Kathmandu. For the education of students affected by the Bhotekoshi flood, the government has announced a ``Sure Future Scholarship Scheme'' worth about one billion rupees.
The Ministry of Education and Sports in collaboration with various agencies of the federal government, state governments and local governments and umbrella organizations of private school operators, governmental and non-governmental organizations, has introduced the program with the aim of providing free education to flood-affected students.
Similarly, cooperation with other governmental and non-governmental organizations will also be done. This scholarship program will cover students studying from Early Childhood Education to Class 12. It is said that scholarships will be provided to around 1000 students.
The Ministry has also appealed to the private sector, commercial sector and government and non-government organizations to contribute to the scholarship scheme.
Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel announced the scholarship scheme at an event held at the ministry on Monday. According to the plan, students will be provided with full, partial and residential scholarships along with textbooks, clothes, educational materials, accommodation and food.
In the program, Minister Pokharel praised the social responsibility shown by private and institutional schools during the disaster. He said that the support received from the country and abroad provided more energy and encouragement to the government during the disaster.
"Seeing the helping hands extended, it is felt that the state is not alone. It has given a message that the state should stand strong at such a time," he said.
He mentioned that the education sector has gone above and beyond the institutional responsibility to support during the disaster and expressed the belief that this cooperation will also help in long-term management and preparedness for future disasters and accidents.
Minister Pokharel informed that scholarships will be distributed based on the data of the affected students and the priority will be determined.
The necessary resources for the education of the affected children have been prepared from the private sector. Cooperation will be done with Private and Residential School Organization Nepal (PABSON), National Private and Residential School Organization Nepal (NPABSON), Higher Education and Secondary School Association (HISAN), Association of Pre-School Education Nepal (APIN) and Monteshwari Association Nepal, among others. Other agencies and organizations can also join this process.
Based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Education and Sports, private schools and other supporting organizations are proposed to provide scholarships and necessary physical and educational support to the affected children.
According to the scholarship scheme, priority will be given to children who cannot go to school due to floods, who are financially weak, who have lost their parents or family members or who are out of touch and who need special support.
It is planned to provide facilities such as full or partial scholarship, residential scholarship, school fee discount or waiver, textbooks, clothes, educational materials, accommodation and food to the students based on their needs and justification.
President of Hisan, Yuvraj Sharma, said that a scholarship program worth about one billion rupees has been started for the education of affected children and informed that about 1000 students will be provided with scholarships. He said that the program will be continued in the long term with the support of national and international organizations.
Krishna Prasad Adhikari, president of Pabson, said that the scholarship program was brought in collaboration with five umbrella organizations of private school operators. He said that the program is going to be conducted in coordination with the ministry as part of corporate social responsibility.
The program was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Chudamani Poudel, high officials, Pabson, NPabson, Hisan, Apin and Monteshwari Association Nepal and representatives of the private education sector.
Affected students will be identified based on on-site survey and recommendations from schools, ward offices and local levels. Based on need and justification, full, partial and residential scholarships and other educational and material support will be provided.
On August 10, 15 local levels of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Tanahun were affected by the severe flood in Bhotekoshi river of Rasuwa. The government has declared the local level as a disaster-prone area.
According to preliminary information, 19 schools in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading have been completely and partially damaged by the flood. According to the details, 16 teachers and 217 students are without contact and the learning of 9,742 students has been affected.
