There is need of a comprehensive study to ascertain why so many children still do not go to school

The constitution has empowered the local levels to manage education up to grade XII. The local levels have powers to form school management committee, hire and fire teachers, introduce curriculum. They can also teach children in their mother tongues. Every year, the government launches school enrollment drive across the country beginning April 28, the date of enrollment. Minister for Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel has said the government this year would launch a “mega campaign” for children’s enrollment at school. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is all set to kick-start this campaign by enrolling one child in the Karnali Province on April 28. This year’s theme for children’s enrollment is: “Compulsory and Free Basic Education: Our Collective Desire”. According to the Department of Education, 313,000 children aged between five to 12 (7.7 per cent of school-going population) are out of school. Minister Pokharel has said his ministry is all set to provide textbooks to the children on the first day of their enrollment and that other benefits, including scholarship, will also be provided to the children. Most of the children in remote hilly and mountainous districts and Tarai and Madhes, especially from Dalit community and poor families, do not go to school due to many reasons.

But the government this time is once again launching the enrollment drive without conducting an in-depth study to ascertain as to why children do not go to school. Experts have repeatedly said that children do not go to school not because they do not get textbooks on time. It is because of economic condition of their parents that prevent them from going to school. Educationist Prof Binay Kusiyat says the children of socially and economically backward communities are out of schools. But the state does not have any policy to address the problems faced by these children. Baburam Poudel, director general at the Department of Education, has admitted that 88,000 children aged between five to nine (2.8 per cent) could not be enrolled at school. The largest number of children of this age group is in Sarlahi where over 25,000 children are out of school. More children, especially girls, are out of school in Province 2 compared to other provinces. This is very alarming situation which the federal and provincial governments need to deal with effectively.

Dropout rate is also very high in Province 2. Kusiyat says most children drop out within one year of their enrollment. Caste discrimination and “untouchability” are other factors that discourage children from attending school. To ensure more enrollments and reduce dropout rate, the provincial governments must introduce a compulsory education plan. The provincial governments can provide textbooks, school uniforms and scholarships and day meal, if possible, to the children of poor and backward communities. Provincial governments must focus on girl education along with skills. The poorest families can be offered jobs so that they can send their kids to school. Quality education and adequate infrastructure are other prerequisites to attract children to school. Billions of rupees earmarked every year for primary and basic education will go to a waste unless the root cause of not enrolling kids in school is found.

Involve locals

Kashthamandap, a 7th century iconic structure at Basantapur Durbar Square, is one of around 750 heritage structures that were damaged in the April 2015 earthquake. Three years on, not a brick has been laid to rebuild the heritage structure. Amid this, locals of Basantapur area and members of “Kashthamandap Reconstruction Campaign” have once again demanded their role in the reconstruction of Kashthamandap. The concerned authorities must pay heed to the locals’ call to involve them in rebuilding of the iconic temple.

Although the National Reconstruction Authority, Department of Archaeology and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had promised to reconstruct the temple either independently or through joint efforts, the construction process is yet to start. The temple reconstruction should begin at the earliest and communities’ participation must be ensured in the process. Heritage sites are connected to communities’ identity, religion and culture, so they should not be viewed as mere physical structures. Community participation is an indispensable part of heritage conservation, preservation and reconstruction processes.