School in Nepal - Nepal News

MOMS AND KIDS MAKE UNUSUAL CLASS-FELLOWS

Dil Maya, and her son stopped suddenly in front of the school. They looked around furtively and disappeared through the gate. In a minute, both mother and son were in the classroom.

At first, she lied to this scribe that the boy clinging to her was not her son.

“He is my brother,” she said. After some goading, she disclosed that he was her son.

Mother of two kids, Dil Maya, 22, started school about seven months ago. She wears a uniform, skirt and shirt just like any other schoolgirl.

Her school – BP Primary School – is located on the high-way at Birat Chowk, a few kilometers from the town of Itahari.

Parents meeting here last year decided that mothers should also attend school along with their kids.

At least six mothers have enrolled in the school as regular students since the historic decision.

“We are expecting 20 mothers in our school by the next academic session,” said Rewanta Karki, a schoolteacher.

“We give them some task and announce that whoever completes the task first will top the class. The mothers are competitive because nobody wants to lose the race,” Shobha Phuyal, another teacher, said. One of the assigned tasks is reading the text aloud.

These student-turned mothers said they had joined the school because people cheated them even with simple mathematics.

They said they are doing double task at school – studying and breast feeding. On the other hand, children have become regular at school as they come with their mothers.

“I feel in love early in teenage and had no time for school,” said Kala Bhujel, a fifth grader attending class along with her son.

Efforts are also on to bring fathers to school but they are more stubborn, said teachers.