Kathmandu, September 3
At least 217 students and 15 teachers remain out of contact following the floods in Rasuwa, according to preliminary data collected by the Department of Education.
Nilkantha Dhakal, director at the department, said the initial assessment showed that 217 students and 15 teachers associated with educational institutions in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading have not yet made contact.
The floods have also damaged school buildings and other physical infrastructure in the affected districts.
Both community and institutional schools have suffered partial and complete damage, while the department is continuing to collect and update detailed district-wise information on the losses.
The Ministry of Education said relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes would be based on verified figures once the damage assessment is completed.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Sports is considering a ‘big school’ model for rebuilding schools damaged by the floods.
The ministry held discussions with representatives of the Nepal Education Group on the impact of the recent disaster on the education sector, post-disaster rehabilitation and its priorities for the coming period.
Minister Sasmita Pokharel said rebuilding schools in flood-affected areas under a larger-school model could be more practical.
She said such schools could incorporate residential facilities and school buses, allowing students from affected and surrounding areas to continue their education even where smaller schools have been severely damaged.
