Ramesh Lama, an inmate at Central Jail, was jubilant after passing this year´s School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination in first division. Three weeks on, the initial euphoria has given way to anxiety as the 21-year-old´s dream of pursuing higher studies has been shattered.

Lama, who was brought to the prison five years ago on a murder charge, has to serve another four years as Jagannath High School at the jail does not provide higher secondary level education.

Yadav Majhi, 21, of Sindhupalchowk, who also secured first division, will be able pursue further studies as he completes his five-year term four months from now, but all the other students who passed their SLC from the prison school this year will be deprived of further education.

The school administration said that over 100 SLC graduates, including 29 from this year, will be deprived of further education as Tribhuvan University is phasing out the intermediate level. The inmates could earlier have appeared for intermediate level exams as private students. But +2 colleges do not entertain private students and inmates cannot go out of the prison to attend classes.

The school, which has educated inmates acting as teachers, had a perfect result this year with 15 of the 30 examinees securing first division. It has appealed to the Prison Management Committee to take initiatives to upgrade the prison school to higher secondary level. The prison management, on its part, claimed that it is doing its level best to start higher secondary education there.

"We have requested the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) to give us permission to operate +2 in the prison but to no avail," jailer Bharat Paudel said. "It seems the government does not care about the prisoners´ right to education," he added. Vice-chairman of HSEB Hem Kumar Mishra said he has yet to receive the file on the prison school. “I will search for the file and see if they meet the requirements,” Mishra assured.

Principal of Jagannath High School Indraman Gopali, also an inmate, said Lama made tremendous progress in his studies within a short time and seriously wants to pursue higher education. The school, run in three congested rooms in two shifts, attracts a lot of students including adults over 30. Superintendent of the prison hospital Dr Kedar Narsing KC also urged the government not to deprive the inmates of further education.

Jailer Paudel disclosed that inmates who study in prison are usually not convicted again and give up their criminal ways permanently. "The government should be serious about creating an environment for the inmates to study as this will contribute to society in a big way and also provide relief to the government and security agencies fighting crime,” Paudel stated.

source:republica,4 July 2012