Kathmandu, July 16: Japanese Ambassador Maeda Toru, paid a courtesy call on Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmita Pokharel, today.
During the meeting held at the Ministry in Singha Durbar, the two sides discussed the friendly bilateral relations between Nepal and Japan, shared interests, and ways to further strengthen multidimensional cooperation. They also exchanged views on potential areas of collaboration in the education sector in the coming days.
On the occasion, Minister Pokharel, who also serves as the spokesperson of the Government of Nepal, expressed confidence that the historical, friendly, and trust-based relationship between Nepal and Japan would become even stronger in the future.
Stating that the government is committed to improving public education, Minister Pokharel said, “There are challenges in reforming public education. Acknowledging those challenges is the first prerequisite for reform, and the Ministry of Education and Sports is fully committed to addressing them.”
He noted that while it takes time to realize the returns on investments made in education, the process of reform and transformation must begin immediately. Accordingly, the government has initiated an assessment of school physical infrastructure.
Based on the findings, budget allocations will be made according to the needs of schools. He assured that the ministry would prioritize areas such as physical infrastructure, educational facilities, and teacher training.
Minister Pokharel also highlighted potential areas for cooperation with the Government of Japan, including safe school infrastructure, digital and smart learning, professional development of teachers, school health, and nutrition programs.
He further stated that Nepal could learn from Japan’s practice of teaching culture, values, and discipline to students from the school level and could implement programs to promote cultural values, ethics, and a spirit of cooperation among students.
Referring to changing circumstances, the minister said the government is moving forward with new ideas and reforms and is ready to collaborate with Japan in areas of mutual interest.
Japanese Ambassador Toru expressed confidence that the Government of Japan would continue supporting Nepal’s efforts to improve public school education.
He emphasized that long-term political commitment, a capable bureaucracy, and trust in the overall system are essential for educational reform and good governance. He added that Japan would provide the necessary support for such initiatives.
Ambassador Toru also stressed that establishing good governance throughout the education system requires sustained long-term commitment to successfully reform public education.People’s News Monitoring Service.
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