KATHMANDU - The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST – also implies the Minister in context) has made public, six years after the Compulsory and Free Education Act 2075 was passed the draft of Action Plan to implement the Act and asked for necessary suggestions, the news published. MoEST invited suggestions on the Action Plan that has 15 major strategies and 15 major actions for implementing the Universal Basic and Compulsory Education, mentioned the news. It is mentioned in the Action Plan that an additional budget of almost 223 billion Rupees (also put US$ 171million) will be needed in this year's budget to make arrangements of 50 thousand more teachers needed, infrastructure needed to be developed, teachers needed to be provided with incentive allowances, etc. in order to implement the plan, quoted the news. 

Our comments on this issue

It was necessary for the MoEST to make an action plan for the implementation of the 'Compulsory and Free Education Act'. The provision of the Constitution of Nepal that education up to secondary level is free has not been implemented yet despite the fact that in less than 5 years, or school-aged children should have through Basic Level i.e. grade 8. It bars a citizen to take up any formal responsibilities and even services from the state can be prohibited. Of course, there are some complicated issues that hinder the implementation of Free Education. One of them is how to deal with free education in for-profit private schools.

Does the arrangement made by the Constitution applies only for children studying in public schools? How can children realize the right to ‘Free Education’ in private schools? The perspective of the government is not clear. None of the governments wish to deal with the issue of private schools. Further, it is known that most private schools’ proprietary lies with the political leadership especially the ruling coalition’s UML that shares both premiership and education ministry at the moment. Report of the High Level Commission that prescribes private schools to go non-profit in 5 years was not even made public in five years!

Without adequate funding from the government the issue of Compulsory and Free Education can also create problems in existing public schools. Comparatively better-performing schools have been managing necessary expenses by collecting fees from the students (in strict legal sense from the parents as ‘support to schools’). There is lack of teachers, inadequate physical infrastructure and little operating expenses in public schools. The MoEST itself has concluded that 50 thousand teachers are insufficient. It is doubtable that the government will be ready to increase the budget to the level that the Action Plan required. 

How long will the political parties continue the 'populist sloganeering' of implementing Free and Compulsory Education, which even ‘developed’ countries have not dared to implement? It should be noted that manifestos of almost all political parties have vowed for making education free if not compulsory. Stipulating in the constitution was collective expression of such sloganeering. If the national parties are not ready to accept the reality of quality of public schools has been destroyed in the name of Free Education, it seems that it will be difficult to improve public education.

The system of paying fees for those who can and free for those who cannot is also considered appropriate from social justice perspective. Not every student needs free education! Nor present definition of ‘free education’ enables children from low-economic strata to attend school. It would be appropriate for the government to pave the way for schools to partner with parents to manage the expenses. It is not a bad idea to welcome parents’ contribution in this action plan as well.

It was reported that the MoEST has set the 'Motto' (Slogan) of this year's Education Day as 'Knowledge, Science, Skills, Enterprise, Originality, Partnership and Systemic Equivalence'. On the day of the promulgation of the Compulsory and Free Education Act, the government is celebrating Education Day on September 18.

It was reported that the MoEST has prepared an integrated draft of the Technical and Vocational Education Bill. MoEST Bidya Bhattarai claims that the current ambiguities in technical education will end after this bill is passed by Parliament.

There was report that the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives is making efforts to make a political consensus on the School Education Bill. It was mentioned in the news that the members of the committee said that consensus among the political parties is necessary to advance the Bill as the MPs had different opinions on some of the main issues in the Bill registered in the House of Representatives in August last year.

In a question asked by MP Ashok Kumar Chaudhary in the meeting of the House of Representatives, it was reported MoEST Bhattarai responding that the parties should not only express their commitment to stop party interference in the university, but should also be ready to implement it.

In Tribhuvan University and its affiliated campuses, criminal activities including threats, beatings, vandalism, lockouts, etc., are carried out under the guise of student associations, MoEST Vidya Bhattarai demanded security arrangements with the Home Minister through social media saying that there is insecurity, the media published. After MoEST herself asked for security because of the increased 'security threat' in the University, the news came out quoting Kathmandu Police Chief Basant Rajaure that plain clothed police have been mobilized in the University.

Concerning the issue of the appointment of Tikaram Gautam, who is second in rank, instead of Pasang Sherpa, who is the first in rank on the basis of seniority, as the head of the Department of Sociology, Yogendra Rawal, a member of General Committee of the ruling party Nepali Congress, threatened the officials of the University, the news quoted. The Executive Council of the University had appointed associate professor Dr. Pasang Sherpa as the head of Sociology Department, news came citing Rector Prof. Dr. Khadak KC.

