Baglung : The number of people migrating abroad from the Baglung district of Nepal, particularly from the Galchok area, is increasing day by day. As the youth population chooses to emigrate, the rural areas here are becoming deserted.
Fertile lands suitable for agriculture are being left fallow due to deforestation, and the schools are also experiencing a decline in attendance. After the closure of schools in the deserted rural areas, the Galchok municipality has been reorganizing and merging schools. As a result, young children now have no choice but to travel to nearby schools, facing challenges to reach them.
After the consolidation and merger of schools, the Galchok municipality has provided transportation facilities for the students. With access to transportation, students now go door-to-door to enroll in schools enthusiastically.
Previously, students used to take daily hours to reach the school, but now they can return home within two hours. Galchok municipality has mostly rural settlements, including Jhirka and Tokari villages, which used to serve as the basic and secondary level education centers. However, the migration has led to the closure of these schools.
Even though it only takes an hour to reach the school downhill, it used to take more than two hours to return home. But now, with the pickup jeep services provided by the municipality, students can reach home on time.
Nikita Thapa, a student in grade 12, expressed the difficulties she faced in the 11th grade, but now, since she can take a vehicle home, she feels relieved.
Vishnu Thapa, a local resident, mentioned that after the municipality provided transportation facilities for students in distant areas, there is an increased interest among children to attend school. He shared that due to the school merger, his children now have to travel to a distant school from their homes this year.
Even though they have to travel to distant schools, they do not face any problems because of the transportation facilities, he added.
The Galchok municipality has merged five primary schools and six secondary schools this year. The school consolidation and merger process were approved by the municipality assembly in 2079 and were implemented, as shared by spokesperson Him Bahadur Bhandari (Hemant).
Due to geographical remoteness, emigration, and a decline in the number of students, the municipality decided to implement school consolidation and merger.
Ward No. 7’s Deurali Primary School and other schools like Neta Primary School have been merged into higher-level schools, and transportation facilities have been provided to students traveling from distant areas, according to the information provided by spokesperson Bhandari.
The municipality allocated NPR 10 lakhs for transportation services in the current fiscal year to facilitate students’ transportation, Bhandari further stated.