JUMLA, Feb. 25 -- Sunita Rawat is supposed to be attending school these days. The third grader at Kalika Primary School has, however, has remained absent from school for a long time. Nowadays she is mostly found collecting leafy green vegetable from her family's barley fields.

"This is what my family members tell me to do. If I don't collect the leafy green vegetables, we won't have a proper meal to eat," the 11-year-old from Tila Rural Municipality said. "My school is a bit far, I have not attended it for a month now."

For a month means she has not attended school since the new session started. After taking the final examination of the second grade, she has not gone to school. "I have not gone to school since the new session started. E...