There was news that the examination center of Saraswati Campus in Thamel has been canceled after a non-examiner entered the post-graduate level examination venue of the University and assaulted the teacher. Kinga Sherpa, a central member of a student organization close to the ruling Communist Party of Nepal - UML, entered the examination venue and assaulted teacher Bhim Subedi, who was the examination invigilator, news mentioned. There is CCTV footage of that incident, the news quoted. 
Similarly, Free Student Union (FSU) President of Padmakanya Campus Jyoti Paneru sent FSU Secretary Bhupeshwari Air on a visit, the infuriated group of other faction of the President vandalized the office of Assistant Campus Head Bimala Nepal, news published. There was news about clash of student cadres of ruling parties. The cadres of Nepal Student Union affiliated to Nepali Congress were beaten by the cadres of the student organization affiliated to UML in the central campus of the Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan. 

Acting Heads have been in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Institute of Medical Sciences (IOM), the Faculty of Education, and the Institute of Engineering without proper procedure who had their tenures ended, the news mentioned. 

The University Grants Commission has asked for applications from Campuses of TU and TU affiliated Community and Private Campuses for claiming to be the best campuses, news published.

The Chancellor and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, while speaking at the 15th meeting of the Midwest University, instructed to make the curriculum accordingly as technical and vocational education contributes to the upliftment of the country, news quoted. In the 29th Convocation Ceremony of Kathmandu University, 2,314 students including 242 from 19 countries were initiated.

There was news that the MoEST has again called for renewal of educational consulting service, preparatory class and language teaching related companies. Earlier, only 875 companies renewed within given period on the call for renewal till June 30th.

The National Examination Board will release the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) supplementary examination results by Dashain (October 1st week). The exam was conducted from 7th to15th of August.

Even after 7 years have passed since 'Chhaupadi' system was declared a punishable crime by the law, Saraswati Basic School of Panchdeval Binayak Municipality of Achham, girls and female teachers have faced ‘undeclared restrictions’ from coming to school when they are menstruating. The news quoted Hariprasad Timilsaina, the Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC), as saying girls and women are prohibited from entering the area during menstruation as there is a Timilsaina Clan Temple outside the wall of the school premises. There are 36 female and 30 male students in the school; the dignitaries of the society have been making fear of ruining their lives to ban the girls from coming to school during menstruation, news mentioned.

Our comments on this issue

In the Hindu society of the hills of Nepal, there is a taboo that women should not be touched in menstruation period (normally 4 days and for 11 days of giving birth to babies). The period is taken as an act of sin bestowed by the God to women and they should not be touched. Women are secluded during the menstruation in Chaupadi or in isolated shackles. It has been 7 years since the system of confining women in Chhaupadi was declared a legally punishable act.

A place like a school where the reproductive knowledge should be imparted and awareness should be developed against such baseless taboo such acts should not be allowed.  Awareness should be expanded in the society that menstruation is just a regular process of the female body.

There was news that there is a dispute in Shaheed Dharmabhakta Secondary School of Kamal Rural Municipality (RM) of Jhapa after the Municipality and the SMC appointed separate persons as the Head Teacher.

150 Nepali youth who went to Russia as students in search of work are stranded in Moscow, the news published. They couldn't go to university regularly because they went to earn money. Due to irregular attendance in the University, their visas could not be renewed and they were stranded, the news mentioned.

It is emphasized in Lhakpa Sherpa's article published in Gorkhapatra that the children of people of all levels and strata can have access to quality education, which is part of the socialist oriented education policy of the state.

Uddhav Pyakurel wrote an article arguing that Kathmandu University (KU) can be an option for students who want to study abroad while giving reference that KU has been the choice of foreign students.

Prof. Dr. Bidyanath Koirala has written an article about teacher management in Ratopati news portal suggesting options for solving the problems shown from various sides. Where there are insufficient teachers, can we arrange for mobile teachers? Can we use radio, television, online, YouTube, Facebook, recorded classes, etc. to teach using the same method all over the country? Can we arrange to learn from a local expert? He has suggested alternatives in the style of questions in the article.

The purpose of this news review is to classify and synthesize the educational content of the week and provide objective comments from the point of view of social justice and creative pedagogy to the policy makers and stakeholders in one place. In this joint effort of Center for Education Policy and Practice (CEPP) and Edukhbar, the news of daily newspapers Kantipur, Gorkhapatra and The Himalayan Times, online news portals Online Khabar, Setopati and Ratopati and Himalaya TV and Nepal Television from 17-30 August 2024 are covered – The Editor.

Read it in Nepali : ‘अनिवार्य तथा निःशुल्क शिक्षा’ कार्यान्वयन होला ?

महिनावारी भएका छात्रा र शिक्षिकालाई विद्यालयमा बञ्देज

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