Kathmandu -  The most covered news this week was medical matters including the affiliation to B & C medical college and Dr KC’s threat to another fast unto death, MD studies in Jumla begins, MBBS students returned from China after facing challenges to complete their internships due to COVID. Other matters included access, epidemic, higher education, infrastructure, donation and fearless environment. 

 

 

- News stated that medical education reform activist Dr. Govinda KC warned to start another fast-unto-death ‘Satyagraha’ demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Oli and officials of Kathmandu University and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences if affiliation was granted to B&C hospital against the law. Officials of the academic institutions have been warned by the PM to take action against those who refuse to give affiliation, Dr. KC was reported sharing through a press meet. He was also reported stating that the Prime Minister was violating the Kathmandu University Act, the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Act and the Medical Education Act in order to give affiliation to his political partner. 

 

- News stated that Karnali Institute of Health Sciences has started offering graduate studies (MD) in medical science in Jumla. 

 

- Another piece of news stated that the MBBS students who returned from China during the Covid pandemic are facing challenges to complete their internships. A total of 152 students from different universities have started a sit-in at the Nepal Medical Council demanding internship security. They are demanding to complete the remaining internship in Nepal as there is no situation to return to China. 

 

 

- News stated that schools in mountainous districts in the country that remain closed for two months during winter season will have to compromise on school days for months in the next academic year. This happened after the government decided to extend the current academic session until mid-June across Nepal due to the months long lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. The schools in mountainous districts begin from February, two months earlier than schools in other districts. This year by the time the government-imposed lockdown in March, the schools located at high altitudes had already conducted classes of the new academic year for two months, while schools in other parts were preparing to hold examinations. But, with the government's mid-February decision extending the current academic year by two months, students of mountainous areas will get additional time to study this year. In the next year, however, students will have to compromise at least four months, two months of winter and two additional months of loss due to extended academic year.

 

- A letter to the editor expressed that students have been facing various problems including learning availability. Shortened curriculum to complete a 220-day class in a short period of time will weaken the educational base of the children and it is important for the concerned bodies to pay attention to bring a planned program with a psychosocial basis that includes parents, teacher and students, expressed the letter. 

 

- News stated that three schools in the southern part of Doti district have been closed for five days after viral fever broke out and spread rapidly among locals in Bogatan Fudsil Rural Municipality of the district. The schools were shut down to prevent further spread of the infection among other students and teachers as well as locals. 

 

 

- A news article stated that the rate of absenteeism has come down after free sanitary pads became available in Saraswati Higher Secondary School, Kuntadevi, Molung Rural Municipality. The principal of Pragati Higher Secondary School, Bhadaure, Chisankhu rural municipality was reported admitting that there is no other provision (such as sanitation infrastructure) for sanitary pads. It further wrote that stakeholders stated that more than 95 percent of the schools in the district have provided sanitary pads but have not paid attention to the management.

 

- A news stated that school children of Labdhi village situated on the Chhimkeshwori hill of Anbukhaireni Rural Municipality, Tanahun are facing problems as they are bound to make a long journey to Kanyadevi Secondary School of Hilekharka for education. They have to walk for two and-a-half hours every day to reach the school. There are 20 to 25 students in Hilekharka-based school. Most of the students who are making a long journey to reach school have voiced their fear of leopards, which have terrorised people residing near the forest in the district. 

 

- A piece of news stated that The National Women Commission has urged the government to run additional classes on violence against women in schools every week in a programme organised by Society of Education Journalists in collaboration with Volunteer Service Overseas Nepal and Aasaman Nepal. Spokesperson of the ministry was reported stating that the government has already brought a master plan of the concept of safer school, and it would be implemented by incorporating the obstacles created by COVID-19.

 

- News stated that the controller of examination of Purwanchal University has been working under tarpaulin for a week as the main gate of the university had been padlocked. It was reported that the issue started when the Vice Chancellor postponed the examination through the executive council on March 9 (Falgun 25) without coordination with the Office of the Controller of Examinations and the Examination Management Committee. 

 

- News on other matters included four schools re-built by India inaugurated in Nuwakot and gunmen opened fire at a minibus belonging to a university in northern Afghanistan today, killing two persons.

 

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 17-23 March 2021 (4-10 Chaitra, 2077) - Editor.

Read this analysis in Nepali : चिकित्सा शिक्षा : डा. केसीको अर्को सत्याग्रह ?