Fifteen-year-old Bhimsara BK of Bobang-2 in the district left her school three years ago due to the financial hardships.

As she had to support her family, she had quit studies in the third grade. She said her parents have gone to upper hills with cattle and she was also working to earn some money for the family. “My parents will return home only in October,” she said.

Yam Bahadur Kathayat, head teacher at the Gyanodaya Secondary School, said many children from impoverished families are leaving school because of financial hardships.

Like Bhimsara, Subash BK, a third grader, also left school last year. He now works as daily wage workers in the village and helps his family collecting fodder. He said he is supposed to carry out household chores for about  eight months a year as his parents go to the mountains to graze cattle.

Likewise, 14-year-old Lalu BK of Bobang left school after studying in fifth grade. His father Dil Bahadur and mother Punsara also graze cattle in Dhorpatan.

Headmaster Kathayat said children from such families are irregular in classes as they have to support their family and their parents do not pay attention to their studies. He said dur to irregular students, only around 600 attend classes in the summer season whereas the number increases to 900 in winter.  Local social worker Harimaya Gharti said some kids in Bobang and Nisi villages leave their school early as they get married in young age.

Meanwhile, District Education Office informed that around 3.7 percent children are deprived of education in the district. Officials say around 1,500 students from Bobang, Adhikarichaur and Nisi out of schools.

There are 90,000 students enrolled in various schools in the district.

District Education Officer Bishnu Prasad Tiwari said these children will come to the schools if mobile schools are run in Dhorpatan area. Dhan Bahadur Adai, chairman of a village education committees, said though they have are providing lunch to students in schools, it has not been effective to retain them.