A rise in migration and the demand for better education has emptied 31 community schools across Parbat district. According to reports from the District Education Coordination Unit, most of the schools with zero students includes the basic and primary levels schools and yet no effort has been initiated to adjust or reorganize these schools in the district.
The district has a total of 272 community schools across its seven local levels. Among them, 31 schools currently have zero student enrollment, including one at the secondary level. According to the District Education Coordination Unit, Bihadi Rural Municipality has two community schools with no students. Meanwhile, nine schools in Modi Rural Municipality have also reached zero enrollment.
Similarly, the unit has informed that the number of students in six community schools in Phalewas Municipality has also has zero enrollment, while in Kushma Municipality, there are eight community schools without student.
Similarly, four community schools in Jaljala Village Municipality have zero students, while two community schools in Paiyun Rural Municipality in southern Parbat have zero students, informed Matilal Chapai, head of the District Education Coordination Unit, Parbat. According to Chapai, although the number of students in 31 community schools, including Dhruvnamuna Secondary School in Phalewas Municipality-5, is zero, the local levels have not done anything to adjust or assign teachers to schools with students.
The schools that remain operational despite having zero student numbers are Harrachour Primary School, Jana Jagriti Basic School, Janakalyan Basic School, Marang Singh Basic School, Shahid Shukra Primary School Thulipokhari, Dhaulagiri Primary School, and Janata Primary School within Kushma Municipality.
The schools with zero students in Jaljala Village Municipality are Jana Chetana Basic School, Shalija, Sarvodaya Basic School, Shalija, and Saraswati Basic School Dhairid.
Similarly, in Phalewas Municipality, Shree Bal Primary School, Dhruv Namuna Secondary School, Suryodaya Basic School, Janata Basic School Limithana, Tindhare Primary School, Manakamana Basic School, Beteyani Primary School, Deurali Basic School and Bhawani Primary School have zero students.
Likewise, in Paiyun Rural Municipality of southern Parbat, Bal Nayan Primary School and Bal Jyoti Basic School have zero students.
In Modi Village Municipality, Siddha Basic School, Krishna Basic School, Janaprakash Basic School, Hari Basic School, Saraswati Basic School, Bal Kalyan Primary School, Bhumi Basic School, Laxmi Basic School, Durga Bhawani Basic School and Siddha Baraha Basic School have zero students.
Three schools in Bihadi Rural Municipality including Janasewa Primary School, Wahakithanti, and Baljyoti Primary School, Ranipani have zero students. Even after the number of schools without students has reached 31, local governments in Parbat have shown no interest in adjusting schools, said Dharma Poudel, a local from Phalewas.
Although the enrollment is zero, teachers are being retained with salary services in the schools. Ganga Narayan Shrestha, ward chair of Thapathana, Phalewas Municipality-2, said that the schools are compelled to retain the teachers despite the truth that it misuses of the state budget. He said that the schools haven't initiated for merger or adjustment in hope of having student in future.
Instead of transferring teachers, it has been found that the school representatives are seeking political protection by opening empty schools. Some representatives shared that schools have not been adjusted in fear of ceasing their employment based on contract, relief teachers and office assistants.
