A for army, B for bomb; janabadi schools are back

Published on 7:31:00 AM //

Janardan Ghimire

UCPN-Maoist has announced to launch communist education system, termed janabadi education, in Gulmi.

Raju Gautam, Gulmi district secretary of the All Nepal Teachers’ Organisation affiliated to the Maoists, told that the party had decided to launch janabadi education system in nine schools of the district — three each in three constituencies of the district. However, the authorities of the District Education Office, Gulmi, said such education system would be unauthorised.

Gautam said Sharada Secondary School in Dibrung, Saraswoti Secondary School in Bishukharka, Bhurtung Lower Secondary in Bhurtung, Neta Darling Secondary School in Darling, Janabodh Higher Secondary School in Ranibas, Janajyoti Primary School in Bamgha, Devisthan Higher Secondary School in Ghamir and Chyandanda Primary School and Patakharka Primary School in Darling would boast of janabadi education. He said the same would begin in June.

ANTO stated that it would seek the scrapping of the Education Act 2028 BS and would lobby against the government’s move to hand over the government schools to the community. District Education Officer Chandrakanta Bhusal expressed ignorance about the janabadi schools.

The party has already put in place similar education system in Rukum and Rolpa of mid-western region. The janabadi education system has been in practice since 2001 in Kyansi Model Janabadi Primary School in Morabang, Kyansi, Rukum. According to Balkrishna KC, head teacher of the school, Grades I to VII follow the system. The school also provides scholarship to the children of the Maoist leaders and cadres who lost their lives during the People’s War. Besides regular subjects, the children are taught military science and Mao philosophy. Under military science the students are taught about weapons. Though the children were taught A for army and B for bomb during the period of war, now the children are taught A for apple and B for banana as in other schools. All the teaching staff are volunteers. The school provides education to nearly 300 children.