It has been decades since states began incorporating educational programs into national development plans to improve public schools. Nepal has established itself as a key partner in international educational projects since the 1990s through 'Education for All' to the current 'Sustainable Development Goals'.

Through various policies, programs and schemes, the state has taken education as an integral part of 'development'. But in the absence of social and political thinking to define and implement education as development, there is no identity between education, society and development. As the issue of education and society cannot be covered effectively in the commentary and practice of development, public schools in the hills are failing. 

Commentary on mountains and destructive development 

Last month I spent a few weeks in the remote hill villages of Ilam and Panchthar where I was born and raised. After spending a few days in the heat of Jhapa and climbing the mountain, it felt like getting rid of some harsh punishment. 

The Damak-Larumba-Ravi road, which has a history of almost three decades, connects the mountains of Ilam West and Panchthar South with Madhesh. Four-wheel taxis from Damak climb the hill through this route. But this road also shows the ugly face of Dangdunge development adopted by the state. 

Since the road with such a long history has not been stabilized yet, the people of the hills have to suffer for a few months on the road section from Ratuwa Dobhan to Panchami after the rains. To get rid of this misery, an alternative route has now been made through Todke-Kusunde to Chishopani Panchami. Todke-Kusunde is a witness to the struggle of the hill people of Elam and Panchthar. Until a few years ago, salt-oil, soap, clothes and sugar were used to reach the mountains from Madhesh through this footpath. 

Except for the months of May-October, Todke-Kusunde used to be like a traffic jam of pedestrians, porters and kharites. From the mountains, oranges, lemons and cardamom from Dhaka reached Madhesh through this route. Madhumalla and Damak Bazar of Madhesh had to go down through Todke-Kusunde and Perunge-Mawakhola to sell mountain soursop, cardamom, turmeric and rittha. But the existence of this historic footpath is now in danger. 

It is not that a road should not be built in the mountains, but the kind of development commentary that has been built now has weakened the historical, biological, cultural, environmental, educational and social health of the entire mountain. 

Todke-Kusunde's Tarevir passes through mountain rivers-Kholsi, Tol-Tol, Pakha-Pakhera and in the corner of the forest, the roads built without long-term planning have become the standard of development. Only physical constructions like roads, bridges, hydro, gates and view towers have been made the main comment of development. 

The development plan of the local municipality does not pay attention to the work of building equality, environment and social consciousness. Such unconscious development has made it easy to spend the budget. Also, the general public feels that their representatives have done something visible. But the question of how such Dangdunge development is relaxing the natural and social beauty and structure of the mountain and destroying the knowledge there has not been deeply discussed. 

Looking at the roads, hydro and other physical structures that are being built now, it seems that the mountains are not being developed, but being destroyed and exploited. It is felt that physical development is encroaching on the knowledge, language, culture, vegetation, seeds, food and the existence of hundreds of rivers flowing down Madhesh. With such development, the mountain is becoming unfit for habitation. 

What is on the mountain, what is not?

Poet Meen Bahadur Bisht wrote in the 40s in the poem 'Sala Pahad Mein Kya Hai', many things are running out in the mountains. "Development" has reached the hills, but it is slowly becoming empty. The road has been reached but it is not as busy as it used to be. The beautiful houses built by the ancestors of stone and mud are gradually falling into ruins. The existence of local haat on dates like Navami, Panchami and Ravi has ended with development. 

These are the 'contact zones' of the hills where people meet and sell agricultural products. Our baju, mother, phupoo and aunts used to go to the haat in the small houses covered with thatch, carrying cucumbers, bitter gourds, parsley, green corn, lentils, turmeric, etc. in their bags. Some were sold, some were not. Unsold goods were exchanged with each other. Gundruk used to be exchanged with Kakra. 

These hills, built as social centers, are the 'heart' of the hills. They circulated blood to keep the mountain alive. Their poor health means the poor health of the entire mountain.

irony! Gulzar in the hills, these haats are deserted now. More than 20 houses are locked around Khadkude Navami Bazaar in Phakphokthum alone. It is not known when the existing houses will be closed. Mountain people are now not found in villages, but in the new towns of Madhesh. Roads, bridges, budgets and vehicles reached the village. But the youth are disappearing. It is not yet decided who will return. Muri-Muri paddy and corn fields have now turned into bushes and forests. Now, monkeys, deer, dumsi, Kalij are seen in the yard.  The courage to cultivate

seems to be over. When rice, pulses, potatoes and oil start reaching the villages from the city, why is there any enthusiasm for farming? The mountain is going through an existential crisis of sorts. 

