School Education Bill and the Role of CTEVT
To ensure the constitutional provisions related to education, a proposed School Education Bill is currently under discussion. This bill outlines three major streams within school education: general education, technical and vocational education, and traditional education.
However, the bill makes no mention of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Council (CTEVT) Act or its associated responsibilities in managing technical and vocational streams. These forms of education require a specialized governing body due to their unique nature, objectives, and operational methods.
Need for Distinct Management Structures
Globally, successful education systems manage different streams—general, technical, and traditional—under separate frameworks. Each stream demands a distinct policy, legal framework, leadership, and infrastructure to meet its educational goals.
Thus, along with the proposed bill, it is essential to revise and integrate the existing CTEVT Act to continue supporting technical and vocational education effectively.
Nature of Technical and Vocational Education
Technical and vocational education provides individuals with specific skills, knowledge, and practical competencies. This type of education is skill-based and closely tied to particular trades, professions, or technologies. It often requires collaboration with industries and the use of dedicated technical infrastructure.
In Nepal, CTEVT has been responsible for promoting and managing technical and vocational education for over three decades.
Inclusion in the National Framework
The proposed bill recognizes general, technical and vocational, and traditional education as streams under secondary education. Including technical and vocational education in the national structure is a milestone.
However, the bill does not clearly define the role of CTEVT, despite its long-standing institutional experience. This omission risks creating a dual structure and confusion in governance.
Local Government and School Establishment
The bill grants authority to local governments to establish and manage schools under national standards. Local bodies can decide on establishing schools, expanding classes, changing names, merging institutions, and revoking licenses.
They are also authorized to approve the establishment of private schools, which must be registered locally and operated without a profit motive.
This structure could create multidimensional pressure on CTEVT at policy, administrative, and implementation levels, as it currently oversees establishment, program approval, transfers, and related actions at the central level.
Defining Special-Status Schools
The bill allows central or provincial governments to establish special-category schools. If technical and vocational institutions are classified as such, they may remain under central or provincial jurisdiction.
For this to be effective, CTEVT must redefine its role as a coordinating body, collaborating with local governments, employers, industries, and factories.
By centralizing policy and empowering local units in execution, CTEVT’s presence and credibility can be extended across all 753 municipalities.
Shift in Examination Structure
The bill categorizes education up to grade 8 as basic, and grades 9 to 12 as secondary education. It states that final exams for grade 8 will be conducted by local authorities, while grade 12 exams will be overseen by the National Examination Board.
This move replaces the century-old Secondary Education Examination (SEE) system at grade 10.
Currently, CTEVT uses SEE results for enrollment in pre-diploma and diploma programs. If SEE is removed, the bill must clearly define a strategy to direct students into technical education streams after grade 8.
Provisioning entry to pre-diploma after grade 9 and diploma after grade 10, along with skill-based learning from basic levels, would ensure a smooth pathway into technical education.
Infrastructure Standards for School Establishment
The proposed national standards for school establishment mandate the following:
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Land registered under the school’s name or legal possession rights
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Child-friendly, environmentally friendly, and disability-friendly infrastructure
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Teaching-learning materials focused on active learning
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Library and science laboratory facilities
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Computer lab and subject-specific trained teachers
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Counseling services, prayer area, and playground
These requirements may directly affect schools established or being established under CTEVT.
Many technical schools lack infrastructure in the institution’s name, including buildings, labs, or disability-accessible facilities—posing significant implementation challenges.
Need for Unified Policy Implementation
For national qualifications to be effectively implemented, technical/vocational and general education must complement each other.
Therefore, clear policy direction, effective governance, and uniform implementation are essential.
To achieve this, the leadership and management of technical and vocational education should remain under CTEVT. It is necessary to revise and integrate the CTEVT Act accordingly within the proposed School Education Bill framework.
