Schools reopen, attendance poor

Govt. to arrange psychological counselling for students

Children sing the national anthem as they start their class, a month after the April 25 earthquake, in Bhaktapur, Nepal on Sunday.

Schools which had been ordered shut by the government re-opened on Sunday but the attendance of students was poor in many of them, reports said. Sunday is a working day in Nepal.

According to Ministry of Education, the schools reopened in many earthquake-affected districts except in places where the entire school building or classrooms were destroyed by earthquake of April 25 and aftershock of May 12.

A number of schools would initially be run in temporary classrooms or under tents until the classrooms are rebuilt. The government has already announced that it would arrange for psychological counselling of teachers and students.

After the earthquake of April 25, the schools were initially closed until May 14. However, then government extended the closure when a massive aftershock rattled the affected districts again, on May 12. Many private schools in the Kathmandu Valley and in towns outside held discussions with parents a few days before Sunday. An estimated 12,000 classrooms were damaged in the earthquake.

Meanwhile, police said the death toll in the earthquake and aftershocks reached 8,693 and the number of injured was 22,494. The police also said 276 including 80 foreigners, were still missing.

Reuters adds

Aid workers said over 4,500 education centres will have to be built to accommodate students who have been forced out of their classrooms by the earthquake. UNICEF says $24.1 million was needed to set up the learning centres, train more than 19,000 teachers and volunteers on psychosocial support.

All-party meet inconclusive

Unable to agree on the order of tasks ahead, a meeting of the major political parties on Sunday decided to entrust top leaders to seek a solution on issues related to new Constitution and national unity government.

Attended by top leaders of Nepali Congress, CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist), UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi Morcha, a front of Madhes-based parties, the meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence decided to explore all possible means to resolve disputes, reports said.