SIRAHA, DECEMBER 16
A school in Siraha's Gol Bazaar is learnt to have presented a fake report of students' attendance to claim more lunch allowance.
Dalit Preliminary School of Gol Bazaar-1, Muksar, runs classes from child care class to Grade III and has a total of 85 students, if the lists of students in school registers are anything to go by. In reality, however, only20 to 25 students are said to be attending the school on a daily basis.
Interestingly, the school has submitted a list of 91 students with the Education Section at the municipality to claim lunch allowance.
Meanwhile, regarding poor daily attendance of students, local guardians and parents have blamed the principal.
"It's not surprising that a few students show up to attend classes, as the principal himself is hardly present in the school and is least bothered about the poor attendance of students," said a local guardian, adding the school was left to be run by a teacher procured from local source. "The principal and his wife, who is also a teacher, show up in school only rarely and even if they do, they return home early," said local guardian Shantidevi Mochi, adding the situation was better after a new teacher came to the school.
"My son knows a few things, thanks to the new teacher who is teaching him and others," she added.
While so many parents have shifted their children to private schools owing to the negligence of the school, others are said to be mulling changing school for their children. "My child studies in Grade II, but as I'm not satisfied with the classes here, I am thinking of changing school," said Padip Ram.
It is important to note that the school set up 12 years ago doesn't have any position for government teachers thus far. Even the principal himself is also a teacher drawing his salary from local source. The municipality provides one million rupees annually for the school.
Regarding the complaint regarding teachers' absenteeism, the municipality has said it will investigate the issue and take action against the teachers concerned if found guilty.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
