Floods in Nepal disrupt schooling for more than 14,500 children — Kathmandu Post
In Nepal, floods on the Bhotekoshi River disrupted schooling for more than 14,500 children in 63 educational institutions in the districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. A total of 9,430 students were directly affected, including those who lost their parents, homes or schools, Kathmandu Post reports, citing an assessment by the country’s Ministry of Education.
Schooling for thousands of other children is being delayed because school buildings are being used as temporary shelters for displaced residents. In 28 of the 29 such centers in the three districts, people are living in school buildings; 22 centers operate in Nuwakot and another six in Rasuwa. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, around 2,000 people are staying in these centers.
Damaged schools and missing students
According to the authorities, following the August 26 floods caused by a glacier collapse, the bodies of 1,409 victims were found. Another 4,089 people are considered missing. The Ministry of Education said that at least 100 children lost both parents, while nearly 500 students enrolled in schools are still considered missing. A total of 1,372 students were displaced by the disaster.
The floods physically damaged 34 educational institutions: 45 buildings containing 268 classrooms were affected. Eleven schools completely ceased operations due to destruction or safety threats, while another four are temporarily closed. The disaster also destroyed 82 toilets and water supply systems, 20 other water sources, 3,232 textbooks, 2,227 sets of learning materials, 4,561 desks and benches, 194 computers and 144 laptops.
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Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot sustained the greatest losses, with more than 3,000 students affected. The assessment records 227 missing schoolchildren and 11 teachers there. Nepal Rastriya Basic School in Timure was destroyed: of its 35 students, 25 are still considered missing, as are six of its 11 teachers.
Temporary classrooms and accommodation for children
The Ministry of Education plans to establish 68 temporary learning centers at destroyed schools. Thirteen such centers have already opened, each designed for 30 students. The authorities are also distributing learning materials, organizing psychosocial support and resuming classes at schools that did not sustain significant damage and are not being used as shelters.
The government is preparing dormitory accommodation for children who lost their parents, cannot reach schools because of destroyed roads and bridges, or live far from functioning educational institutions. The Bagmati provincial authorities plan to accommodate 200 students at Chhetratrapal Secondary School in Likhu, while Uttargaya Rural Municipality plans to place another 250 students at Nilkantha Secondary School. The ministry also announced the creation of a Scholarship Bank fund to provide affected children with full and partial scholarships, including accommodation support.
