KATHMANDU, Aug 5: In course of developing 240 model public schools in the country, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has started selecting public schools from earthquake ravaged 14 districts in the first phase to upgrade them.
“In the first phase, the MoE is selecting 14 public schools from 14 quake-affected districts,” said Naba Raj Rijal, officer at the Planning, Program and Budget Section of the MoE. “The plan of developing 240 model schools is based on the 240 election constituencies as per the Interim Constitution. The selection of schools will be assimilated as per the federal system under the Constitution of Nepal 2016,” he added.
The model schools will have earthquake-resistant buildings, quality education and trained teachers, parks, library, solar back-up, hostel facility, sports ground, toilet, clean drinking water facility and other necessary infrastructures. The government has allocated a fund of Rs 24 million this year to develop the model schools. “The budget will be increased after selection of more schools and as per their needs,” said Rijal.
The government has already selected 11 schools in earthquake-ravaged districts, according to the DoE. “Selection of three more schools is in the process as the earlier applicants did not meet the basic criteria set by the government,” said the DoE officials.
Those selected schools are Hanumanteshwor Secondary School, Kavre of Dolakha; Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School, Bidur of Nuwakot; Prabha Secondary School, Kattike Deurali of Kavrepalanchowk; Bagh Bhairav Secondary School, Thokarta of Sindhupalchowk; and Janapriya Secondary School, Hetauda of Makwanpur.
Similarly, the other selected schools are Kalika Himalaya Secondary School, Dhaibung of Rasuwa; Nilkantha Secondary School, Dhadingbesi of Dhading; Rumjatar Secondary School of Okhaldhunga; Mahendra Secondary School, Kunur of Gorkha; Janasewa Secondary School, Panga of Kathmandu; and Shree Padma Secondary School, Durbar Square of Bhaktapur.
Lawa Deo Awasti, acting secretary at the MoE, said that the ministry is working to develop highly equipped and qualitative model public schools like Budhanilkantha School of Kathmandu. “A total of 240 public schools will be upgraded as model schools throughout the country,” he added.
According to the MoE, the Department of Education (DoE) has started formulating the guidelines in a bid to streamline the development of the model public schools. The guidelines will be formulated by mid-November, said the MoE officials. “The selection of model schools will be completed in about two years.”
There are 34,806 public schools and some 6,000 private schools across the nation.
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