KATHMANDU: The United States has said it plans to invest $5.1 million (approximately Rs 510 million) to establish more than 3,000 temporary learning centres in the districts most affected by the quakes in April and May to restore access to education as quickly as possible.

The US Embassy in Kathmandu today said that more than 1,300 TLCs were already operating at public schools, and 3,200 more would be established in the coming weeks in the 14 most quake-affected districts.

US Ambassador Peter W Bodde today visited Ranidevi Lower Secondary School in Ranibari to observe how a US-funded TLC was providing safe learning spaces for Nepali students and educators.

Bodde spoke with school staff and teachers and visited students. The United States and UNICEF are working together with local partners to support the education sector in response to the earthquake.

‘’These structures are built using materials indigenous to Nepal, such as bamboo, and incorporate durable tarp and corrugated zinc sheets to protect students from rain and wind,” the US Embassy said in a statement today.

Most two-room TLCs accommodate about 120 students during a double-shift school day. These TLC structures can last one to two years.

According to the embassy, with the support in the education sector, more than 148,000 children can have access to safe TLCs, and almost 195,500 children can be provided with learning materials and school supplies.

USAID is coordinating with the UN-led humanitarian education emergency response, which aims to reach at least one million children in the earthquake-affected districts through TLCs, and by providing learning and recreational activities, emergency supplies, and psychosocial support to the teachers.