KATHMANDU- There was news that the heads and deputy heads of the Local Governments (LGs- Municipalities, Metropolitan Municipalities, Sub-metropolitan Municipalities, Rural Municipalities) asked the Federal Government not to curtail their rights as provided by the constitution in the meeting of the subject committee held by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST). In the meeting, the issue of universal (free and compulsory) basic education (UBE) and teachers not accepting to be governed by the LGs despite the constitutional provisions got priority in the discussion, mentioned the news. They asked the MoEST not to take any action to take away the right of LGs to manage school level education and to arrange adequate teachers to implement the Compulsory and Free Education Act (CFEA), mentioned the news. The heads of LGs said that free education is not possible until the number of necessary teachers are provided, reported the news. The Heads of LGs demanded to clarify which items are ‘free’ and the roles of all their three tiers of the government, quoted the news. 

Shortly after Ms Bidya Bhattarai took charge of the Ministry, she put forward an Action Plan to implement the Act. The Plan includes the major actions to be taken to implement the law to add 50,000 teachers and to provide facilities and incentives to 160,000 teachers nationwide. It is projected that a budget of 25 billion rupees (around US$ 180m) additional will be needed every year for its implementation. Currently, the Ministry has 191,27 teachers including 100,000 ‘regular’ teachers, ‘relief’ and ‘other’ teachers. It is also estimated that 500 million rupees (around US$ 3.5m) will be needed annually to enhance the capacity of teachers. However, the Plan does not clarify how the responsibilities of the three tiers of government divided and resources shared in the implementation of this Act. In the Plan, a schedule has been prepared of what needs to be done, but it is not clear how and who will implement them. It has been 6 years since the Act was enacted, but it has not been implemented. The concerned doubt about its implementation and fear that it does not end up in a Plan.

In this context, Ramesh Prasad Lamichhane has written an article in the Onlinekhabar news portal with the suggestion that it would be ‘scientific’ to hand over the educational responsibilities from pre-primary to class 5 to the LGs and to the district level up to class 8 and 9 and 10 under the Province and class 11 and 12 under the Union.

His article not only violates the spirit of the constitution but does not take into account the complexity of school management when schools are placed at different tiers of government. Although the word ‘scientific’ is used in his article, the suggestion does not seem scientific. If we do this to make the system effective, we should focus on lower grades. In reality, our education has deteriorated in the lower grades and the higher levels are affected consequently. (With due respect for the expression of ideas) The article exposes the mentality that anyone can handle education at lower grades. Moreover, instead of making an opinion by looking at the present, it is necessary to look at the future. We have seen that in the second election of LGs, more capable candidates were elected than in the first.

The third plenary meeting held on January 29 and 30 of the Nepal Teachers' Federation (NTF) has decided to hold a protest demanding to promulgate federal School Education Act (SEA) as soon as possible, there was the news. A) In the program of the first phase of the movement, they put rectangular red sticker on their Facebook wall with 'School Education Act must be brought in the Winter Session of the Parliament, 2025'; B) Send attention and information letters to all municipalities in the second phase. In every school, teachers will interact with students, parents and the school management committees and inform about the demands, issues and needs of the teachers and staff; 3) And with the slogan that the school education act should be promulgated, programs were announced to hold a vigilance procession with black bands on their hands, the news mentioned. Likewise, a movement mobilization committee is to be formed in every district for the district level program; Attention and information letters will be submitted to all 77 education development and coordination units; and a program has been determined to submit a letter of attention to federal MPs elected from constituencies including all previous agreements made with the government and the federation, also included in the news. According to the news, the NTF has decided to meet the Chief Whips of all political parties and inform them about the movement, and also to the Prime Minister to draw attention and submit an information letter about the movement.

There was another news that the teachers are preparing for another movement for they have been prevented of the transfer due to the Teacher Transfer Guidelines, 2024. Central Struggle Committee of Teachers Deprived of Transfer was formed for the movement, quoted the news. Due to the provision of transfer based on the seniority in the Guidelines, thousands of newly appointed teachers across the country are deprived of transfer, the news mentioned. 

The resident doctors started protesting about the decision of subsistence allowance, there was the news. It was reported that Health Minister Pradeep Paudel and Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai have made a ‘political’ decision to give subsistence allowance of Rs 25,000 (US$ 180)/month to resident doctors and have warned that resident doctors will stage a protest across the country if not given. Resident doctors studying in various private medical colleges staged a dharna (sit-in protest) at Maitighar Mandala and protested the decision of the two ministers, the news mentioned. There was opposition to the decision to provide subsistence allowance at the rate of Rs. 25,000 (US$ 180) in the first year, 30,000 (US$ 216) in the second and 35,000 (US$ 252) in the third year, quoted the news. They demand that the subsistence allowance should be Rs 48,000 (US$ 345) in private medical colleges as well as in the government. 

