BHOJPUR, NEPAL, FEBRUARY 13th 2025 – A Cross-Sectoral Municipal Meeting was recently held in Bhojpur to bring together key municipal stakeholders and discuss Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) challenges in public schools. The meeting aimed to introduce an ongoing research project to municipal leaders and explore potential collaboration opportunities to enhance education quality in the region.
The event commenced with an introduction, welcome session and a comprehensive overview of the project, detailing its objectives, school sampling process, indicators, past activities, and future plans.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting:
- Education is vital for national transformation and is becoming increasingly necessary.
- While private schools are operating efficiently, many community schools are facing mergers due to declining student enrollment.
- Bhojpur Municipality requires an in-depth assessment of education privatization, as more parents are opting for private schools over public institutions.
- The project holds significant potential to be scaled across all 44 schools under Bhojpur Municipality.
- The Municipality expressed readiness to collaborate with LIKE Lab to improve education quality in Bhojpur and beyond.
Mayor Kailash Kumar Ale emphasized that this initiative could serve as a foundation for nationwide educational transformation. Furthermore, the principal investigator of the project, Dr. Binayak Krishna Thapa elaborated on the CVEC project, providing updates on its progress and highlighting the broader societal significance of education.
The Deputy Mayor of Bhojpur Municipality also addressed the gathering, stressing the importance of education in today’s world and the role of the CVEC project in Bhojpur. Key takeaways from her remarks included:
- The CVEC project should actively collaborate with the Deputy Mayor, all 12 ward chairs, and the Women and Children Development Officer of the municipality.
- The Municipality is fully committed to partnering with Learning, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (LIKE) Lab to enhance education quality.
- Bhojpur Municipality currently allocates Rs. 4,500 per child per month for education, yet learning outcomes remain low, necessitating further research and intervention.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment among stakeholders to work together toward improving public education in Bhojpur.
