Policy and Structural Reforms Begin in Education Sector: One-Month Review
Over the past one month, the government has moved ahead with policy and structural reforms aimed at improving the overall education sector of the country.
Reviewing the first month after Education, Science and Technology Minister Sasmit Pokharel assumed office, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said several important decisions had been made. These include keeping the education sector free from party politics, removing the structures of party-affiliated student organizations from school and university premises, improving the academic environment, enhancing quality, and enabling students to obtain the No Objection Certificate (NOC) online.
According to Minister Pokharel’s secretariat, non-political mechanisms such as a “Student Council” or “Voice of Student” will be developed within the next 90 days to ensure genuine student representation as an alternative to party-based organizations.
The government’s 100-point governance reform agenda also states that structures of organizations formed on party lines in educational institutions will be removed within 60 days. The ministry also said that work on the Student Council has begun at Kathmandu University.
As per the recent decision of the University Coordination Committee, all concerned bodies have been instructed not to provide buildings or land for the establishment of student organizations, to remove physical symbols of such organizations, and to repeal any legal provisions made for that purpose, the ministry said.
For structural reform in the education sector, the ministry said preparations have also been made to remove the mandatory requirement of citizenship for studies up to the bachelor’s level, publish results on time according to the academic calendar, and implement an “alternative assessment system” from the upcoming academic session by ending internal examinations up to Grade 5.
For results-based governance, referred to as “delivery-based governance,” circulars have been issued to universities and the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training to publish examination results within two months from the date of completion of examinations. The concerned institutions are preparing their work schedules. Preparations are also being made to publish the Secondary Education Examination results within a maximum of two months after the examinations are completed.
As per the Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075, the ministry said circulars had been sent to all local levels to ensure that institutional schools compulsorily provide scholarships, and reports on the matter have already been received.
The ministry also said circulars had been issued to provide employment opportunities, skill development, psychosocial counseling, and rehabilitation in government, public, and private sectors for families and citizens affected by the Gen Z movement.
To develop Nepal as a hub for wellness tourism, the Curriculum Development Centre has also been instructed through a circular to follow the policy and principles of wellness tourism while revising the existing curriculum and textbooks.
Students going abroad for study will now be able to obtain the foreign study permit, the “No Objection Certificate” (NOC), from home. The NOC Branch under the Education Ministry has recently completed API integration between the NOC online portal and Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University to make the NOC certificate faceless, meaning physical presence is not required. An agreement with KU had already been signed earlier. With this, students will be able to apply for the NOC online from home.
In line with the government’s announcement to establish autism model schools in all seven provinces to provide accessible, simple, and effective services to children with autism, a technical committee has been formed to prepare a concept paper through coordination among various ministries so that the program can move forward effectively.
School News College News Education News