There was news that the procedures have been revised so that medical doctors can also apply for the Vice Chancellorship of Kathmandu University and applications have been called for the second time. In the revised procedure, the educational qualification is reduced to Master's degree instead of a PhD degree, the news quoted. In the first call, 17 people had applied for the Vice Chancellor position, and 16 applications were accepted. 

There was news that Prof. Dr. Akkaldev Mishra was appointed as the Chief of Central Campus of Tribhuvan University (TU). According to the news, the selection committee had recommended him and Associate Professor Uddhav Sigdel. As Mishra scored more between the two, the Executive Council of the University appointed Prof Mishra on the basis of merit, mentioned the news. 

The Center for Education Development and Research (CERID) of the TU resuming research work after some years' gap, there was the news. There was an agreement between the CERID and the MoEST to investigate all matters of education, the news quoted. According to the news, the Centre will conduct research on policy and planning, curriculum evaluation, student learning achievement test, school performance test, high-level seminars, conference management, school-level examination arrangements, technical and professional education and training, etc.. 
Kitchen and library are functioning in the same room of the Hindi Department of the TU, published the report. There are three cupboards and gas stove on a table in a room, mentioned the report. Utensils are left unmanaged. There are some books on a side. Another room has been used as a classroom. Two students are currently studying in the second semester of MA?, the report mentioned. 

It is difficult to say how justified the reporting on the use of space is. In this news, the space is taken as a prerequisite for the study. However if it is not difficult for the teachers and the students to study, use of the place for two people appears normal. Asking educational questions such as how is the quality of learning,  why there are only two students and since when this is happening would be even more useful. 

There was news that applications have been called for the second time after no applications were received for the posts of Director and Co-director of the Management Faculty of the TU. It was mentioned in the news that the selection committee called for applications for the posts on January 8, but no application was submitted.

It was reported that the Patan High Court has issued an order to provide free higher education to disabled people in public educational institutions. The High Court issued such an order while hearing a writ filed by Mr Madan Rokaya, who is visually impaired, after the Public Administration Campus of TU refused to provide free education, mentioned the report. 

After the Curriculum Development Center (CDC) created a separate group of elective subjects of the languages spoken in Nepal at the secondary level, students will be able to study the language of their choice with other subjects, the news came. According to the news, the first group of optional subjects included mathematics, economics, geography, history, civics, population studies, market science, and environmental science along with language subjects such as Nepali, Maithili, Urdu, Bhojpuri and others as the second. Earlier, there was a provision to take only one subject from this group. After creating a separate group of languages as optional subjects, students will be able to study the both. 

There was news that after the Government of Gandaki Province adopted the policy of including Magar and Gurung as working languages in the Province, Byas Municipality of Tanahun has started training to produce instructors for the purpose of running Magar language classes in community schools. 

There was news that 'Teacher's Diary' has been implemented in community schools in Bhageswar Rural Municipality (RM) in which province, to improve educational quality. The teacher's diary has been implemented for the purpose of helping in the preparation of daily, quarterly and annual plans and record the performance of the teacher, mentioned in the news.

The Bharatpur Sub-Metropolitan  Municipality has given housing allowance Rs. 2000 (around US$ 14) per month to the teachers who teach in hilly areas, there was the news. Out of the 11 schools in Bharatpur-29, apart from Kavilas Secondary School, which is located along the highway, the teachers of 10 schools have been given this facility, mentioned the news.

It has been decided to form a task force between the Ministry of MoEST and the Ministry of Water Supply to prepare a modality for long-term management of water supply facilities and as well as discount the water tariff in public schools, the news reported.  

There was news that the University Grants Commission of India has banned the admission of Ph.D. in some Indian universities for up to five years due to the non-compliance with academic standards. According to the news, Om Parkash Jogender Singh (OPJS) University, Sunrise University, Singhania University of Rajasthan have not followed the academic standards for a Ph.D.   

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 including the environment. It is aimed to the policy makers and stakeholders to help make informed decisions. In this joint effort of the Center for Educational Policies and Practices (CEPP) and EduKhabar, material from daily newspapers - Kantipur, Gorkhapatra and The Himalayan Times, online news portals - Online Khabar, Setopati and Ratopati and Nepal Television and Himalaya Television is summarized and presented with commentary on relevant issues. We have covered the contents from 25-31 January 2025 in this issue - The Editor.