Technical stream education being run in community schools has reached the point of possible closure due to a shortage of students. The government started technical stream education from Grade 9 in community schools in BS 2070 with the objective of providing skill-based education to students.
Under this stream, students from Grade 9 study technical subjects in a manner different from the general stream. Various subjects under engineering, agriculture, and biology are taught up to Grade 12. After passing Grade 12, students can enroll in a bachelor’s level program in the related subject and compete for government service jobs equivalent to the fifth level.
The government had launched this program from the school level to ensure easy access to technical education for citizens. After the country entered federalism, a policy was also introduced to open at least one technical stream school in each local level. The 16th Plan, which is currently under implementation, has also prioritized the expansion of technical stream education.
However, after the schools currently in operation themselves reached the point of closure due to lack of students, a debate has begun over the relevance of the policies and programs previously adopted by the government.
With permission from the Center for Education and Human Resource Development under the Ministry of Education, 435 community schools across the country are running technical stream education from Grades 9 to 12. In addition, one more school is operating with permission from the province, and 33 additional schools are operating with permission from local levels.
Among the schools operating with the Center’s permission, two schools have already closed. The schools that are still operating are also in a dilemma over whether to continue classes after facing a shortage of students.
According to a study conducted by the Center, among the schools running technical stream education, each school enrolls an average of 26 students in Grade 9. By the time those students admitted in Grade 9 reach Grade 11, only an average of 15 students remain. According to the Center’s data, 11 schools running technical stream education have fewer than 14 students. A quota of 48 students has been fixed for Grade 9 admission in all these schools.
Students enrolled in the technical stream from Grade 9 are not allowed, after the SEE, to enroll in any subject in Grade 11 like students from the general stream. Because of this, it has been reported that the number of students studying Grades 11 and 12 from the technical stream is negligible.
Anaprasad Nyaupane, Director General of the Center, said many schools have already informed the Center that they can no longer run technical stream education. According to him, the Center provides schools running technical stream education with Rs. 15,000 per student annually through the local level and a lump sum of Rs. 200,000 for laboratory construction.
Nyaupane said that although the schools currently in operation are facing the problem of student shortages, many schools are still submitting applications to the Center seeking permission to run technical stream education.
At present, the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) is also running technical stream education. At the time, the government had been criticized for running the same type of education in community schools in parallel with the education being run by CTEVT. However, the government continued this educational program, saying it was intended to expand technical stream education among citizens.
CTEVT has been running technical stream education and training by preparing separate curriculum structures targeting those who have passed or even failed the Secondary Education Examination (SEE). In community schools, however, the curriculum has been prepared for Grades 9 to 12, and students are enrolled accordingly.
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