MUGLING:  Majority of the Chepang students enrolled at a primary school at Icchakamana Rural Municipality in Chitwan do not attend their school regularly in lack of stationery materials. Students at the School in remote area are mostly from the Chepang community. Shree Surya Jyoti Primary School has as many as 35 students but only 20 of them are regular.

School Principal, Shakila Joshi shared that the Chepang students do not attend the school regularly. Those who attend the school do not bring stationery materials such as books and note books with them. The school faces resource crunch to meet the needs of the students.

Poor number of students has affected teaching and learning activities. Given its remoteness representatives from social organizations shy away from visiting it. Thus the school is deprived of additional supports.

Another school in Mayataar, at ward no 2 of the Rural Municipality also shares the same fate. Majority of its students are also deprived of note books, books and pencils. Principal, Padam Bahadur Chepang informed that of the 173 students, 75 percent of them are from Chepang community.

Likewise, Shree National Primary School at ward no 6 has a total of 125 students – from Gharti and Chepang communities. Many students here too attend the schools sans stationary materials and text books.

School’s Assistant, Krishna Bahadur Gharti explained that majority of the Chepang and Gharti students come from very impoverished families. Beside poverty, lack of awareness among the parents is also attributed for not prodding their children to send to school regularly.

National Primary School Principal, Bhawana Khaniya reasoned that the students do not attend the school that due to financial constraints. Absence of students is utterly felt especially in the winter. The school is unable to attract students for its failure to provide warm clothes and snacks to the needy students.

Deepak Sigdel, an education officer at Icchakamana Rural Municipality admitted that attracting students to school from Chepang community is challenging. He underscored that the government needs to continue its meal program at such schools to attract and retain students. Government earlier had been providing mid-day meal to primary level students of community schools.