Janakpur – Madhesh Province Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh has called on local governments to take the lead in reforming the region’s increasingly fragile school education system. Addressing the 16th municipal assembly of Aurahi Municipality in Mahottari on Tuesday, Singh expressed deep concern over the declining enrollment in community schools, negligence by teachers and parents, and the growing problem of drug abuse among students.
“Madhesh has historically produced leaders in education, health, and technology across Nepal,” Singh said. “But today, the state of education within Madhesh itself has become alarming. Local governments must now step up and lead the change.”
Singh criticized the prevailing attitude where both teachers and parents assume their responsibility ends once children are enrolled in government schools. “The habit of blaming one another has weakened the quality of education in community schools,” he said.
The Chief Minister also warned that negligence in schools has led to increased drug abuse among schoolchildren. “The primary responsibility for improving education lies with teachers,” Singh stated. “Drug abuse is spreading within school environments, and as a society, we are already late in addressing it.”
Singh didn’t spare private schools from criticism either. “Private schools in Madhesh are more focused on distributing certificates than developing students’ true potential,” he remarked.
He emphasized that both community and private schools require urgent quality improvement. Singh urged mayors, deputy mayors, and chief administrative officers at the local level to play an active role in this process.
During the assembly, Mayor Pradeep Kumar Khadka presented a budget of NPR 452.77 million (approximately 45 crore) for the fiscal year 2082/83.
