Kathmandu, June 17: Taking part in the discussion on appropriation heads pertaining to the Ministry of Education and Sports under the Appropriation Bill-2057 at the House of Representatives the other day, CPN-UML’s Mahendra Bahadur Pandey pointed out the need to give attention to the production of educational manpower as per the needs of the nation and compete globally.

Ramesh Lekhak of Nepali Congress said though the education policy is positive special attention should be given towards removing shortcomings in its implementation.

RPP’s Krishna Charan Shrestha demanded that the government set up at least two to three higher secondary schools in every parliamentary constituency in the country and wipe out irregularities in the sent-up examinations.

Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav of Nepal Sadbhawana Party said education institutions are famous for producing educated unemployed, allocation of quota for teachers has been politicized and that primary education should be carried out in mother language.

CPN-UML’s Mrs Vidya Devi Bhandari and Mrs Asta Laxmi Shakya expressed the view that the government has not increased budget for infrastructure development of education, attention has not been given to improve the quality of education in public schools and that radical changes should be made in the existing education policy in order to produce skilled and qualified manpower for the country.

NC’s Damodar Bastakoti and Shiva Kumar Basnet said free education should be put into practice, emphasis should be given to skill oriented training, education should be freed from politics, pre-primary education should be given special attention and the government should monitor the private schools.

Also taking part in the discussion, CPN-UML’s Mrs Tirtha Gautam, Dr Bansidhar Mishra and Yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi pointed out the need for an extensive improvement in the present education system, an all party consensus towards quality development and management of the curriculum and stop corruption and irregularities in education.

MPs Krishna Kishore Ghimire, Narendra Bahadur Bam and Kailashnath Kasaudhan of Nepali Congress welcomed the programmes introduced to upgrade the standard of education, pointed out the need to keep higher education under the authority of the government and increase the effectiveness of education monitoring and evaluation programmes.

CPN-UML’s Durga Linkha and Chandramani Khanal pointed out the need to give emphasis on technical and vocational education as per the needs of the nation, make sanskrit optional in secondary schools, include experts in the school management committees and fix a specific criteria for opening schools and colleges.

Also taking part in the discussion, CPN-UML’s Gokarna Raj Bista, Nara Bahadur Hamal and Prem Bahadur Singh said the government has not been able to provide physical facilities and sufficient post for teachers in public schools, a concrete education policy based on the reports of the National Education commission and Higher Education Commission should be introduced and that politicisation of the education sector should be stopped.

Likewise, MPs Dr Gopal Koirala, Harinarayan Chaudhary and Mohan Bahadur Basnet welcomed the decision of the government to increase women participation in education and establish a model school in backward areas of every district, teachers should be trained and sportsperson enhancing the pride of the nation should be honoured.

Pashupati Chaulagain of the CPN-UML said that the present education system is unscientific and unproductive, complaining that management of higher education has been ignored.

Keshav Thapa of the Nepali Congress remarked that increase in investment in education, special importance given to education and emphasis given to basic and primary education, non-formal education, vocational education are the positive aspects of the budget.

CPN-UML’s Phatik Bahadur Thapa spoke of the need to provide textbooks to students on time, standardise the curriculum, allow various ethnic group people to have primary education in their own mother tongue and allocate budget for two higher secondary schools in gulmi.

NC’s Gehendra Giri demanded that women teachers at primary schools should be made permanent, 10+2 education system improved, job-oriented education provided at public schools, sports councils opened in districts without delay and schools’ physical condition improved.

Ananda Prasad Pokhrel of CPN-UML complained that dependency has increased in the education sector, the basic primary education programme has been politicised, slc exams is tainted with rigging, fake certificates have been recognized and public schools have been ignored.

Shiv Prasad Humagain of the Nepali Congress urged that there should be uniformity in public and private schools, curriculae be amended from the lower school level, a bill on siddhartha university be brought soon and one covered

Hall in Panauti and Banepa each be built.

Urmila Aryal spoke of the need to monitor and evaluate the literacy programme, provide special schools for dalits and stop political appointment in board of directors.

NC’s Janakraj Giri said teachers’ facilities should be increased in order to make teaching a dignified profession and a polytechnic college and an agricultural university should be opened in far western region.

Rajendra Prasad Pandey of the CPN-UML spoke of the need for the government to be serious about selecting qualified teachers, make effective and transparent slc exams, gurantee rights and interests of employees working at schools, and emphasize technical and vocational education.

NC’s Rajendra Kharel noted that the government is serious about providing quality education for which different programmes have been worked out, teacher quota have been distributed on equal basis and every teacher should admit his children to his own school.

Damber Singh Sambahamfe of the CPN-UML observed that there is a wide gap in the ratio of successful students in public and private schools, education has been commercialised and teacher quota at proposed schools in Panchthar district is inadequate.

Krishna Prasad Dahal of same party complained that school supervisors do not regularly monitor and evaluate the performance of school teachers, and school management committees have been formed in violation of the local self-autonomy act and education regulations.

Mahendra Prasad Yadav, also of the same party, noted that there should be a single organisation for the rights and interests of teachers, arrangement should be made to provide education in mother tongues upto primary level and all parties should take a resolve to remove illiteracy.

Prakash Jwala of the same party observed that the present education system is unlikely to face the challenges of the 21st century, low fund has been allocated for technical and vocational education and more schools should be opened in Salyan district and teacher quota increased.

CPN-UML’s Basanta Kumar Nemwang said as compared with the budgets in the past, this year’s budget for the education sector is less and corruption in education should be stopped.

Ganga Prasad Nepal of the same party noted that emphasis should be given to women’s and vocational education, a regulatory body should be formed for monitoring higher secondary schools, temporary teachers should be made permanent and a covered hall constructed in Sindhuli.

Jagannath Khatiwada, also of the CPN-UML, stressed the need to work out an educational policy which can transform society, enable public schools to compete with private ones, provide educational materials to village schools and increase teacher quota in Udayapur district.