Madhesh Dialogue on Higher Education Reform Begins

High-Level Dialogue on Higher Education Reform and National Qualifications Framework Begins in Madhesh

The Ministry of Education and Sports, in collaboration with UNESCO Nepal, has launched a two-day high-level dialogue in Simara, Bara, focusing on higher education reform and the National Curriculum/Qualifications Framework.

The program, titled “Higher Education Reform and National Qualifications Framework: The Future of Higher Education in Madhesh Province,” has brought together federal lawmakers, provincial government and university officials, representatives of local stakeholder bodies, civil society members, government policymakers and experts. Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel is also scheduled to participate.

Participants in the dialogue include University Grants Commission Chair Prof. Dr. Khadga Bahadur KC; Education Ministry Secretary Chudamani Poudel; Chief Advisor to the Education Minister Shailendra Jha; Tribhuvan University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa; Purbanchal University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Sujan Babu Marahatta; Rajarshi Janak University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shyam Narayan Labh; and Kathmandu University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bibek Baral.

Subject experts are scheduled to present working papers during the program, followed by group discussions. In the first session, UGC Chair Prof. Dr. KC presented an overview of the state of higher education in Madhesh Province.

The second session is focusing specifically on the higher education “footprint” in Madhesh Province, including the impact, imprint and presence of education in the province. Rectors from Tribhuvan University, Purbanchal University and Rajarshi Janak University are presenting on the subject.

The third presentation will examine the Education Ministry’s vision for higher education in Madhesh Province and the kind of support expected from the provincial leadership to put that vision into practice.

According to Education Ministry Joint Secretary Jayaram Adhikari, the dialogue will include detailed district-level discussions on the potential for higher education, existing problems and possible areas for improvement.

A major focus of the program is the National Qualifications Framework, particularly the integration and certification of knowledge and skills acquired through formal education, non-formal education and skills-based learning.

Joint Secretary Adhikari said important aspects of the National Qualifications Framework include enabling movement from one form of education to another, improving mobility within education, and developing systems for credit accumulation and transfer.

The system, which has also been given priority in the Education Ministry’s bill, is intended to bring within the national qualifications system people who did not have access to compulsory basic education, those who obtained education through alternative pathways, and individuals who acquired skills through traditional means.