Dubidanda, December 9:

Most of the schools in Rolpa district are devoid of basic infrastructure. There are not enough classrooms to accommodate a swelling number of students. So much so, these schools do not have toilets and taps.

These schools have been reeling under fund shortage. Fines collected from students are channelised to pay salary to teachers.

Lack of enough classrooms, drinking water and toilet facilities can be seen in the Masina VDC-based Suryodaya secondary school and the Dubidanda-based Bhimsen secondary school. “We have been experiencing an adverse situation due to congested classrooms and increased enrolment of students in schools,” says Deepa Gharti, a student of the Suryodaya secondary school, adding, “Around 113 students have to be accommodated in a small classroom.”

No different is the condition at the Bhimsen secondary school. The school established in 2032 BS does not have enough classrooms to accommodate 570 students.

The District Education Office has only provided an annual grant of Rs 70,000 to the school. “Due to lack of resources, we have been compelled to pay salary to four of our teachers from the amount collected from students as fine,” says Chitra Bahadur Basnet, headmaster of the Bhimsen secondary school.