Pokhara: Education Minister Dinanath Sharma on Sunday requested the students, who had fled the Lumle based Bal Mandir Secondary School in Kaski allegedly following ill-treatment and physical torture by teachers, to return to school.

Assuring that action would be taken against the guilty, Minister Sharma requested the students to go back to school as the final examinations are just around the corner.
“It is government´s responsibility to punish the teachers who mistreated students. But, the students must return to school,” said Sharma, adding that the government funded Public Educational Cooperative Program (PECP) cannot be moved to another school.

As many as 68 students of the school from grade five to seven have been awarded scholarship under the PECP in Lumle VDC. The students on March 4 had fled the school hostel saying they could no longer stand mistreatment by the teachers.

Minister Sharma also urged the guardians, school administration and the locals to persuade the students to go back to school. He also said that the scholarship program would have to be dismissed if the concerned parties do not help students return to school.

“Without held from all, we might be forced to close the program for good,” said Sharma. “A probe committee will be formed immediately to investigate the incident. We will take action against the guilty,” Sharma added.

Locals say that the incident took place due to the inaction on the part of school administration. Kul Bahadur Gurung, a guardian, said the scholarship program should not be dissolved at any cost.

Dayaram Subedi, the school principal, who was suspended following the incident, said that incident occurred due to failure to address minor problems on time.

source: republica,10 March 2013