KATHMANDU: Subesh Baitha from Rautahat dreams of becoming a cricket player in the future. He and his brother, both in grade 8, live with their father in Kathmandu, while their mother works as a farmer in the village.
Despite their early passion for cricket, they complain that they never received support from their father to pursue it.
Even today, the warnings from villagers to keep playing echo in Subesh’s memory. Although their father moved them to Kathmandu for better education, Subesh has had little opportunity to play cricket.
Shree Mahankal Secondary School in Mahabouddha, where he studies, has no open space for sports.
When Subesh first arrived at the school, he noticed the lack of a playground and asked his teacher, “Where shall we play?” His teacher responded, “We’ll play outside after passing the 10th grade.” Subesh was taken aback by this answer.
Since his father couldn’t afford to send him to a private school, Subesh and his brother were enrolled in the community school. With no other choice, Subesh had to accept this arrangement, even though it meant sacrificing his passion for sports.
Although his academic performance is good, there’s no space within the school to play or run.
But despite this, Subesh goes to Tundikhel every Saturday to play cricket. He has participated in many school-level competitions and hopes to play cricket for the country one day.
The standards also mandate the provision of essential facilities such as drinking water, toilets, administrative offices for teachers, playgrounds, libraries, kitchens, cafeterias, recreation rooms, meeting rooms, and changing rooms for clothes or sanitary pads, in addition to classrooms.
Similarly, 15-year-old Sabin Bhujel from Dolakha, currently studying in grade 9, dreams of becoming an army officer. He is frustrated because he cannot run or jump at school.
Sabin says, “Our parents couldn’t afford to send us to a boarding school. Does that mean we should be deprived of our rights just because we are from poor families? Sports are vital for the overall development of students, alongside academics. But where is the place to play?”
While the school occasionally organizes futsal events three to four times a year, Sabin practices running outside after school and sometimes goes to the park with friends.
When he has the money, he plays futsal. Despite his participation in school-level sports competitions, Sabin feels trapped, unable to pursue his dreams of playing.
The Ministry of Education has issued standards for the construction of school physical infrastructure to ensure uniformity in community schools and create a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
According to these standards, every school is required to have a playground. Additionally, the ministry has set guidelines for earthquake-resistant buildings, which also apply to private schools.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) had launched an admission campaign in the academic session of 2081 with slogans like, “Our children in community schools, not by tax but by choice,” and “Creative learning in the educational transformation campaign, community schools are the first choice of parents.”
However, the reality has proven otherwise. Students in community schools are not studying by choice, but by necessity or compulsion. Moreover, they are deprived of their basic right to play.
Mahakal School, located in a narrow alley just 50 meters from the White Monastery in Mahabouddha, is a prime example.
The school’s gate resembles the entrance to a house, and the classrooms are poorly maintained, with no doors or windows.
The desks and benches are outdated, and the floor’s plaster is peeling off. The surrounding tall buildings block sunlight from entering the school.
Mahakal School, established in 2013 BS, occupies an area of 13 aanas and consists of three two-story buildings. These buildings were damaged during the 2072 BS earthquake and are still in need of repairs.
There are play structures for small children between the buildings, but the remaining space is used for prayer sessions.
The school’s principal, Rajiv Bajracharya, explained, “There is no open space for students or the youth in Kathmandu. The area required by the government’s standards is not feasible here.”
He further mentioned that students used to play outside the school grounds, but complaints from local traders about the noise and occasional injuries led to the ban on outdoor play.
Bajracharya lamented that students no longer have sufficient opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities. In winter, it’s particularly challenging due to the lack of sunlight.
Principal Bajracharya also pointed out that 95% of the students’ parents are financially struggling.
“The children of parents who earn their livelihood through hard work are studying here. It’s hard to find educated parents to form a parents’ association,” he added.
Although the school building was damaged in the earthquake, it is still in use after minor repairs, with full reconstruction pending.
Another school in Mahabouddha, Tuad Secondary School, is also in dire condition. The school’s gate wall has swollen like a loaf of bread soaked in soda, posing potential risks to students and teachers.
Principal Surendra KC stated that he has informed the relevant authorities at both the ward and municipal levels. Speaking to Khabarhub, he mentioned, “Mayor Balen Shah himself visited and inspected the condition of this wall. He rushed through the inspection, and it seems like he hasn’t taken proper care of the wall.”
“The three buildings of the school were built with aid from the Japanese government, but the furniture is outdated. The lack of progress is mainly due to the absence of a chief administrator in the municipality.”
While students at Mahakal School struggle without a playground, the situation is even worse at Teyud School.
The surrounding buildings are in poor condition, and there is no space designated for sports. The slogan ‘Book Free Friday’ remains just a slogan for community school students.
Principal Surendra KC of Teyud Secondary School added that the school caters to children of parents who are financially and educationally disadvantaged. He expressed frustration that the concerned authorities have not addressed these issues despite the school’s ongoing complaints.
“We don’t have local students from Kathmandu. Most of our students are children of migrant workers from neighboring districts who have come to Kathmandu in search of work or to engage in small businesses. Some of the parents are even struggling with addiction,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Education, there are 28,000 secondary-level community schools across the country, serving a total of 5.5 million students. Of these, approximately 47,694 students attend 89 community schools in the Kathmandu metropolis.
The standards set for school physical infrastructure stipulate that each classroom should provide at least 1 square meter of space per student, with the total area of a classroom not exceeding 60 square meters.
For the construction of school buildings, the following land requirements are specified: 1,530 square meters for grades 1-5, 2,545 square meters for grades 1-8, and 3,310 square meters for grades 1-10.
For schools serving grades 1-12, a minimum of 4,072 square meters is required. Additionally, the guidelines state that 60 percent of the land must remain vacant when constructing a school building.
The standards also mandate the provision of essential facilities such as drinking water, toilets, administrative offices for teachers, playgrounds, libraries, kitchens, cafeterias, recreation rooms, meeting rooms, and changing rooms for clothes or sanitary pads, in addition to classrooms.
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