KATHMANDU, June 23- Nepal Students’ Union (NSU) said Saturday that it would submit 8-point demand proposal to the Higher Secondary Education Council (HSEC) on Monday seeking regularization of the higher secondary education. Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Bishwa Prakash Sharma, President of Nepal Students’ Union said that over 600 +2 level schools in the country have neither qualified teachers nor proper physical management.
“Most teachers in +2 do not possess master’s degree,” said Sharma while Rabindra Adhikari, President of All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU), student wing of CPN-ML said that only 1 per cent of the total government investment on education sector is spend in these schools.
Unraveling a bleak future for +2 due to deteriorating quality of education and a dismal performance of students, Adhikari said, “We want government to invest in +2 urgently.” He also added that the future of the students studying at these schools is at stake.
Speaking to The Kathmandu Post over telephone, Dr Kamal Prakash Malla, former rector of Tribhuvan University (TU) said just a budget of 20.16 million rupees is allotted by the government for 75, 000 students of 681 +2 schools. “What quality do we expect when investment on each student per year is just Rs 217 ?” Asked Malla.
Dr Bidhya Nath Koirala, senior educationist said some of these certificate level schools charge exorbitant fee-range amounting to hundred of thousadn of rupees.
According to Rajendra Dhoj Joshi of World Bank, Education Department, Japanese grants alone provide nearly a 100 per cent of the development fund towards the certificate level and the share of the government is in lesser amount. Fixing a uniform rate of fee, physical management, enrollment of qualified teachers, increased public investment are some of the demands to be presented by Nepal Students’ Union before the Council for Higher Secondary Education Board on Monday.