Six Small Schools Merged into Larger Schools; Educational Levels of Seven Schools Aligned

Tilotamma Municipality in Rupandehi has merged 42 government schools into 36 under the ‘Big School’ model to improve educational quality. The municipality has implemented a standard requiring at least 15 students per class, integrating smaller schools into larger ones. More than 2,300 students in institutional schools are being provided scholarships through a transparent process prioritizing target groups.

To enhance the quality of government schools, Tilotamma Municipality has embarked on the ‘Big School Model’. Recognizing that schools with very low student numbers result in weaker educational outcomes and ineffective investments, Tilotamma has moved toward this model with larger schools. Currently, over 19,000 students attend 42 government schools, including one Guthii school, while more than 23,000 students are enrolled in 42 institutional schools within Tilotamma.

The municipality has established and enforced standards to facilitate educational improvements alongside school mergers. Under these standards, each class must have at least 15 students. Schools that do not meet this criterion have been merged into larger schools, while those meeting it remain unchanged. In the first phase, six smaller schools among the 42 government schools, including one Guthii school, have been consolidated into nearby larger schools, maintaining a total of 36 schools.

Municipality Chief Ramkrishna Khan explained that the decision to merge schools was based on a report prepared by a nine-member taskforce after two months of on-site study. The goal is to significantly improve the quality of government schools through the Big School Model. Ravi Century, coordinator of the municipality’s Social Development Branch, noted, ‘The distribution of scholarships has been further systematized. Of the more than 23,000 students, over 2,300 will receive full scholarships.’