Exploring the Experiences of Girls regarding their Irregularities in School: A Case Study of Chitlang

Abstract

In Nepal, the reach of education to people and children is increasing, and progress has also been made at the government level. However, many children, especially girls in rural, semi-urban, and even in urban areasas compared to boys,still cannot go to school because of various reasons. This study attempts to explore the real experiences of girls regarding their irregularity in school in their own words anddiscover the reasons whygirls have less attendance at school and how they experience their irregularity, even in a semi-urban area. This study is guided by two designed research questions, which are as follows: 1. How do the girl-students experience their school irregularity? 2. How do the girls describe the reasons for irregular school attendance? This study applied qualitative method and case study approach to gather in depth information through open-ended questions from the participants as a source of data collection. Theoretically, the study encompasses an intersectionality lens to explain the various reasons that lead to the girls’ irregularities. These include socioeconomic aspects like poverty, employment, seasonal migration, etc.; cultural aspects like early marriage, parents’ and teachers’ attitudes, gender discrimination, etc.; biological aspects like menstruation, sickness, etc.; and physical aspects like lack of clean toilets, lack of water, lack of awareness, etc. The main findings of this study reveal that irregularities of girls at school have caused them to experience discouragement and even feel like dropping out of school because of continuous failure in exams, lack of support from teachers and parents, and bullying from friends. This study also found out that those girls in semi-urban areas are still discriminated, less supported, and confined to household chores. Thus, this study concludes that these reasons might lead to more dropoutsand even to the incompleteness of primary education of such girls in the near future. Therefore, this study suggests some relevant policy implications for the concerned institutions, the educational authorities,and the government to include investments in bettering school facilities, safety precautions, transportation options, as well as awareness campaigns challenging gender stereotypes and highlighting the importance of girls' education in all regions of Nepal. The conclusion of this study also recommends that teachers, parents, and the school department should be concerned for thebetter education of the children.