Banking News – Minister for Education and Sports Sasmita Pokharel held a courtesy meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru on Thursday, where the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the education sector.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of Education and Sports in Singha Durbar, focused on the long-standing friendly relations between Nepal and Japan, shared interests, and opportunities to expand collaboration in education and other areas.

During the meeting, Minister Pokharel, who also serves as the Government Spokesperson, expressed confidence that the historic and trust-based relationship between the two countries would continue to deepen. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving Nepal’s public education system, acknowledging that while challenges remain, addressing them is the first step toward meaningful reform.

The minister said the government has already begun assessing the physical infrastructure of schools, which will serve as the basis for future budget allocation. She added that the ministry is prioritizing improvements in school infrastructure, educational facilities, and teacher training.

Pokharel also identified several areas for potential cooperation with Japan, including safe school infrastructure, digital and smart learning, teacher professional development, and school health and nutrition. She noted that Nepal could also learn from Japan’s emphasis on discipline and cultural values in school education.

Ambassador Maeda Toru reaffirmed the Japanese government’s continued support for Nepal’s efforts to reform public school education. He stressed that sustainable improvement requires long-term political commitment, an effective civil service, and strong institutional governance, and said Japan stands ready to support such initiatives.

He highlighted the importance of teacher training in improving education quality and suggested that relevant institutions effectively utilize professional development programs for teachers.

The ambassador described Nepal’s education reform initiatives as commendable, emphasizing that their benefits should ultimately reach the general public. He added that policy stability, administrative efficiency, and infrastructure development would further encourage Japanese private-sector investment in Nepal.

Maeda also pointed to significant opportunities for expanding Nepal–Japan cooperation in information technology, including digital infrastructure development, skilled workforce training, innovation, and investment promotion.