a respectful life as a supplier of surgical instruments to hospitals,” she said.

A Kathmanduite, Anita Thapa, was also deprived of education which made her life painful. She says the opportunity to learn has given her a new lease of life and helped her to overcome sorrows. “The government should make available such schools to all women deprived of education.” The school has 650 students in the day and morning shifts, who come from the higher and lower economic stratas. Though their background is different from general school-goers, the curriculum is same.

Madhu Chalise, a teacher in the school said, “This being an adult learning centre, the teacher-student relationship, is informal and friendly.” He added that education is the only medium to empower women. “As women from various backgrounds come here, we only accept sponsorship of their education instead of cash.” The school was established in 1997 with just 26 students. The 2004 batch also appeared for the SLC examination. The teachers provide voluntary service.