SURKHET, MAY 31
Schools in Birendranagar, Surkhet, are set to be closed for a week starting Sunday due to extreme heat. The decision, prompted by rising temperatures, was made by PABSON, the umbrella organization for private schools.
Today, the temperature in Birendranagar reached around 40°C. It was recorded 41°C yesterday.
The decision was made following the discussions among schools and considerations of the impact of excessive heat on students' health, according to Bed Prakash Dhakal, President of PABSON Surkhet.
Community schools in Birendranagar are also preparing to close. Dhirendra Sharma Lamsal, head of the Education Department at Birendranagar Municipality, noted that while no official decision has been made, preparations are underway. "We are preparing to close the schools in the city with the rise in temperature," said Lamsal. "If it rains and the temperature drops, the schools will not be closed. We will decide to close the schools from Sunday if this situation persists."
The school closure will also affect the polio vaccination campaign scheduled from June 13 to 26. The campaign is planned to be conducted in two phases in Surkhet, covering Birendranagar, Gurbhakot, Panchapuri Municipality, Simta, Barahatal, and Chokune Rural Municipality from June 22 to 25.
Ghan Bahadur Budha, the focal person for the vaccination campaign at the District Public Health Service Office, stated that the campaign is coordinated with schools, and if the schools in Birendranagar close, the schedule will need to be adjusted.
