Education Commission Report draws mixed opinions

Former Minister for Education and Commission’s member Dhaniram Poudel claimed that the report had offered recommendations and plans for reform in education sector and urged the stakeholders and experts for its earliest implementation.

He asserted that since the private sector had also bought the idea of reforming the public school, the report had given a positive message of national consensus.

The report submitted by a 24-member Commission chaired by Minister for Education, Science and Technology to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on January 15 is under study.
The report aims to uplift the quality of education in the public school while it seeks to make private schools more service-oriented.

The report which aims at socialism-oriented education had recommended to orient private schools on service to end the commercialization of education and to enhance quality in the public schools.

Furthermore, the report suggests that the children of those drawing salaries from state coffer should enroll their children in the public schools.

Associations as the Department of Education National Centre for Education Development (NCED) , Nepal Teachers’ Associations, Community School Management Committee among others were positive on the report while umbrella organizations of private schools have expression dissenting views on the report.

Spokesperson at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Baikuntha Prasad Aryal shared that report will go into implementation phase as the report submitted to Prime Minister is returned to the Ministry with directives.

Viswa Niketan Secondary School’s Principal Heramba Raj Kandel said that the report had kindled hope among them and argued that the report had given opportunities the community schools to enhance their education institutions.

Similarly, Nil Barahi Secondary School’s Principal Dr Januka Nepal commented that it was drawn that if the teachers and principals in the community schools were responsible and hardworking, community schools’ reform could be realized.

Commission’s member and educationist Dr Bidyanath Koirala expressed his confidence that the new report would be brought into effect as it had owned the draft of the Education Commission prepared by erstwhile government.

Private and Boarding School’s Organization Nepal (PABSON) Secretary-General Rajendra Baniya said that the report had pose threat to the existence of the private schools as the preliminary recommendation of the report had suggested that the private schools should be converted into a trust. He said that they were prepared to orient private schools on services if commercial rights were granted to them. RSS