Kathmandu - This week the media continued to cover the issue of affiliation to private medical colleges under political pressure. So, the fearful environment for students by the gunmen in Nigeria. A teacher’s arrest for sexual misconduct in Lalitpur also reported. Other matters included the changes made in the criteria of private colleges under financial influence, KMC’s decision for Newari language mandatory in schools, and publication of SEE Exam schedule. 

 

 

- News stated that the Minister of Education forced to sign an agreement secretly (reportedly in his chamber) between Kathmandu University (KU) and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan to give affiliation to B & C Medical College in Jhapa. The matter of affiliation to a medical college falls under the jurisdiction of the Medical Education Commission under the Medical Education Act. The agreement has been reached such that although KU has given affiliation, BPKIHS will conduct programs of academic activities including regulation, monitoring and examination. Officials of KU had expressed that the university is unable to handle more affiliations in medical education, requesting not to pressure for more affiliations. The article also extensively discussed the political context for favoring the private college, against the norm by the PM and the Minister of Education. 

 

- Another news stated that medical education campaigner Dr Govinda KC warned for another ‘Satyagraha’ anytime soon if the affiliation of B & C medical college is not withdrawn. 

 

- Stating similar anomaly news stated that the provision of the guideline has been changed to benefit the private colleges run by foreign education institutions with the connivance of the members of the private secretariat of the Minister of Education and the staff of the ministry.  According to a source, there was an unfair financial transaction between the college operator, some members of the minister's secretariat and the staff of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry to change the schedule 5 and 7 of Foreign Affiliation Directives 2059 in favor of the private colleges.  

 

News continued that most of the private colleges affiliated to foreign universities found to be evading tax under the protection of the Ministry of Education. With the connivance of some employees of the Ministry, the colleges have not been submitting the amount as per the Income Tax Act, 2058 BS. Article 88 of the Act stipulates that 15 percent tax should be deducted and returned to the government when paying investment return and service fee, stated the news.

 

Such action against the legal provision by the government is an act of direct corruption itself. It reestablished the political leaders have failed to realize the importance of education sector to meet the goals of equity and justice as stated by the constitution. The motives of the PM and Minister of Education to utilize the position for political gain publicly, without any hesitation, indicates that education is a far cry without political transformation. 

 

 

- News about the Secondary Education Examination scheduled to be held from May 27 to June 7 this year was reported as usual. Last year, the schools had carried out internal evaluation of SEE-level students for their grades owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. An editorial expressed that the students appearing for the SEE are greatly disadvantaged this year as they had to do online classes to cover the syllabus. How the students in the rural areas, where there is no internet or even a computer, are faring anyone can guess. The writer further articulated that the exam schedule does not give them much time for them to prepare, so they will need to ‘burn the midnight oil’ for the remaining period to get even ‘pass’ grade this year.

 

 

- Dozens of students abducted from a college in northwest Nigeria was reported in the international section of the media. It stated that it is the fourth mass school abduction since December last year. Another news stated that the gunmen on motorbikes stormed a primary school in the northwestern Nigerian state of Kaduna and kidnapped pupils and teachers, which is the fifth school abduction in three months of escalated violence. 

- A piece of news reported that a teacher of the government school was arrested in charge of raping a secondary school girl in Lalitpur, Nepal. 

 

 

- News stated that Kathmandu Metropolitan City has finally fulfilled its long time promise of introducing Newari language in the school curriculum from Grade I to VIII. All private and public schools in the metropolis will now have to teach Newari.  An editorial article expressed that KMC’s decision to introduce the Newari language in the school curriculum from the current academic session is likely to nudge other local governments in the country to follow the suit in teaching a local language. 

 

 

- News of infrastructure includes India constructs school building in Gorkha According to the embassy, the new school building was built under ‘Nepal-Bharat Development Cooperation’. Since 2003, India has taken up over 520 High Impact Community Development Projects in Nepal and has completed 446 projects, of which 50 are in Gandaki Province, including seven in Gorkha district, stated the news. The Government of India funded projects are under various stages of completion/implementation in the province, stated the news. 

 

- The problems faced by students in Kathmandu valley by increasing traffic issues was also portrayed in the media. Students were reported stating their everyday struggle to reach school in the morning due to increasing road traffic problems. National PABSON President was mentioned stating that students studying in schools far from home have to suffer more.

 

Abbreviations:  COVID- Corona Virus Disease, RM- Rural Municipality, TU- Tribhuvan University, KU-Kathmandu University, AFU- Agriculture and Forestry University, MoEST- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, TUSC- Tribhuvan University Service Commission, NGOs- Non-Governmental Organizations, TUSC- Tribhuvan University Service Commission, CDC: Curriculum Development Centre, ECD- Early Childhood Development, SEE- Secondary Education Examination, SC- Supreme Court, VC- Vice Chancellor.

'Education this Week' is a joint effort to analyze the press coverage of education in Nepal’s selected print media published in Kathmandu (Online scanning was stopped due to the shortage of staff time from last week - apologies with the readers). The main aim of this effort is to identify and explain major education issues picked up by the media and give back and foreground 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) between 11-16 March 2021 (26 Falgun-3 Chaitra, 2077) - Editor.

Read this analysis in Nepali : सम्बन्धनको फोहोरी राजनीति !