Education department renews MoU with 17000 ft Foundation for five more years

The State Education department has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 17000 ft Foundation for a further five years. The renewal is aimed at strengthening education in remote and frontier areas of Sikkim, with a focus on making learning more inclusive and improving overall school quality.

Focus on infrastructure, teachers and digital learning

Officials said the partnership will continue to support government schools through sustained work in school infrastructure, teacher development, digital learning, and community participation. The department linked the renewal to positive results from the previous five-year period and said it wants to deepen these efforts for children in difficult-to-reach communities.

Principal Secretary Dr. Sandeep Tambe highlighted the foundation’s work in Sikkim’s remote and tough terrains and said the Education department will provide all possible support. The MoU was signed in the presence of School Education secretary Tashi Chophel, State project director Samagra Shiksha, and other officials and foundation representatives.

During the earlier MoU period, the joint work covered more than 100 government schools in Gangtok, Pakyong, Mangan and Soreng districts. The department said the partnership helped improve school infrastructure, supported library activities, and created outdoor spaces for children. It also cited teacher capacity building and greater community participation, along with personalised and adaptive digital learning facilities.

Expansion to Gyalshing district

The renewed agreement marks a new phase of the collaboration. It includes expanding activities to the Gyalshing district, so similar interventions can reach more schools and children across the State. The department said the work will continue around safe, child-friendly learning, improved classroom practices through training, and digital initiatives to bridge gaps in remote locations.

Since 2012, 17000 ft Foundation has been working in India’s remote Himalayan frontier and border regions by partnering with State governments to support public education. The Education department said the foundation has reached children, teachers, and communities across Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh through work in government schools. Under the renewed MoU, both sides reiterated their goal of ensuring that geography does not limit education quality for children in frontier areas.