Raksirang Rural Municipality in Makwanpur district has decided to cut off services and facilities to those families who fail to admit their school-going children to school.

A meeting of the Village Education Committee held on Tuesday made the decision to cut off the services and facilities to those parents who do not enrol their children to schools. The meeting also decided to provide textbooks and uniforms free of cost to children from impoverished families. Raj Kumar Malla, chairman of Raksirang Rural Municipality, said that the meeting has decided to provide free education to those children as well.

 A majority of Chepang children in the rural municipality do not go to school because of poverty.

“If parents inform us that they cannot admit their children to schools due to financial problems, we have made a policy to take active steps to ensure that the children get admitted to schools,” said Malla. “We are here to provide assistance to those who cannot afford to send their children to school. However, if they still remain unwilling to send their children to school, then they need to answer us.”

The rural municipality has also decided to launch a school enrolment campaign to bring all children into school system. The literacy rate of Raksirang is very low; only 35 percent of its population (26,192) can read and write.

The rural municipality has also formed Chepang Development Coordination Committee for the development and welfare of the Chepang community. Malla said that they have allocated Rs 1 million for the development of Chepang people living at the then Sarikhet, Raksirang, Khairang and Kakada VDCs in the running fiscal year.