 Desolate hills and deserted schools 

When the mountain is deserted, the school will be deserted too. It is difficult to get 10 students in each class of the basic level except Apabad. Prof. Lain Bahadur Basnet of Jalpa School, where I studied primary level, says, "The classrooms that were built earlier when the number of students was large would not be useful now." Similarly, Prof. Hari Baral of Mahendrodaya Mavi, where I have passed SLC, says, "Even though the physical structure has improved, I am worried that the number of students is decreasing." 

In this school, which once had more than a hundred students in one class, today the number of students in all classes is hardly more than 100. The playground is made big but empty. On the main road in the hills, there was a rush of students on their way to and from school. But now that original path is deserted. In a way, the schools in the hills are on the verge of closing down at some point.

At that time, those who can will go to Madhesh and send their children to school. Those who can't have no choice but to blame their fate. After the public school is vacated, the hill will be like a haunted house. Due to development, school buildings are better than before.

computer lab, smart board, toilet, drinking water and canteen facilities are now available in most schools. But why are schools in the hills failing? The answer to this question is not easy, but now it is not delayed to think, discuss and analyze it.

Migration and declining birth rates are cited as two main factors behind the desertification of mountain schools. Of course, the number of students will decrease due to immigration and low population. Maila/Mily, Saila/Saili, Antare/Antari are no longer found in the hills. Yesterday, 4-5 students used to leave from one house. Now there are hardly 1-2 people. Those who have, the rate of leaving the mountains has increased. 

Parents found in Madhesh complained that they were forced to leave the mountains for 'better education' and 'health care'. Parents in the hills are also dreaming of bringing their children to Madhesh. Even teachers from the mountains should be transferred to schools in Madhesh. The mountains are being portrayed as a 'deficit space' with 'suffering', 'failure' and 'backwardness'. Such thinking has been muddied by the current development model and commentary.

Looking at the plans of the local government, the issue of improving public schools in the hills has not been included in the commentary of overall development. Except for exceptions, many municipalities have not been able to create their own education policies and plans. Even those who make education policies and plans have not understood the interrelationship between education, society and development.

There is an ideological void in education reform. The construction and implementation of the educational plan is considered only as a technical matter like the completion of the construction of bridges, roads and buildings after opening a tender. Local subjects and mother tongue education can be taken as an example. 

In order to connect education with society, culture, language, people's livelihood and local knowledge, most of the municipalities have called for bids and have shown indifference in the implementation of such materials without discussion. Many municipalities have illegally implemented computers and additional English as local subjects. The agenda of professional development of teachers is not much in the local development plan. 

What to do now?

Without understanding the interrelationship between education, society and development in the hills, it is difficult to restore the credibility of the deserted school. For this, it is necessary to change the commentary of development in the entire mountain. 

Curriculum creation, effective teaching and quality education for teachers' professional development, research, extracurricular activities and reflection, discussion, planning and implementation of the interrelationship between school, society and environment should have a meaningful place in the commentary of development. But irony! It seems that the agenda of improving school education has stopped falling into the commentary of popular development. 

However, what the policy makers need to understand is that without improving the public schools, the entire mountain cannot be revitalized. If the public school can win the trust of the parents, those who are forced to leave their homes and lands in the name of "good education" will return to the mountains.

For this, at least for the next two decades, the state needs to focus on public education and change the commentary and plan of the overall development of the hills. Schools should not be seen as technical institutions but should be seen as an integral part of social change. For this, a broad, long-term and new philosophical and political resolution is needed. 

If public schools can be improved, the future of the hills can be changed. By improving the natural, environmental, social and cultural health of the mountains, the population density balance and desertification of Madhesh can be prevented. For this, first of all, it is necessary to improve the public schools in the hills. Then, as poet Bishta says, something will 'definitely' happen in the mountains. Hopes and dreams will blossom in the mountains.