School Hostel Supports Remote Students in Nawalpur

School Hostel Supports Remote Students in Nawalpur

Nawalpur, Nepal | February 7, 2026 (NST) [2082-10-24 (BS)]

A hostel established at Shiksha Bodhani Secondary School, located in Hupsekot Rural Municipality–5, Rudrapur, Dhauwadi of Nawalpur district, has provided significant support to students from hilly and geographically remote areas.

Built with the objective of connecting children from remote settlements to quality education, the hostel has been playing an important role in helping students continue their studies without interruption.

Due to the hilly terrain, difficult roads, and long distances, many students previously had to walk for hours daily to reach school, or were compelled to drop out. The hostel has helped reduce this problem.

Key details

• Hostel established: 2077 (BS)

• Hostel in operation since: 2078 (BS)

• Current resident students: 23

  • Boys: 14

  • Girls: 9

According to Principal Tul Bahadur Rana, when the hostel first began, it was difficult even to convince parents to send their children to stay there. He said that after the hostel made schooling easier for students, parents are now happy.

Students coming from distant settlements

The hostel has been especially helpful for students who do not have a nearby secondary-level school. Some students had been forced to walk three to four hours daily to attend classes, and the hostel has provided relief for them.

Students also come to this school from Lahape village in Ward No. 6 of the neighboring Baudikali Rural Municipality. The distance from the school to that village is around 10 kilometers. Because walking is not feasible and it takes four to five hours, and because there is no other nearby school where students can study up to Grade 10, many students previously had to rent rooms to study either at the municipality center, Dhedgaun, or at the district headquarters, Kawasoti.

For families unable to afford rent, children faced the risk of being deprived of education altogether. The rural municipality established the hostel to address this problem.

Students staying in the hostel are from Pangre and Harde areas under Hupsekot–5, and from the Lahape area of Baudikali Rural Municipality. From these places, it takes three to four hours of walking to reach the school.

Students’ experiences

Rim Saru, a Grade 10 student from Lahape, has been living in the hostel for the past three months. She said staying in the hostel has made studying much easier.

“Walking from home used to take a lot of time. Now that I can stay in the hostel, time has been saved and it has become easier to focus on my studies,” Saru said.

Another Grade 10 student, Lekbahadur Baharghare from Pangre, also said living in the hostel has supported his studies and saved travel time. He has been staying in the hostel for the past six months. Previously, he had to walk for three hours every day to travel to and from school.

“Walking back and forth made me tired. After returning home, I couldn’t study again or do homework, and it affected my learning. Now it has become much easier,” Baharghare said.

Budget support and observed outcomes

Madhavraj Gautam, Chief of the Education, Youth and Sports Section, said the hostel has supported access to education, especially for children from remote areas and economically weak families.

He added that each year, the rural municipality allocates a budget under ration expenses to cover food, accommodation, and daily necessities for students living and studying in the hostel.

According to Gautam, this arrangement has had a positive impact on students’ regular attendance, continuity in learning, and academic achievement. He said that, from the perspective of expanding access to education, preventing student outmigration, and providing equal opportunities for children in rural areas, the Dhauwadi hostel is increasingly being established as a model project.