4157 schools across the country have been selected for the Presidential Educational Reform Program. A meeting chaired by Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Devendra Poudel on Monday selected the schools to run the program.
According to the Ministry of Education, 4-room buildings will be constructed in 976 selected schools and two-room buildings in 966 schools. Similarly, 2106 schools will have ICT lab management, 88 technical labs, and 21 new technical schools.
A sum of Rs. 3.6 million will be provided for the construction of the four-room building, Rs. 1.8 million for construction of two-room building and Rs. 650,000 for ICT lab management.
A total of Rs. 705.96 million has been allocated to 21 schools for lab management and teaching assistance grant for new technical schools and a sum of Rs. 880 million has been allocated to 88 schools for strengthening and upgrading labs in technical schools.
In addition, Rs. 336 million will be provided for the 14 schools that were left out for lab management in the last fiscal year.
The President has allocated Rs. 7.85 billion for educational reform. Minister for Education Devendra Poudel said that the remaining Rs. 1.38 billion will be allocated to the local level schools after selecting the schools. “We are in the process of managing the physical infrastructure and ICT of schools across the country,” said Minister Poudel.
13 thousand 473 schools from 737 local levels of the country had sent proposals. Of them, 7,986 schools had applied for building construction, 4,235 schools had applied for ICT labs, 117 schools had applied for the new technical stream, 188 technical schools had lab management and 947 schools had applied for fence playgrounds.
Distribution to each province
Most of the school buildings are to be constructed in the province. According to the details of the provincial distribution, 4 room buildings in 198 schools, two-room buildings in 179 schools, ICT management in 349 schools, technical labs in 24 schools, and seven new technical schools have been selected.
Similarly, four-room buildings in 195 schools, two-room buildings in 137 schools, 281 schools in ICT lab management, 18 technical lab schools in 18 schools, and three new technical schools have been selected in Lumbini.
In Madhesh Pradesh, four school buildings have been selected in 180 schools, two-room buildings in 197 schools, ICT lab management in 235 schools, technical labs in five schools and four schools have been selected for the establishment of new technical schools.
In the far-western states, 141 schools have four-room buildings, 179 schools have two-room buildings, 270 schools have ICT management, eight schools have technical labs and one school has been selected among the new technicians in the school.
Choodamani Poudel, director-general of the Center for Education and Human Resource Development, said that no budget has been allocated for the construction of buildings in 14 districts of the earthquake-affected Bagmati province.
In 14 districts other than Chitwan and in schools not built from madrasa, gurukul, and earthquake, 22 four-room buildings, 12 two-room buildings, 491 ICT labs, 18 technical labs, and 4 new technical schools have been selected.
Similarly, 4-room buildings, 125 two-room buildings, 255 ICT labs, and 13 technical labs have been selected in 130 schools in Gandaki.
In Karnali, four-room buildings in 110 schools, two-room buildings in 138, ICT labs in 225 schools, two technical labs, and two new technical schools have been selected.
Karuna Thapa
