A newly constructed four-room building, handwashing stations, toilets, and drinking water facilities were handed over to Siddhartha Basic School, in Lahan Municipality-8, Siraha, during a special ceremony on Thursday.
According to City Mayor Mahesh Prasad Chaudhary, the four-room school building was constructed by the municipality under the President's Educational Reform Program for Rs 4.5 million. Additionally, sanitation and water structures, excluding the main building, were constructed for Rs 1,753,178 through the "The Beacon Project," which operates within the municipality. Partners in this project include WaterAid Nepal, Nepal Water Supply Corporation, Lahan Municipality, and Dalit Janakalyan Yuwa Club.
During the handover ceremony, Mayor Chaudhary emphasized that physical infrastructure is the primary prerequisite for improving the quality of education in community schools. "Quality education is not possible without improving the physical infrastructure of community schools. The municipality has placed high priority on the education sector to ensure students' rights to study in a safe and child-friendly environment," he stated. "Now that the physical structures are ready, this school will also begin conducting classes in English medium."
School Principal Sudha Chaudhary recalled the significant challenges previously faced by the school's approximately 200 students due to weak infrastructure. According to her, the lack of toilets previously forced students and teachers to go outside, while a lack of drinking water often compelled students to return home, problems that have now been fully resolved.
Lahan Municipality has recently been expanding digital and physical facilities through initiatives such as "One School, One Computer" and "One Classroom, One Fan." Meanwhile, the Beacon Project reported that it has provided over 1,500 students in various Lahan schools with access to clean drinking water and more than 1,100 students with managed toilet facilities.
