Kathmandu, 14 October (H.S.): The Government of Nepal has launched an initiative to develop the physical infrastructure of public schools, aiming to further strengthen the growing interest among students and parents in government-run educational institutions. Under the plan, 109 large public schools across the country that have demonstrated better academic results and enrol more than 2,000 students each have been prioritised for infrastructure expansion and modernisation.

Education and Sports Minister Sasm it Pokharel described the initiative as a historic step towards transforming the education sector. A total budget of NPR 6.54 billion has been allocated in the current fiscal year to strengthen the infrastructure of these schools.

According to Sasm it Pokharel, NPR 5.34 billion has already been released for 89 schools under the first phase of the programme. The funds will be used to accelerate the construction of three-storey school buildings, each comprising 12 rooms and equipped with modern facilities.

Each building is expected to cost approximately NPR 60 million. The proposed facilities will include modern classrooms, well-organised laboratories and well-stocked libraries. The minister said the initiative would help provide students with a safer, better-organised and more effective learning environment.

Minister Pokharel noted that while some government schools have the encouraging problem of accommodating large numbers of students, others continue to struggle with declining enrolment. He emphasised that the government was equally mindful of both realities.

“We are aware of this disparity between schools. To address it, we have begun improving infrastructure at larger schools,” the minister said.

The initiative is intended to strengthen public education by improving school facilities and creating a more conducive environment for teaching and learning. The government hopes that better infrastructure will help sustain public confidence in government schools while addressing differences in educational capacity across institutions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar