The government unveiled plans to establish a central educational fund, called a Scholarship Bank, to guarantee free education through Grade 12 for children displaced or orphaned by last month’s devastating flash floods.
The bank, set up under the education ministry’s Secured Future Scholarship Scheme, will pool contributions from government bodies, private educational organisations, charities, non-profit organisations and individuals into a central fund.
All contributions will be channelled through the bank, the ministry said.
Under the scheme, the government will assess each child’s circumstances and provide support ranging from residential care and full scholarships to partial financial assistance and educational materials. The money will then be distributed according to each child’s needs, the ministry said.
Private schools have already pledged to contribute. Five organisations representing private-school operators have committed to establishing a Rs1bil (RM26.9mil) scholarship fund for 1,000 students affected by the floods.
The organisations said the fund would be linked to the education ministry’s scholarship bank.
The government says children who have lost their parents or other guardians will be given priority, with support tailored to their individual circumstances.
“We are giving priority to children who have lost their guardians,” Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel said.
“We will identify what kind of support each child needs and provide the appropriate scholarship. We will stand by them.”
The ministry has so far identified 9,400 students in 32 schools in the flood-hit districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading as affected by the disaster.
An initial assessment found that 488 students remained unaccounted for and five had died. — The Kathmandu Post/ANN
