Kathmandu, Sep 8: Nepal’s Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel and Information and Communications Minister Dr. Bikram Timilsina jointly inspected flood-affected areas to assess damage to schools and educational infrastructure and review the impact of the devastating Bhotekoshi River flood on students and learning activities.
The ministerial team visited several educational institutions and public facilities affected by the August 26 flood, which caused widespread destruction and disrupted normal life in parts of the country.
The inspection began at the Education Development and Coordination Unit in Bidur and was followed by visits to flood-affected areas of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School.
The team also inspected the holding centre and community multipurpose building at Nyureni Sundari Secondary School, Kabard Hall in Bidur, Chandrayoti Secondary School and the building of Annapurna Panchakanya Primary School.
The visit focused on assessing not only physical damage to school buildings and educational infrastructure but also the disruption caused to the day-to-day functioning of schools and students’ ability to continue their education.
During the field visit, the ministers held discussions with local government chiefs, elected representatives and officials from concerned agencies to understand the difficulties being faced by schools, teachers and students in the aftermath of the disaster.
Pokharel said the inspection was aimed at understanding the condition of flood-affected schools and the impact of the disaster on students and educational infrastructure.
The ministers also discussed measures needed to help affected schools resume educational activities and ensure that students do not fall further behind because of the prolonged disruption.
The Bhotekoshi River flood, which struck on August 26, affected 15 local-level units across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Tanahun districts. The government has already declared the affected local-level areas as disaster-hit zones.
Preliminary estimates indicate that 19 schools in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts suffered complete or partial damage, highlighting the scale of the impact on the education sector.
The disaster has also raised concerns over the safety and whereabouts of teachers and students. Sixteen teachers and 217 students remain unaccounted for, according to preliminary figures.
The catastrophic flood has disrupted the learning process of an estimated 9,742 students, putting additional pressure on authorities to restore educational services and provide necessary support to affected communities.
Timilsina said the field inspection was focused on understanding the challenges confronting schools and students following the disaster and identifying ways to support the restoration of educational activities.
The ministers also deliberated with local stakeholders on steps to ensure that schools can restart functioning as soon as conditions permit and that affected students are able to return to their studies.
The government’s assessment of the education sector comes as relief and recovery efforts continue in the flood-hit areas, with authorities facing the twin challenge of repairing damaged infrastructure and ensuring continuity of education for thousands of affected children.
