Computers meant to assist students in gaining computer literacy at community schools in Ramechhap district have been gathering dust for the past five years.

The then-District Education Office in the fiscal year 2017-18 spent Rs13 million on the purchase of computers and other equipment to conduct computer classes in 20 schools in Ramechhap. Each school received Rs650,000 for the procurement of the machines and for setting up computer labs. But only one school—Chandeshwari Secondary School—in Ramechhap Municipality Ward 1 has been conducting computer classes.

Surke Deurali Secondary School in Doramba Sailung Rural Municipality Ward 1 purchased computers with the plan to start Computer Studies classes, but the plan never came to fruition.

Ram Kumar Bimali, the principal of Surke Deurali Secondary School, says the lack of physical infrastructure to set up a computer lab and qualified teachers hindered their plans to start Computer Studies classes. “The school is supposed to conduct computer classes from grade six to grade eight, but we neither have an extra room for a computer lab nor teachers to run the classes,” said Bimali. “The school is constructing a new building so we hope to run Computer Studies classes once the building is complete.”

There are 457 students in the school that runs from early childhood development to grade 12, according to Bimali.

Parents and students alike who were excited about the prospect of learning the use of computers have been disappointed by the schools’ inability to run Computer Studies classes.

Sur Bahadur Thami’s son goes to Surke Deurali Secondary School. A resident of Doramba Sailung Ward 1, Thami says he feels he was let down by the school.

“Computer education is very important these days, and every student should know how to use a computer. I was happy my son would be able to use a computer since he would be taught at school, but it’s been more than four years and the schools are yet to begin Computer classes,” said Thami. “Some schools may not have the infrastructure or qualified teachers, but others who do are also not conducting Computer Studies classes.”

Thami says his son and his friends have not had the chance to even touch a computer even though his school has stored several of the machines in its store. He blames the local unit’s apathy towards community schools for the schools’ lack of commitment to their students’ education.

“Since education up to the secondary level falls under the responsibility of local governments, they should ensure that schools are teaching all the courses,” said Thami. “The local units must monitor and manage manpower, supplies, and other needs for community schools so that they are able to run computer classes. Our children are missing out on the future and are far behind in comparison to their peers in private schools.”

The Janata Secondary School in Kubhukasthali at ward 3 of Umakunda Rural Municipality was destroyed by the 2015 earthquake and is still undergoing reconstruction. The school with 175 students has stored its computers in a storeroom and does not have immediate plans of running computer classes.

Min Bahadur Karki, the school principal, says two years ago, Umakunda Rural Municipality added the post of a Computer Studies teacher at the school, but the teacher soon quit as the school could not set up a computer lab. “We haven’t been able to run Computer Studies classes even once after we received the computers,” he said. “Our school is still under construction and we don’t know when we will be able to start Computer Studies classes for our students.”