In the eight districts of Province 2, 200,000 children who ought to be in school are outside of it. Why are so many students denied education even as the constitution says ‘compulsory’ and ‘free’ education is their fundamental right?
-Kalpana Bhattarai : Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal
When the government announced the temporary capitals of the seven provinces in January, two contrasting events unfolded in the two major cities of Province 2. While there was celebration in Janakpur, voices of protest reverberated through Birgunj. The city, which considered itself worthier for the title than Janakpur, was angry.
Childen sitting for exams at Hanumandatta Bishwonath Public Secondary School, Madhawa, Manarasiwa Municipality-10, Mahottari. All three buildings are unfit for students.
Both the cities have reasons to feel that they deserve the title more than the other. But one figure puts both the cities to shame. Both Janakpur of Dhanusha and Birgunj of Parsa—the two cities in contention to host the capital—have a dark record when it comes to sending children to school. These two cities are where the most children are out of school in the country.
