Kathmandu - This week media covered follow up on actions on private medical education college fee issue by the government. This week Dr. Gobinda KC also started his 17th hunger strike in Dadeldura. An opinion article this week critically discussed about the use of English as a medium of instruction in Schools. Dhangadi sub metropolis is preparing to run its own technical institute to make it affordable and accessible for all while Ramgram Municipality in West Nawalparasi has determined academic qualification as eligibility to be elected as the chair of community school management committees. Kathmandu metropolitan city has called the administration of private schools to appoint auditors in a month. Government has also declared to that model schools that are accessible to 10 different forms of disability will be built in each province.

-    Dhangadi Sub-metropolis of Kailali district will be the first local body outside Kathmandu valley to run its own technical institute. The sub-metropolis is now preparing to run classes from the current academic session after getting permission from the central government.  The sub-metropolis is preparing to run Dhangadi Polytechnic Institute, a public institution, following an understanding with the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training. According to Dhangadi sub-metropolis Mayor arrangements have been made to ensure studies at a minimum cost. In the first phase, the sub-metropolis will run diploma classes in Hotel Management and Automobile Engineering. There will be 40 seats for Hotel Management and 48 seats for Automobile Engineering. As for Automobile Engineering, while each ward of the sub-metropolis has been granted a quota, one seat each is reserved for the nine districts in the province reported the news story.

-    Ramgram Municipality in West Nawalparasi has determined academic qualification as eligibility to be elected as the chair of community school management committees. The new provision was introduced with the objective of improving the quality of education in community schools. As per the Education Act-2018 and Municipal Education Regulations introduced by the municipality, bachelor’s level education is a must for the post of chair of the secondary level school management committee. This is being done as the education level of the school management committee chairs plays an important role in improving the quality of education the Mayor  was quoted. Based on the new regulations, the Ward Education Committee shall recommend the names of three eligible persons and the Municipal Education Committee shall select one among them as the chair of the SMC. The new regulation shall apply to SMCs after the term of the existing chair comes to an end.

-    The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology today issued a notice in the name of medical colleges affiliated to Tribhuvan University and its constituent colleges to provide 75 per cent scholarship quota in as many as 10 medical courses. The notice also states that colleges affiliated to private universities such as Kathmandu University will also have to allocate 10 per cent scholarship quota for deserving students. But the medical colleges operated with foreign investment will have to allocate 20 per cent scholarship quota for students.

-    The government appointed members of the Medical Education Commission today. According to a press release issued by Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the prime minister appointed the members of the commission. The members of the commission include Vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University, Vice-chancellor of Patan Academy of Health Sciences and vice-chancellor of BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. According to the Medical Education Act, there is a provision of nomination of chairpersons of Nepal Nursing Association and Association of Health Profession Educationists, Nepal as the commission’s members.

-    Dr Govinda KC had accused the government of appointing Dr Bhagawan Koirala as head of the Medical Council on political ground. He was quoted stating that political appointments like this in a sensitive body such as the Medical Council can’t be accepted. He also claimed that such acts in universities have given grounds for the mafia to play. Dr. KC started his 17th hunger strike in Baghkhor, district headquarters of Dadeldhura. Dr KC issued a press statement stating his seven-point demand, which include implementation of the agreement related to Medical Education Act, ending the process of appointing university officials on the basis of political affiliation in support of a fair appointment process as recommended by the Parashar Koirala-led committee, return of extra fees charged by medical colleges and scrapping of the decision to increase medical tuition fees and number of seats at the behest of mafia.

-    Kathmandu metropolitan city has called the administration of private schools to appoint auditors in a month. It has stated that if the schools fail to appoint an auditor, the municipality will itself appoint auditors for schools. It also also call on all government and trust schools to submit its reports on status including details of students and teachers. It has also warned schools to be restricted from registering for class 8,9, and 10 exams if the school fails to submit the details on time.

'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 and Himal Weekly(Nepali) between Oct 30-Nov 5, 2019 (Kartik 13-19, 2076) - Editor.

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