DoE seeks Rs 4b to run schools
KATHMANDU, MAY 16 – The Department of Education (DoE) has sought Rs4 billion from the government for the temporary arrangement of classes in earthquake-hit public schools.
The quake on April 25, followed by strong aftershocks, destroyed at least 15,100 classrooms of around 6,000 schools in 45 districts. The DoE has said that in order to resume the classes from
May 29, cash should be released immediately so that Temporary Learning Centres (TLC) can be set up on time.
It has said that over two thirds of the sum is required to establish the TLCs while the remaining money will go to teaching materials, stationery, debris clearance and clean-up.
The DoE, having developed a model TLC to be constructed out of bamboo and tarpaulin, has directed its subordinate bodies to strictly follow it. The estimated cost for each TLC is Rs100,000. “We can’t resume classes without constructing temporary huts three weeks before monsoon sets in,” said DoE spokesman Joint-secretary Khagendra Nepal. The department has already decided to provide up to Rs300,000 per school from the 15 worst-hit districts.
A team from the Education Ministry has found public schools have suffered losses amounting to Rs25 billion, affecting 2 million students.
According to institutional school associations, over 500 private schools also have collapsed while an equal number of buildings have suffered major damage in tremors. They have also demanded government assistance claiming that scores of schools are not in a position to resume classes unaided.
“A number of private schools have lost everything in the disaster,” said Lachhe Bahadur KC, chairman of the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal.
“They are not in a position to run the classes without support from the government.” He asked the government to ensure soft loans to such schools.
Posted on: 2015-05-16 09:49
