Doti, January 6:

The students of different schools in rural region of the district, who were displaced during conflict, have returned to their villages and started going to their old schools.

Students of 17 VDCs of southern Doti, known to be Maoists’ base area, had moved to safer places such as district headquarters, Dipayal, and other districts including Dhangadhi and Mahendranagar during the conflict. Some had even fled to India.

Now that the security situation in the country has improved significantly, the displaced students have returned to their old schools.

Teacher of Barchhen Secondary School situated at Barchhen of Doti, Chakra Bahadur Chand, said over 17 students of grades 9 and 10, who dropped out during the conflict, have enrolled at the school again. Thirty-six students have returned to the school after the seven party alliance and the Maoists signed the peace agreement. Similarly, five students, who had left Navodaya secondary school at Gadsera, have returned to continue their education, said a teacher.

The number of students studying in Mahakali lower secondary school in Gadsera has also increased significantly. Man Bahadur Sarki of Barchhen-9, who had dropped out of school and left for India seeking employment because of conflict, has returned to his village and is continuing his studies. The schools here are having difficult time to accommodate the increasing number of students, teacher Gyani Prasad Ojha said. Headmaster of Navodaya school, Indra Upadhyay, said most of the students seeking admission were of grade 10.

Meanwhile, the number of students is decreasing in the schools situated at district headquarters. Headmaster of Dilpeshwor higher secondary school situated at Dipayal, Dirgha Shah, said number of students in the school has decreased.

Acting District Education Officer of Doti, Khagendra Prasad Adhikari, said it was being difficult to give readmission to grade 10 students because of the rule of SLC board that the students must appear in SLC from the same school from which they filled up their registration forms.