School consolidation and grade restructuring in Kanchanpur district have gained momentum as student numbers steadily decline. According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit Office, Kanchanpur, 11 community schools in the district have so far been consolidated, and the process of grade adjustment is moving ahead in nearly three dozen schools.
In Shuklaphanta Municipality of Kanchanpur district, four basic schools have been consolidated. According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit, Kanchanpur, Milan Basic School in Shuklaphanta Municipality-12 has been consolidated at Shiv Shakti Secondary School, Kalagaudi, located nearby. Similarly, Saraswati Basic School in Ward No. 12 has been consolidated into Siddhanath Basic School. Trimurti Basic School in Ward No. 10 has been consolidated into Krishna Secondary School, and Shanti Basic School in Ward No. 7 has been consolidated into Dharma Janata Secondary School located near it.
Head of the Education Section of Shuklaphanta Municipality, Suresh Prasad Bhatta, stated that these schools were consolidated in line with decisions made by the respective school management committees after student numbers began to fall.
According to him, grade adjustment has been carried out in two schools. Grade levels have been adjusted at Jana Chetana Basic School in Ward No. 1 and Bhawani Basic School in Ward No. 7. Education Section Chief Bhatta said that while these two schools previously operated classes up to Grade 5, they are now operating only up to Grade 3. He further stated that, as the number of students at Bhawani Basic School has remained low, the process has been initiated to consolidate it in the coming academic year.
Similarly, four basic schools in Krishnapur Municipality have also been consolidated. Bal Mukti Basic School in Ward No. 6 has been consolidated into Mahakali Secondary School located nearby, and Bandevi Basic School in Ward No. 5 has been consolidated into Sayapatri Basic School. In the same way, Satyawadi Basic School in Ward No. 2 has been consolidated into Udaya Secondary School, and Siddhanath Basic School, Kichai, in Ward No. 4 has also been consolidated into Samaiji Secondary School located nearby.
The Education Section of Krishnapur Municipality has stated that these four schools had to be consolidated because there were no students at all. At present, there are 31 community schools in Krishnapur Municipality.
In Bedkot Municipality of the district, two basic schools have also been consolidated. Shanti Primary School there has been consolidated into Sharda Secondary School, and Shiv Primary School has been consolidated into Shanti Niketan Basic School located nearby. Head of the Education Section of Bedkot Municipality, Padam Raj Bhatta, said that the consolidation was carried out after student numbers decreased.
He further stated that, similarly, the process of grade adjustment has been moved forward for two schools in Bedkot.
Dodhara Chandani Municipality has so far consolidated one basic school. The municipality’s Education Section Chief, Haridatt Joshi, said that Mahamaya Basic School there has now been consolidated into Bhanu Secondary School. He added that in Dodhara Chandani, where there are currently 22 community schools, the process of grade adjustment has been advanced in two schools.
Laljhadi Rural Municipality here has stated that the process of consolidating schools with fewer than 50 students has been moved ahead. According to the municipality’s Education Section Chief, Siddharaj Bhatta, two community schools are currently in the process of consolidation.
Punarbas Municipality, which has 32 community schools, has stated that grade adjustment work is underway. According to Education Section Chief Shivraj Bhatta, the process has been advanced so that two community schools that had been operating classes up to Grade 8 will operate only up to Grade 6, and three schools that had been operating classes up to Grade 7 will operate only up to Grade 3.
Similarly, according to Bhanu Bhakta Joshi, head of the Education Section of Beldandi Rural Municipality, grade adjustment has been carried out at Siddhanath Basic School in Ward No. 1, Shaileshwari Basic School in Ward No. 2, and Radhakrishna Janapriya Basic School, which had been operating classes up to Grade 8. These schools are now operating only up to Grade 5.
Education Section Chief Joshi further stated that grade adjustment has also been carried out in three schools that had been operating up to Grade 5. According to him, Kalika Basic School in Jhilimili of Ward No. 5, Trishuli Basic School in Ward No. 2, and Kanchan Basic School in the same ward have been reduced to operate only up to Grade 3. The municipality has stated that it has had to adjust school levels after student numbers in community schools have been steadily declining.
In Bhimdatta Municipality, which has 57 community schools, it has been stated that nearly three dozen schools are in the process of consolidation and grade adjustment. The municipality’s Education Section Officer, Haridatt Joshi, said that it has become necessary to consolidate and adjust the levels of 18 to 20 community schools there. He noted that challenges have arisen because the school management committees of some schools have not agreed, and that dialogue is ongoing with all sides for this reason.
Belauri Municipality here has stated that the process has been advanced to consolidate and adjust the levels of a dozen schools. The number of students in community schools in Kanchanpur has been continuously declining. Concern has been expressed that, as attraction toward institutional (private) schools increases and the birth rate also falls, the trend of community schools becoming empty is increasing.
Kanchanpur School News