Expressing serious concern over the increasing violent activities in the schools, the United Systems in Kathmandu on Thursday said it was worried about the government’s plan to locate polling stations in school.
Issuing a statement on Thursday, the UN System, “The UN System expresses its deep concern that the conflict is increasingly damaging the school system in Nepal. We are now concerned about a new threat: the decision to locate 75 percent of polling stations for the February 8 municipal elections in schools.”
The statement further added, “It is a normal practice in many countries to use schools to house polling booths. And in schools in countries at peace, there may be more litter in the playground the next day, the desks and furniture may need to be rearranged, but the school goes back to being a school.”
Citing the announcement of the seven-party alliance and the CPN (Maoist) to disrupt the municipal polls, the UN said, “If the election process takes place in schools, this leaves schools vulnerable to the threat of violence or damage. If schools become a place where the conflict is fought out, then they are no longer safe as places of education.”
The UN reminded that in countries where elections could result in violence, schools can then become the focus or target of that violence. “Nepal does not have enough school buildings at present. Its children cannot afford to lose any more school buildings to explosions.”
Saying that the progress made in the last 10 years to improve literacy and to get more children into school is under serious threat, the UN said that the parties to the conflict – the government forces and the Maoist rebels – have engaged in violent and destructive activities in schools.
“Schools have been caught in the crossfire and have been used as barracks or shelter as well as for political purposes. Their playgrounds have been dug with trenches. Both sides have left explosive devices near school premises, sometimes with fatal results to the children who have picked them up,” the statement read.
The UN also urged all sides to respect the needs and rights of children and keep schools free from conflict.