Displaced Children in Kathmandu Struggle to Return to School
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Dozens of children displaced by recent government evictions in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur are struggling to return to school due to a lack of essential supplies like uniforms, books, and notebooks.
- Families evicted from informal settlements have been moved to temporary holding centers, leaving children anxious about their education and future living situations.
- While the Kathmandu Metropolitan City's education department is coordinating school placements, many displaced students feel out of place and face challenges adjusting to new environments without basic necessities.
The plight of displaced children in Kathmandu, struggling to access education after recent evictions, paints a stark picture of the human cost of urban development. As government bulldozers cleared informal settlements, hundreds of families were left homeless and their children's schooling disrupted. At Jan Bikash Secondary School, principal Anil Kumar Jha's simple question about what the children need was met with a chorus of requests for uniforms, books, and notebooks – the basic tools for learning that they now lack.
What do you need? Tell us, and we will try to arrange it.
Children like 12-year-old Bishwanath Gurung, who was moved from the Gairigaun settlement to a temporary center in Kirtipur, express deep anxiety not only about where they will live but also about continuing their education. For many, the return to school is a difficult adjustment, marked by a sense of displacement and a lack of belonging. Students like Bishnu Laxmi Gurung and Lawita Pariyar feel out of place without uniforms and proper school materials, a stark contrast to their previous school experiences.
We don’t have uniforms, books, notebooks and pens.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City's education department has stepped in to coordinate school placements, with 52 children from one holding center now attending Jan Bikash Secondary School. However, the temporary nature of their housing and the lack of basic necessities mean that the anxiety for these children and their families persists. Parents, while relieved their children can study again, remain worried about the long-term implications of their displacement.
I don’t even know where we are going to live.
From a local perspective, this situation highlights the critical need for more comprehensive social support systems to accompany urban renewal projects. While development is necessary, it must not come at the expense of vulnerable populations, particularly children. The international media might focus on the evictions as a matter of urban planning or human rights, but for Nepalis, it's a deeply personal issue affecting the future of our youngest citizens. The challenge lies in ensuring that development benefits all, not just a select few, and that no child is left behind due to circumstances beyond their control.
Other students have uniforms. Coming to school would feel better if I had uniforms.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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