Kumari Lama, who lives in the Red Cross Holding Center in Banepa, Kavre, sought shelter in PepsiCola in Kathmandu a few days ago after her daughter was about to miss her studies. She was forced to move after the government made no arrangements for her children's education. She said that her daughter, who is studying in grade 8, was admitted to a school near the shelter only on Friday.

'It was time for the first trimester exams to begin. I moved to Kathmandu because I was going to miss my daughter's studies while living in Banepa,' Kumari said, 'There was only one quota left in the school. I admitted her, but I don't want my daughter to go because she has missed a lot of studies.'

It has been two months since the government demolished the slums of the squatters and put them in the holding center. But the children in the holding center of the Red Cross building in Banepa have not been able to go to school yet. Rima Pokharel and Rojina Pariyar, who were in the holding center after their studies were not finalized for a long time, started teaching themselves about a month ago. ‘It is difficult to teach us now. We do not have textbooks. Since we do not have any books, we are confused about what to teach and on what basis,’ said Rima Pokharel, ‘I sometimes watch YouTube and online classes. I try to teach in a way that suits everyone.’

According to her, there are 16 school-age children here. ‘It is very difficult to teach this way. If you teach a child in grade 7 about grades 1-2, they feel lazy, they do not want to sit in class. Then a child in grade 1 does not understand grade 7. We have to struggle a lot due to lack of proper management,’ said Pokharel.

Some parents have taken some children to relatives, saying, ‘This is not how education is done.’ 8 children are deprived of education. When Rima asks the relevant people at the Red Cross, she only gets the answer that no official information has been received. Mahendra Parajuli, Deputy Director General and Spokesperson of the Education and Human Resource Development Center, says that he is not aware of this. He said that wherever there is a holding center, it is the responsibility of the local government. 

But the federal government has not coordinated with Banepa Municipality. Banepa Municipality Mayor Shanti Ratna Shakya said that there is no information about whether the children have gone to school. ‘There has been no coordination with us. If the students are now sent to nearby schools, the results of the schools will deteriorate. The buildings may not even be enough,’ Shakya told Kantipur.

The government does not have data on which schools the children from the displaced settlements are studying in. Kathmandu Metropolitan City said In collaboration with PABSON and NPABSON, 16 children from the Radhaswamy Satsang Holding Center in Kirtipur have been managed in private schools and the rest in nearby government schools. However, the admission of students studying in government schools has not been done yet. Children from the Drinking Water Training Center in Nagarkot also live in the same holding center where they go to the nearby Kalika Secondary School, said Indra Bahadur Thapa. ‘There are 17 children here. There are 11 in the government school now. Some returned to their previous schools by staying with relatives. Some returned to their dormitories to study. The rest have gone to this school,' Thapa said, 'They have been given pens and paper. They do not have uniforms. They have not even been admitted.'

Pawan Gurung, who is in the same holding center where children from the Electricity Training Center in Kharipati, Bhaktapur also go to the same community school, said. 'Around 22-23 children are going to government schools here, but none of them have been admitted. Parents are also worried about the lack of admission,' he said. 

Children from the Kirtipur Holding Center in Janvikas Mavi in ​​Balkhu go to study. But students have not been admitted there yet. 'The reason for not enrolling so far is that their families have not decided where to go. But the metropolis has facilitated admission from Sunday. Now, those who are there will be admitted here,' said Anil Kumar Jha, the school's principal. 

Kathmandu Metropolitan City had sent 16 children to private schools in collaboration with PABSON and NPABSON with hostel arrangements. According to PABSON Kathmandu President Nawaraj Bhatta, some children had returned to the holding center after they could not stay in the hostel. “We had received news that 2 students from Venus School and Nexus had run away. We have to follow up,” Bhatta said. The number of students in Balkhu’s Janvikas has also decreased. Currently, only 12-13 students are regularly coming, said Principal Jha. Another reason for the decrease in students is that they are returning to their regular schools, he said.