In mid-March, all the Government Schools in Nepal rushed to complete the year-end exam foreseeing the effect of COVID-19. But no one knew the school would be closed for so many months at that time. As of the beginning of August, the target schools of FIDR project are still closed.

After imposing nationwide lockdown, the ease down modality was announced by the GoN in mid-June. Though the schools were not included in the activities allowed to open, Municipality and Rural municipality started to coordinate with the provincial government and discussed the plan for the opening of school, ways forward and alternate modalities of learning continuity.

All Municipality and Rural municipality confirmed that schools are publishing and disseminating the results of final examinations of the last academic year. Admission of students and book distribution activities also started for the new academic year that usually starts from mid-April.

Students and parents lining up to collect the school books keeping social distance.
(Pateni Basic School in Dhading district)

While online classes are introduced in some private schools in Kathmandu, Municipality and Rural Municipality started FM broadcasting learning system in the districts. So far this new system seems not effectively working due to lack of radio/equipment at home and poor electricity connection at the villages.

This means that many children are still deprived of learning opportunities. Though the number of COVID-19 infected people are still increasing in Nepal and risk has been reaching to the villages, the teachers started to prepare so that they can receive the children once the school is allowed to reopen.

Observing the situation, FIDR has temporarily halted to implement the project activities at the site. We hope that we can see children happily going back to school soon.

Teachers planting grass for lawn and making school fence.
(Siddhajyoti Harimishra Basic School in Rammechhap district)