On a typical day at the women’s jail in Kathmandu, every inmate occupies herself with a different activity, whether it be knitting sweaters, soaking up the sunshine or buying vegetables in the courtyard. And in a separate room, a group of middle-aged women gather to learn the alphabet.
Among them is Pyuthan’s Chuma Pun, 28, who is enrolled in Grade 1 at Sundhara’s school inside the women’s jail. Imprisoned two years ago on drug charges, Pun’s only aim to learn is to be able to write to her daughter and two sons. “I have not been able to share my feelings with my children. I want to study because I want to write to them about this,” shares Pun, who claims nobody has come to visit her since she has been jailed.
Chini BK from Dhunche, who was sentenced to 8 years on charges of trafficking, says she still does not know what was written on her chargesheet. “The police read it out to me quickly, and I gave my thumbprints wherever they asked me to. It was then that I realised the importance of education,” she shares.
A total of 59 students are enrolled in the school from Grade 1 to Grade 5, but because classes only run until the fifth grade, many women repeat examinations to remain in class. BK, for one, claims to have taken Grade 5 examinations twice.
Resources are also a problem for education within jails, as Sapana KC, the 28-year-old principal of the school, knows well. “There are more people interested in studying but they cannot because of the lack of availability of classrooms,” she shares. KC, who was caught on drug charges, has been appointed by the government to the post of temporary primary teacher and splits her salary with four other teachers.
Similarly, Nakhu jail runs a lower secondary school and Central Jail runs a Higher Secondary school, accommodating 242 students. These schools charge no fees up to Grade 10, but have recently introduced a registration and examination charge for 10+2 level.
At Central Jail’s Jagannath Higher Secondary, both teachers and students are prisoners as well. Inmates receive two months cut from their sentence for every year they teach. None of these teachers are trained and they are simply chosen on the basis of their qualifications. The teaching staff consists of 3 convicted of murderer, 6 sentenced on drug charges and 1 charged with rape.
Yograj Pandey is the former principal of the school and was convicted of rape. Pandey received a salary like any other teacher in a community school and used to pay his taxes from inside the jail, where he also completed a postgraduate degree in Accounting and English. “It was my hard work that got me to a leadership role in the school. I tried to search for light in the darkness,” shares Pandey, who was released from jail in February.
Anup Shrestha (Joshi), who has also completed his postgraduate studies in rural development from the inside, will be taking over Pandey’s post. Shrestha, sentenced to 8 years on drug charges, had just finished his Bachelor’s when he was caught. Now, he’s teaching English for the 10+2 level.
“After enrolling in the school, prisoners have changed for the better. Even we, as teachers, have grown,” shares Shrestha.
Sindhupalchok’s Kishor KC, who is in his second year of a MBS after being charged with murder, also shares Shrestha’s sentiments. He says: “Education is going to help us re-establish in the society after we are freed.”
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