Around two dozen community schools in Sindhupalchok district have started distributing textbooks at students’ doorsteps. This move was initiated so as to give continuity to studies through home learning, said Krishna Tiwari, headmaster of Saraswati Secondary School in Barhabise.

School teachers have started visiting each student’s home to distribute books of grade 1 to 10. Subina Tamang, a 6th grader at Saraswati Secondary School, said, “Although the school has been closed for two months now, I started continuing my studies at home after receiving textbooks. Our teachers came to our homes and distributed new books. They also suggested reading some chapters for the time being.”

“We met with the parents and distributed books to the children. We have also requested the parents to support their children for home studies,” said Tiwari.

There are three municipalities and nine rural municipalities in Sindhupalchok. Some of the schools in the district have coordinated with the local units to distribute books while some have taken initiatives to run ‘Gaughar Abhiyan’, a campaign aimed at creating a suitable environment for children to study at home.

Kumar Timilsina, a local of Ramche with two school children, said he is happy with the school’s decision to distribute books at their doorsteps.

“I take out time to help my children through their coursework. My children have also shown interest in studies after receiving the new textbooks,” he said.

Prithvi Jung Pandey, a teacher at Mangalmai Secondary School in Tripurasundari Rural Municipality, said, “Around 500 students from remote Piskar village have also received books. They can now stay at home and study.”

Despite the schools’ drive to distribute textbooks to their students, education experts say it’s difficult to create an environment for teaching and learning at home in the villages.

Helambu, Bhotekoshi and Indrawati rural municipalities are making preparations to create an environment in remote villages where children can stay home and learn.

Banshalal Tamang, chairman of Indrawati Rural Municipality, said, “We are going to make a blueprint of teaching-learning methodology in the villages to be implemented until schools reopen. We will move ahead by adopting methods that will make home studies effective.”

Meanwhile, Krishna Subedi, chief at the District Education and Coordination Unit in Sindhupalchok, said, “Currently, schools have started distributing books at students' doorsteps. We have been discussing with local units and school management committees to find out ways to continue studies in the present situation. It’s time to develop a new model of education during this time of pandemic.”

There are around 65,000 students in 528 community schools in Sindhupalchok.