A Nepali mother is pursuing the education she once turned away from and is now attending the same school as her son, who is just a grade behind her.
Parwati Sunar, a wife and a mother of two, realized that she shouldn't have left school when she was 15 to elope with a man seven years older than her, then became pregnant a year after, she said to Reuters from the village of Punarbas on the southwestern edge of the Himalayan nation.
She is truly grateful that she has been allowed back to school despite her age and was warmly welcomed in 7th grade and by the entire school community at Jeevan Jyoti.
When asked how she felt about having classmates and learning with children the same age as her son, she responded, "I enjoy learning and am proud to attend with classmates who are like my own children."
The principal of the school village, Bharat Basnet, observed that Sunar is "below average but a keen learner."
Sunar decided to give up her job as a housemaid in India so she could be serious about school. Her goal is to finish 12th grade and, from there, see what's the next step to take.
Son enjoys learning alongside his Mom in School
Resham, Sunar's 11-year-old son who is currently in 6th grade, expresses that he has no problem with his mom attending the same school. He feels good to go to school with his mother, The Gazette relayed.
He enjoyed their regular chats and conversations while walking to school and seemed pleased that they learned from each other. The boy added that his mother dreams of him becoming a doctor someday.
The young classmates of Sunar also do not mind that they have someone in class as old as their mother. One of her classmates, 14 years old Bijay B.K, calls her Didi, a Nepali term for an elder sister, and expressed that it is pleasant and fun to be in the same class with her. "I help her in studies and she helps me too," the young boy exclaimed.
An inspiration to women
Shruti, a schoolmate in the 10th grade and a neighbor, stated that she is doing a good job and thinks she can be a role model in bringing girls and women back to school.
Official data showed that girls' enrolment in basic education, grades 1 to 8, is at 94.4 percent. However, half of these enrollees would drop out due to a lack of books and other school materials and poverty, Krishna Thapa, president of the Federation of Community Schools, explained.
Another alarming reason is the school's lack of infrastructure. Thapa added that most girls would stop attending school once they get their period because there are no available toilets, Yahoo News reported.
Sunar's bold decision and determination could inspire village women who have the hunger and thirst to learn and have an education beyond their domestic environment and culture in Nepal. This can end, if not lessen, women's discrimination and child marriage, which are widespread in the country despite being illegal.
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