Bad culture and family ties affect student's studies

16-year-old Rita Dhakal of Panchdeval Vinayak-1 said that she was barred from going to school during menstruation because the temple of the biggest deity believed by the people of the whole village is in the school area.

I also studied in this school till class 5. Since our studies are going to be canceled, we have repeatedly asked the ward chairman to facilitate this matter. He also did not show interest," she said. "It is what everyone in the village is accepting. The ward chairman said that we cannot break it. She also believes that going to this school when she is menstruating is a blessing.' When she went to school, she could not sit and study after having her period.

'They give pads from school. But there is no place to throw it after use. There is a lot of stress about where and how to throw it," she said. Dhurva, who is a member of the children's club, said that despite being informed many times about the problems faced by female students during menstruation, there was no solution.

We have talked about these issues many times with the girls who joined the children's club. But our issues are not being heard," she said. "We understand the issues of menstruation, sexual and reproductive health after training in other places. But even general information about these subjects is not given in school.

She said that studies are affected during menstruation. "Five days in a month are spent at school in the stress of changing the pad, where to throw it, what to do if the stomach aches," she said, "I can't focus on studying."

Harikala Adhikari of Panchdeval Vinayak-3 said that she had to miss out on studies because she had to stay in the shed during menstruation. First, the campaign to demolish the enclave started. At that time, instead of staying at home, I had to hang a tarpaulin," she said. Again they became close friends. We are the victims of this.'

Harikala says that the study of female students is affected because they have to stay in the shed all night and the environment in the school is not conducive. "Students who spend the night in a shed to study are also mentally weak," she said.

Sarita Nepali, a class 10 student at Kalika High School in Kamalbazar Municipality-6 Virpath, said that the reason why female students are not able to excel in studies like male students is the home environment.

'Looking from the outside, there are common reasons. But every day there are cases of family torture at home where the father drinks alcohol and assaults his daughter," she said. "One of our friends who studied with us got married last year because she could not bear the tension in the house. After that, he also left school. Now her sister is also suffering from the same stress.''

Radhika Rimal of Dhakari Village Pailka-1 can go to school only after finishing the fair, grass cutting, water harvesting and farm work. Radhika, who studies in class 12 in Kalika Mavi Hichma, cannot always be regular in school. I can go to school only after finishing the cattle, grass, firewood, water and farm work. If the work is not completed on time, the school will be dismissed," she said. "A few years ago, it was customary to send the daughter to school and not allow her to read and write, but now everyone has the mentality that she should be sent to school. But it is only limited to formalities. According to him, the daughter still does not know what her rights are. With the spread of awareness, even if they send their daughters to school, they only become literate because they do not send them regularly.

Dhakari-3's Kalpana Shahi wakes up early in the morning and fetches firewood to go to school only. This is the family responsibility he got at a young age. Since she is a daughter, she only understands that she has to do all the work herself. My brother studies in Kathmandu. You have to help your mother at home. "I can go to school only after bringing firewood in the morning," she said, "many friends like me have been able to go to school only by doing housework all morning." She reached class 8 as an average student. She said that in the school she studied, there were only boys in the first, second and third grades. There are 74 students. There are only 25 boys. But studies belong to good boys. We don't get to come to school regularly.'

According to him, the number of boys in the village is not low. Sons of families with good economic conditions study in cities like Mangalsen, Dhangadhi Kathmandu, Nepalganj and other cities. The sons of families with poor economic conditions left their studies in the middle and went to India in search of work.

Maina Saud of the same place is now studying in class 5 at Bhubaneswari Basic School. Everyone in the class calls her sister. Studying is also similar to him. His brother, who is 3 years younger than him, studies in the 7th grade of the same school. It hurts when friends tease that brother studies in 7th standard and sister studies in 5th standard. However, after fulfilling her responsibilities at home, she goes to school as much as possible.

'Brother was sent to school on time. At that time, father and mother all told me that you don't have to go to school,'' she said, '2 years ago, after the school enrollment campaign started in the village, I was enrolled in class 3.' I learned A and B in 3rd grade. Because she has a daughter, she could not go to school on time,' she told her pain. I still come to school only after finishing all the housework.

According to the 2080 report of the Center for Education and Human Development Resources, there are 189,895 students enrolled in grades 9 to 12 in Sudurpaschim Province. Out of 97,205 female students, 2.4 percent of 9th to 10th grade and 1.1 percent of 11th to 12th grade drop out in one year.

2.5 percent of 9th and 10th grade and 5.3 percent of 11th and 12th graders are repeat graders. Jagat Rawal, Head of Education, Youth and Sports Branch of Mangalsen Municipality, said that many female students had to be deprived of education due to poverty, illiteracy, superstition and wrong thinking that their daughters should not be taught too much. The studies of the students are not only affected but also weak. For this, it seems difficult to improve the situation until the local level brings a solid plan.'