JAJARKOT: The aftermath of the earthquake on November 3 continues to impact education in Barekot Rural Municipality, Jajarkot district, where 44 schools are yet to open due to severe damages.

The earthquake left these schools in a state of disrepair, preventing over 9,800 students from resuming their classes. While schools in other local levels have reopened, students remain out of schools due to delays in establishing emergency learning centers.

Rural municipality chairman Bir Bahadur Giri expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “Physical damage is severe, though there is no human casualty in Barekot, the epicenter of the November 3 quake. No school building is safe in Barekot.”

UNICEF has taken on the responsibility of constructing temporary buildings for the damaged schools in Barekot. While school buildings in other areas have broken walls, those in Barekot are completely destroyed.

According to Chairman Giri, a total of 317 classrooms across 44 schools in Barekot are damaged, along with the destruction of 119 toilets in the earthquake.

To address the crisis, Giri emphasized that regular classes can only resume after the construction of 173 emergency learning centers. The community faces significant challenges in rebuilding its educational infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for support and resources.