EDUCATION NEWS IN NEPAL
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred on October 17 and had its epicenter in Ramidanda, Jajarkot, Nepal, caused massive damage to the country’s infrastructure, including schools. This has forced many schools to temporarily close and relocate their students to makeshift learning centers.
To ensure the continued education of Nepalese students, temporary learning centers have been established using tents in areas where school buildings were damaged. These centers, numbering 213 in total, have been spread across the affected district.
Taraprakash Pun, the head of the Education Development and Coordination Unit, provided an update on the situation, stating that while some learning centers are operational, others are still under construction, but the classes have already started all over the district. The most severely impacted municipalities, Aathviskot Municipality and Saniveri Rural Municipality have accounted for 139 and 74 learning centers, respectively.
In municipalities where the earthquake did not cause significant damage to school buildings, such as Musikot Municipality, Chaurjahari Municipality, Triveni Rural Municipality, and Banfikot Rural Municipality, education has resumed within the existing school structures.
Schools reopened on Monday following a month-long closure due to the earthquake. The earthquake severely damaged 53 of the 64 schools in Aathviskot Municipality, affecting a total of 252 classrooms and 76 toilets, according to Ravi KC, the mayor of Athaviskot Municipality.
The earthquake directly impacted 9,847 students in the municipality. Eleven students and one office assistant tragically died in the earthquake. Although education has resumed in most parts of the municipality, temporary learning centers are still under construction and are expected to be completed soon he mentioned.
The municipality has provided necessary educational materials to replace those damaged by the earthquake. Construction of temporary learning centers is not yet finished in all earthquake-affected areas. In these areas, the Education Development and Coordination Unit Rukum Paschim has reported that classes are being conducted in the open courtyards of schools.
According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit, the earthquake damaged 544 classrooms and 138 toilets across 180 schools in Rukum West.
The earthquake has caused significant disruption to education in Nepal, affecting thousands of students and forcing schools to adapt to temporary learning environments.
Follow us for more updates. –GURUBAA
