Five Secondary Schools in Gulariya to Be Declared Three-Star
Within Gulariya Municipality of Bardiya district, five secondary schools are set to be declared three-star schools. Among them, Nepal Rastriya Shambhu Saran Secondary School, Khairapur, has already been declared three-star, while four other schools are in the process of being declared.
Dhruva Secondary School, Tulsipur is scheduled to be declared three-star on Mangsir 27; Gaurishankar Secondary School, Dallapur on Poush 1; and Banglamukhi Radhakrishna Tharu on Poush 4. The date for Nepal Rastriya Secondary School, Bhainsahi has not yet been fixed.
The government introduced a procedure in 2074 BS with the aim of improving drinking water, sanitation and hygiene at school level and maintaining the quality of school education.
According to Deputy Mayor of Gulariya Municipality, Savitra Gautam, preparations are being made to declare the schools as three-star because they have met the standards set under the Government of Nepal’s School Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Procedure 2074.
She said that, in line with the government procedure, the municipality has developed its own School Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Procedure and set standards for school water, sanitation and hygiene.
Based on that municipal procedure, schools are monitored and assessed. When a school secures 30 marks in the third-star category, the Social Development Committee of the municipality decides to declare it a three-star school.
At the three-star level, schools must have safe and accessible drinking water and toilet facilities proportional to the number of students, proper solid waste management, facilities for handwashing with soap and water, a flower garden on the school premises and arrangements for day-time snacks.
In addition, schools must promote improved hygiene behaviour and maintain a repair and maintenance fund for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.
In Bardiya, in accordance with the government procedure and with the collaboration of BASE Bardiya, five local levels—Gulariya, Barbardiya, Thakurbaba and Madhuwan municipalities, and Geruwa Rural Municipality—have prepared and implemented a School Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Procedure.
Out of 33 schools where the procedure has been implemented, 11 have already met the standards and been declared three-star. Preparations are underway to declare five more schools, according to BASE Bardiya Project Coordinator, Jadidish Prasad Chaudhary.
With financial support from WaterAid Nepal and technical support from Nepal Contraceptive Care Centre and the National Federation of the Disabled, Nepal, the organisation BASE is implementing the WASH Gains Project.
The project is working to maintain school drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in the district in line with the Government of Nepal’s standards.
Bardiya School News