The Ministry of Education is going to provide psycho-social counselling to students in the first phase after the schools, which have remained closed following the massive earthquake of April 25, reopen on May 15.

Organising a press conference in the capital today, Ministry of Education officials said, “Since students are still in a state of trauma due to the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks, it is not possible to start teaching the students immediately after the reopening of the schools.”

Bishwo Prakash Pandit, Secretary, MoE, said, “Many students are still in shock due to earthquake. So teachers need to bring them together and help them for the first couple of weeks to help them recover. Teachers must engage in the psycho-social counselling of students.”He said that schools will engage students in sports, musical activities, interaction and extra curricular activities.

Hundreds of school buildings have been damaged by the earthquake and the ministry has been doing the groundwork to set up temporary learning centres, he added.

According to the Department of Education, a total of 15,003 classrooms have been fully destroyed, 4,389 have received major damage and a total of 5,553 schools have been affected by the earthquake in 45 districts.DoE has enlisted 14 districts such as Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading, Gorkha, Makawanpur, Sindhuli, Okhaldunga and three districts in the Kathmandu Valley as worst-hit districts.MoE has also asked the stakeholders not to compromise with the safety of students.

Hari Lamsal, Spokesperson, MoE, said schools buildings in the earthquake affected districts should not be used for teaching learning activities unless they are given the green signal by the engineers about their safety status.He added that the government has already decided to provide certain amount to schools in affected districts to create conducive environment for resuming classes.

Schools have been urged to approach respective District Education Offices, he said.“However, private schools need to manage funds on their own,” he added.

source:the himalayan times,12 may 2015