In 2072, after the devastating earthquake, many physical structures were destroyed, including educational institutions, which were later reconstructed; however, the new buildings failed to attract a significant increase in student enrollment, and certain schools even faced closure due to the declining number of students.
Following the earthquake, Ramechhap's 87 Secondary School underwent reconstruction with a new building; however, community members expressed apprehension over the diminishing daily student attendance.
While the quality of the building remained satisfactory, community schools faced challenges in attracting students, and despite efforts made by local leaders, the schools lacked the trust of the community. Private and centrally located schools in urban areas overshadowed the distant community schools, resulting in a decrease in the educational standard, low population growth, and political interference in community schools, according to Bharat Bahadur Bhattarai, Chief of the Ramechhap District Education and Coordination Unit.
As per reports, although there were more than four hundred schools in the district, only 360 students were enrolled, highlighting a deficiency even though efforts were made to organize the schools. Bhattarai informed that even though adjustments were made, the educational standard declined, and training, discussions, activities, and dialogues conducted by the District Education Coordination Unit and various municipalities did not yield significant results.
Former teacher Gunjabahadur Shrestha points out that the lack of quality teaching and proportional development in rural areas contributes to the declining student numbers in community schools. He emphasizes that the decline in the educational standard is due to the preference given to experienced and skilled teachers over local ones, and the practice of appointing teachers through a process that prioritizes external candidates over local ones is detrimental to community schools' reputation.
Sanjay Wagle, a concerned parent, states that even though teachers appointed through the Teacher Service Commission or with a secondary education background were brought to the municipality, they were mainly selected for the municipality only, adversely affecting the educational standard and reducing student numbers in community schools.
With the federal system, the immediate district education office, along with the municipality, is responsible for overseeing and regulating all schools. However, despite these efforts, the perception of parents is that community schools' standards have declined, according to an influential parent, Narayan Babu Basnet.
He further suggests that pension benefits should be given to experienced and skilled teachers who have served for more than 20 years or a similar period, adding that the tradition of appointing teachers with various titles and responsibilities based on interviews and exams should be abandoned to restore trust in community schools.
