Manang, February 7

Some six community schools across Manang are on the verge of closure as they have been unable to compete with private schools offering quality education. Consequently, the schools namely Tilicho, Tanki, Bhraka, Ngawal, Ghyanru, Humde and Pisang primary schools have discontinued their regular classes for the past two years due to lack of enough students.

Tilicho Primary School Principal Yam Prasad Timalsina said, “Obviously, there is a shortfall of students in the community schools as most of the people send their kids to private schools in big cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara and Besisahar. In the last academic year, 26 students were admitted while there are just 4 students this year and they too stopped coming to school. The Hunde-based Humde Primary School remains closed for the past 2 years as it was left without students. “What else would we do when we have no students to teach?” said Principal Lok Bahadur Subedi of Tanki Primary School.

On his part, District Education Officer Tukaraj Adhikari blamed the closure of schools on the trend of parents sending their kids to private and English-medium schools.