Pashupatinagar, June 7:Suryodaya Municipality in Ilam has earned acclaim as the leading municipality for educational excellence in Koshi Province.

The Principals Association of Nepal, an organisation representing public school principals nationwide, has chosen Suryodaya as the best municipality in Koshi Province for its contributions to the education sector. 

The association announced that the evaluation committee, established to reward the best municipalities, schools and principals for their unparalleled contributions to education, has selected Suryodaya Municipality in Koshi Province.

Chairman of the Association, Sudaam Gautam informed that the municipality would be awarded at the national conference of the association being held in Kathmandu from June 8. 

The municipality will be honoured by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. 

A local level, a headmaster and a school from each of the seven provinces in the country will be declared the best of the year and will be rewarded.

The association stated that the municipality had to meet various indicators to qualify for the award.

In the education indicators, 30 points were allocated for investment in education, 10 points for free and cooperative education, 10 points for long-term planning, 20 points for good practices, 10 points for technology-based operations, 10 points for local curriculum and technology and 10 points for governance.

The committee that selected Suryodaya in Koshi Province as the best municipality includes the Dean of Education at Tribhuvan University, Professor Dr. Chitra Bahadur Budhathoki; Coordinator and former Head of the Education Department (Deputy Secretary) of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ramprasad Subedi; Dhananjaya Sharma, former principal of Gyanodaya Secondary School Kathmandu, and education journalist Prakriti Adhikari.

Suryodaya has implemented various initiatives to make schools technology-friendly, including the Twelve Months Twelve Programmes, daughter-in-law education, mathematics and science exhibitions, child savings account operations and the distribution of identity cards for unmarried individuals. 

According to Yognidhi Bhattarai, Head of the Education, Youth, and Sports Division, the municipality allocated Rs. 44.48 million to the education sector internally in the current financial year.

Suryodaya of Ilam in Koshi, Kauhalabi of Bara in Madhes, Kathmandu Metropolis in Bagmati, Madhyabindu Municipality of Nawalparasi East in Gandaki, Thakurbaba Municipality of Bardiya in Lumbini, Chaurjahari Municipality of Rukum West in Karnali, and Dhangadhi Sub-metropolis in Sudurpashchim have been selected as the best municipalities in their respective provinces for their work in the field of education this year.

Similarly, Rs. 313.3 million has been allocated for a conditional grant.

Rana Bahadur Rai, Mayor of Suryodaya Municipality, informed that the municipality was prioritising the education sector. He stated, “Only if there is improvement in education can other areas be improved.”

Mayor Rai mentioned that although investment in education may not yield immediate results, its long-term impact would be beneficial not only for the municipality but also for the country as a whole.

The city has established a mini math lab in its community schools and has arranged for students to study through digital displays by implementing e-attendance systems.

Nabin Paudel, the technical assistant of the division, informed that more than 11,000 students are studying in 65 community schools and 31 private schools in the city. According to Paudel, 60 per cent of students are currently studying in community schools, while 40 per cent are studying in private schools. 

The municipality has been providing sanitary pads even in private schools. Having been declared a child-friendly city, the municipality is now preparing to be recognised as a nutrition-friendly city.