Kathmandu - This week there were very nominal media reports on education. Most noted issue this was about private schools pressing parents to pay schools fees despite government directions to not take any fees at the moment. A news discussed about the fact that the government budget of this year is going to freeze in all sectors including in education due to under spending. News about schools reopening in South Korea with special precautionary procedures was also covered. A news also discussed about the technical glitches and hacks in online classes causing visual disruptions.

 -    A news notified that there was stress among some parents of private schools, as some of these schools that have started classes online are collecting fees for education under different headings.  Schools have been reported to raise fees under the headings of admission, monthly fee, annual fee and internet fee. Education ministry had directed all schools to stop taking fees from parents under any headings except hostel since March. The report stated that private schools are raising fees violating the directions of the government. Some parents had reported the journalist that the school administrations have been pressuring them through phone calls, SMS messages and emails.

-    A letter to the editor had expressed this frustration about the anxiety parents had to go through due to fees collection. The writer also express concern that the school representatives where not only pressing parents regularly through phone calls and emails put also requesting parents to submit fees in their private account. The writer express that when the nation is in lockdown and many parents have lost their regular earnings, and are in uncertainty about fulfilling their basic necessity, pressing them to pay school fees by considering online classes is unethical. The also stated that the government should equally consider about the welfare of teachers in private schools and consider relief packages so, schools would prevent from pressuring parents for fees.

-    This week the media continued reporting about school status internationally. It stated that secondary level schools have reopened in South Korea this week as students started attending regular classes in schools. The news reported that while schools all over the world had been disrupted, South Korea has taken special safety measures, to restart school and this was covered through many international media as well.

This situation has exposed the systemic inequality and financial stress that private education systems create. This will likely impact the perspective about schooling and how privatization of school system can be troubling especially in more difficult times and how it adds to inequality in the society.

-    A news discussed about unexpected hack activities happening is online meetings that have disrupted online meetings including in online classes. These are being titled as Zoom bombing to express visual disrupts in virtual meetings and online classes.

'Education this Week' is a joint effort put to analyze the press coverage of education in Nepal’s selected print media published in Kathmandu. The main aim of this effort is to identify and explain major education issues picked up by the media and give back and foreground of the news. This, we believe, will help policy makers and other responsible people to keep abreast with ongoing concerns and discussions on and around education. EduKhabar, in collaboration with the Center for Educational Policies and Practices (CEPP) , has produced this analysis based on the news printed in Kantipur (Nepali) and The Himalayan Times (English), Dailies between May 20-26, 2020 (Jestha 7-13, 2077) - Editor.

Read this analysis in Nepali : बन्दाबन्दीमा कसरी बुझाउने शुल्क ?

Read last week’s analysis: “Education ministry in coma state?”

All analysis read by this link : Education This week