SARLAHI: Despite most local levels in Sarlahi district working towards ensuring cent percent enrollment of children in schools this new academic year, approximately 8,000 children are still out of school due to various reasons.

According to statistics from the Education Development and Coordination Unit in Sarlahi, a total of 3,797 girls and 4,480 boys of school-going age (5 to 12 years) remain out of school.

Sunil Kumar Kushbaha, a technical assistant in the Unit, reported that Barahathawa municipality has the highest number of out-of-school children at 832, while Parsa rural municipality has the lowest at 242.

Most of these out-of-school children come from impoverished families, as well as from Dalit and Muslim communities, Kushbaha shared.

Ram Narayan Raya, a teacher at a primary school in Parsa rural municipality-1, assessed that lack of awareness about the importance of education among parents and their poor financial condition, among other factors, contribute to many children of school-going age still being out of school.

Teacher Raya mentioned that the Student Enrollment Campaign is in full swing to bring as many children of school-going age under the ambit of education this academic year.

Similarly, Ram Briksha Mahato, Chief of the Unit, observed that many children of school-going age accompany their parents to the workplace instead of attending school.

Door-to-door campaigns and awareness rallies, among other initiatives, are being conducted in targeted communities to attract as many out-of-school children as possible to enroll in school.

RSS