In Lumbini Province, the districts of Banke and Kapilvastu have the highest number of children outside of school in the province. The situation of students leaving school poses risks, as reported publicly on Magh 6, 2080, in Nepalgunj after a study conducted by UNICEF and Global Action Nepal in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology and the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens.
The Director of the Center for Education and Human Resource Development, Neelakantha Dhakal, highlighted the condition of children leaving school in Lumbini, Karnali, and Madhesh provinces. He stated, "The study was conducted to understand why students are leaving education in these provinces and to assess the associated risks."
According to the report, 11.3% of students aged 5 to 17 years across Nepal are out of school, with 17.9% in Banke and 16.2% in Kapilvastu. The highest percentage of out-of-school students is found in grades 1-5, 6-8, and 9-12 in Banke and Kapilvastu.
In Lumbini, among students studying up to grade 5, 20.7% face the risk of leaving school at any time. For grades 6-8, 33%, and for grades 9-12, 78.9% of students may be at risk of leaving school at any time. Chudamani Paudel, the former director of the Center for Education and Human Resource Development and current secretary of Karnali Province, urged students not to leave school for recognition reasons.
He stated, "It is important to study and not leave education halfway. If there are weaknesses in policies and implementation, these should be identified through study." He further emphasized the need for coordination between the center, province, and local levels to ensure students' stability and education in school.
