The mayor of Dharan sub-metropolitan city, Harka Sampang has issued a series of controversial statements regarding mandatory volunteering in order to pass school exams.
He took to social networking site, Facebook, to publish the statements saying he intends to implement the rule of not allowing students to clear the examinations unless they contribute towards the development of Dharan city.
The social media post by Sampang has garnered criticism as public say that the post has a threatening tone and can be stressful on students. Netizens have suggested Mayor Sampang not to apply mental stress on children by using such words of enforcing the rule that the children will not clear exam just because they did not volunteer.
In another post, Mayor Sampang, has said that for the development of Dharan city, students of Grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 should volunteer at least 7 days a year. He has further stated that labour volunteering can be done in anything, including sanitation improvement and tree planting.
Soon after, Mayor Sampang wrote another status saying, “Those who are not connected to the soil will sell the soil. Today’s education has made us poor by promising us a fancy desk job while we purchase tomatoes, potatoes and even onions from India.”
On the other hand, Manoj Bhattarai, officer of Dharan sub-municipal education, youth and sports department has said that there is no preparation to make a policy regarding such volunteering.
