Every parent aspires to enrol their children in a school to receive formal education. But circumstances often prevent families from fulfilling this dream. This is true for families of nine children of Drogsar chiwog in Monggar’s Saling Gewog. These children are unable to attend formal education as schools are located far from their community. This has left the parents deeply concerned about their children’s future.
Sonam Yeshi is eight years old. Children his age would normally be studying in second grade in places where access to school is not an issue.
Sonam and his friends are seen playing and loitering in the village.
The village’s extended classroom closed in 2022, depriving these children of the opportunity to attend school.
Worried, parents tried their best to get help, but to no avail. They were told to send their children to Kidikhar and Nagor, which have boarding facilities.
The helpless parents felt their children were too young to be sent to these schools, which are almost 40 kilometres from the village.
So, the children stayed back in the village. The older ones help their parents herd cattle in the forest. There are nine children aged 7 to 11 who do not go to school.
“I want to go to school, but we don’t have any school here. It will be nice if we have a school here,” said Sonam Yeshi.
Tagyel, a parent said, “Our village is far from both the suggested schools, almost 40 kilometres from here. It is not convenient and children will not go to far flung places. We fear that they will remain like us, illiterate. As parents, we are really worried about their future.”
“We approached the gewog and district administration and the ministry as well. However, we have not received any help so far. Now, my son is eight years old and I cannot send him to school. We are unable to accompany our children to places where there are schools because if we did so, there would be no one on our farms and our homes would remain empty,” said Tshering Wangmo, another parent.
Leki Wangdi, also a parent said, “Earlier, when the extended classroom was not closed, our children went to school, and there was no issue. They learned the basics here and gained exposure. After completing class three, they were willing to go to other higher schools that had a boarding facility. We are asked to send the children straight to boarding facilities, but they won’t listen.”
“I had to send my children to boarding school at a very young age after the school in the village shut down. It will be convenient if our school can be reopened,” said Dorji Wangmo, another parent.
According to district officials, the village does not have enough children to keep the extended classroom running.
The village needs at least 20 children to have an extended classroom.
This means Sonam Yeshi and his friends will have to choose between leaving behind their families for boarding schools or risk growing up without a formal education.
Namgay Wangchuk, Monggar
Edited by Phub Gyem
