KATHMANDU, July 16: Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru paid a courtesy call on Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel on Thursday, with the two sides discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the education sector.
During the meeting at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Singha Durbar, the two discussed the long-standing friendly ties between Nepal and Japan, areas of mutual interest, and opportunities to expand collaboration in education.
Minister Pokharel, who also serves as the government spokesperson, expressed confidence that the historical and trust-based relationship between the two countries would continue to deepen. He said the government remains committed to improving public education despite existing challenges.
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"Recognizing the challenges is the first step toward reform," Pokharel said, adding that the ministry is fully committed to improving the public education system.
He said the government has begun assessing the physical infrastructure of schools and plans to allocate budgets based on the findings. He also pledged to prioritize improvements in school infrastructure, educational facilities and teacher training.
Pokharel identified safe school infrastructure, digital and smart learning, teacher professional development, and school health and nutrition as potential areas for collaboration with Japan. He also said Nepal could learn from Japan's practice of teaching discipline and cultural values from the school level.
Ambassador Toru reaffirmed Japan's continued support for Nepal's efforts to reform public school education. He stressed that long-term political commitment, a capable bureaucracy and public trust in the education system are essential for sustainable reform.
He highlighted teacher training as a key component of quality education and suggested effectively utilizing education development and coordination units, or other relevant agencies, to strengthen teachers' professional development.
The ambassador described the government's education reform efforts as encouraging and said the benefits should reach the broader public. He also emphasized the need for sustained commitment and patience, noting that meaningful education reforms take time to deliver results.
Toru added that greater policy stability, administrative facilitation and infrastructure development could further increase the interest of Japanese private investors in Nepal. He also said there is significant potential to expand Nepal-Japan cooperation in information technology, including digital infrastructure, technical workforce development, innovation and investment promotion.
