The Bhanubhakta Jagrit Basic School in Bagchaur Municipality is running without teachers. After the only teacher, who was also the headmaster, of the school got transferred to another school, the school is currently being run only by its Early Childhood Development staff and an office assistant.

The school runs classes from grade one to three, and currently, there are 15 students studying in the school. As there are no teachers in the school, five students have already been transferred to other schools.

Krishna KC, a staff of the Early Childhood Development Centre, said that this lack of teachers is affecting the education of the students. “Headmaster Amar Bahadur KC has been deputed to Rastriya Basic School in Shivarath,” said KC, adding that she has been teaching all students in the same class.

According to her, the municipal office deputed headmaster to another school citing a low number of students in the school.

Prem Bahadur DC, chairman of the school management committee, too shared the same sentiments. “The municipality had made the decision in a unilateral way. Locals have started to admit their children to other schools citing teachers’ shortage,” said DC, informing that he had requested the municipal office to return the headmaster, but to no avail.

With an absence of teacher, the school, which was established 12 years ago, is most likely going to be closed. “If the municipality provides necessary infrastructure and manages at least two teachers in the school, the number of students could be increased,” said KC, citing that many children have already moved to private boarding schools.