PALPA, Oct 30: She wished to be the first to pass School Leaving Certificate (SLC) in her village. And she was intelligent enough to make her wish come true. But Sabitra Bote, 17, had to drop out of school to join the police force so that she could support her family financially.
She still is the most learned in the Bote village and has a government job to boot but that is no consolation for her heartbreak at having been forced to give up her life-long pursuit. “I will still do something to prove myself,” she resolves and adds, “I am still thankful that I studied till 10 or I wouldn´t have got a job in the Nepal Police.”
Many more from Bote community in Yamgha Village Development Committee (VDC) in Palpa unable to financially support their education have dropped out of school. They are compelled to work hard from an early age to eke out a living. No wonder, education then takes a back seat.
The fact that there is no secondary school in the village has also contributed to children quitting education after the primary level. The nearest secondary school is one-and-a-half hour walk from the village.
Principal at the local Bhagawati Primary School Bhola Prasad Neupane believes that a secondary school in the village will go a long way in improving the plight of the Bote community. “They would be able to pursue higher studies and do away with superstitious beliefs,” Neupane feels.
Senior member of the village and Bote Community Empowerment Group President Santa Bahadur Bote feels the village has remained backward due to lack of education. “A few educated youths would have contributed for the development of the village. There is no one to guide in the village,” Santa Bahadur rues.
Most of the youths from the village have gone to India for lowly jobs and just three have gone to other countries. Many children and youths still work as domestic help, while others are working in hotels of cities like Kathmandu, Butwal, Pokhara and Tansen.
A few non-government organizations are working for the development of the village but have made little difference. On the other hand, the village still remains neglected by the government. “We have heard that the government has allocated budget for the empowerment of the backward classes. But we have received none,” says Santa Bahadur.
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Many more from Bote community in Yamgha Village Development Committee (VDC) in Palpa unable to financially support their education have dropped out of school. They are compelled to work hard from an early age to eke out a living. No wonder, education then takes a back seat.
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