KATHMANDU - There was news that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has put forward plans one after the other in the name of education reform. This has come after the issue of quality improvement was included in the ‘performance agreement’ signed between PM Oli and the Minister Bhattarai, the news mentioned. The MoEST has put forward plans such as revision of curriculum, immediate solution to the problems seen in universities, restructuring of CTEVT, the news quoted.

In the name of quality improvement, the MoEST introduces new plans every time the Minister changes. It is the practice of the government ministries announcing new plans to give illusions of the work done to expectant public. The list of past plans is long; it is difficult to find how is the status of implementation. The indifference in implementing suggestions given by experts continues. In such a situation, it is normal to have doubts about the plans that are brought without reviewing the reasons for the failure of past. Rather than rolling out new plans it would enhance the credibility of the Minister (and the government) for a comprehensive all-encompassing review of the status of education at the moment. 

Although the government has announced monthly salary for teachers in this year's Plans and Policies, it has not been implemented yet, the news published. Since the teachers were found still not to have paid monthly, the Minister Bhattarai requested the local governments to pay the teachers monthly in a programme on National Education Day, mentioned the news.
After the results of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) were poor; the government is preparing to run online classes from the Prime Minister's Office to achieve the target of 70 percent pass rate this year, the news was also published last week.

The news of a few weeks ago that 1,500 early childhood development teachers are going to be given Boot Camp (residential training) has been repeated this week as well.
Apart from this, there was news that the MoEST has instructed the Curriculum Development Center (CDC) to make short-term, medium-term and long-term plans by prioritizing school-level curriculum revision.

(See our comment on curriculum revisions in the previous 'Last Week in Education')

There was news that 57 percent of the participants have passed the grade improvement exam of SEE. Out of 210 thousand participants, 119 thousand have passed in the examination, the news quoted. Among the participants in the exam, around 90 thousand people were ‘non-graded’, means failed, mentioned in the news.

There was news in Gorkhapatra that the teaching of three-year diploma civil engineering subject has been stopped in around half a dozen schools in Dolakha after students did not come to enroll. Only six students have been admitted to the quota of 48 students in Jiri Technical School, Jiri, the news mentioned.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum Reform task force, formed by the government has suggested that teaching of technical subjects should be conducted only after Class 10, there was the news. It is not practical to teach technical subjects to the young age students from Class 9 onwards, mentioned in the report prepared by the task force, quoted in the news. 

Failure of TVET in Nepal dates back to prior 50s. Millions have been spent to no avail but little serious discussion is taken place for the reason behind. Basically, there are two primary reasons can be seen: a) Nepali population does not go to school or university to ‘learn’ but to acquire a degree and enhance or maintain status quo in social hierarchy. Technical education is occupational and somehow associated with caste system. So, well-to-do, have no aspiration to attend a less-academic degree unless it is a stepping stone for higher education such as Health Assistants being able to study MBBS. Worse off, have neither margin of time nor the confidence that such a training will reward them a job. So, this group is also not interested. The left politicians of the rhetoric that TVET would give worse off a job as if studying TVET is only for the poor and well-to-do continue to study the subjects that govern the society and b) is academic – in order to do well also in TVEC, one needs a level of mathematics, science and English. Since those who may have liked to take TVEC, have no mastery in these subjects as our primary schools are in shambles. This is another deterrent. Even less well-to-do thus cannot opt for vocational education. Now everybody is in a hurry to get a certificate and go abroad so that his/her labour is instant source of earning. c) It is still significantly supply driven – not much work is done to create demand for it. Bringing this more closure to the potential candidates and working to inform them may be an opportunity. In fact, as such there is no need for the government to get engaged attempting to deliver TVEC. It can be given to the non-state sector – private companies and even to NGOs. 
These are some of the ideas to ponder. A serious soul search also outside the cocoon of TVEC technocracy may help to address the issue to certain extent. Question is is MoEST or CTEVT ready for it?  

There was the news that names of five people have been shortlisted for the Dean of the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University (TU). From among the applications submitted to the selection committee, the committee has published the names of the shortlisted candidates in an alphabetical order. According to the news, appointment will be made from among the shortlisted people through a process of presentation of his/her plans and an interview. All Prof. Drs. Bholanath Sharma Ghimire, Laxman Paudel, Sangita Singh, Suvarna Shakya and Sushil Bahadur Bajracharya are the shortlisted candidates, the news mentioned.

There was news that all the Padlocks in the Central Office of Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU) in Beljhundi, Dang have been opened after three months. The Coordinator of the negotiation team of the NSU, Professor Yograj Sharma said that all the organizations who have been Padlocking the NSU, opened the lock on Thursday, the news mentioned.

It was reported that the MoEST has instructed Educational Consultancy Companies to follow three conditions: While giving educational consultation, they should also inform about the universities of Nepal, the programs offered in the universities and the opportunities available in Nepal. Similarly, while organizing the educational fair after fulfilling the criteria set by the guidelines, the organizer also follow the condition of, only the institutions that have been renewed can participate and also submit the detail list of the students who have gone to foreign universities in the last year.

The MoEST has instructed the line agencies to get books audited compulsorily, the news published. The MoEST has instructed universities, Centers, Boards, Institutions and Offices underneath to get the finances audited for the fiscal year 2023/024.

The plan of establishing a radio (FM) which has been put forward by Midwest University focusing on the students studying Mass Communication has not been completed yet. The FM has not yet been put into operation, even though it is ready to be established in the fiscal year 2016/017, the news mentioned.

With the slogan 'My education is my question', there was news that the Nepal Student Union has started monitoring the distribution of scholarships to be given by private schools in Dharan Sub-metropolitan City. The union has started monitoring whether the students have received the rights guaranteed by the law or not, quoted in the news.

TU has started the homework to increase the remuneration of checking examination answer sheets, the news published. A meeting of Examination Reform Committee chaired by Rector Prof. Dr. Khadak KC has decided to form a committee to study increment of remuneration, the news quoted.

The Central Office of the Midwestern University has been locked by the Nepal Student Union, which is affiliated to the ruling party Nepali Congress, due to the dispute regarding the elections of the Free Student Union of the University, the report published.

There was news that Mugu has been declared a literate district after four municipalities of Mugu declared it literate.

The 12th General Assembly of the Education Journalist Group has elected a new 13-member working committee under the chairmanship of Ms Nirjala Kakshapati.

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 21-27 September 2024 are covered – The Editor.

Read it in Nepali : शिक्षाको गुणस्तर सुधार्न मन्त्रालयका योजनै योजना !

Read last week's content : Last week in education