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Kathmandu Monday June 11, 2001 Jestha 29, 2058.
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Transparency and confusion
With the nation’s attention still rivetted on the
monumental tragedy that overtook the royal palace the other day, not many people seem to
be aware that another crisis is looming. The convulsions that seized the country’s
educational sector a few weeks ago may see a replay if the authorities do not come up with
a lasting solution to the problem. All Nepal National Free Students Union-Revolutionary
(ANNFSU-R) closed down over 8,000 schools for a week in May, with the government looking
on rather helplessly. Some of the ANNFSU-R demands were not very practical. But others
made a great deal of sense even to those with school going children who suffered the most
from the closure. As for the children, there has been another school closure since to
mourn the demise of royalty. If the authorities do not deliver the goods, there may be yet
more days of enforced idleness school-side. In view of what is at stake, another look at
some of the nitty gritty involved would be worthwhile. One of the most contentious issues
is tuition. The ANNFSU-R has been calling for a reduction of tuition fee by 50 percent.
Another is the question of teacher salaries. The quality level of tuition is tied up with
the amount of salary teachers get. There is also the question of school textbooks. And
underlying all this is the disparity between public and private schools. The resulting two
tier schooling system has serious implications for the future of the country in terms of
the kind of educated manpower being turned out.
In light of all this and the industrial action resorted to by
the Maoist-affiliated student organisation, the government formed a committee last month
to study the problem and make a report. The committee whose term ends little over a week
from now, has raised various questions. One of these is that of responsibility and
transparency in the school system. That’s just as well. The question now is to what
extend these concerns will be translated into practice. The committee will also consider
classification of the schools, and the rights of headmasters and schools boards. While the
committee is at work other committees have sprung up to grab a role for themselves. One of
them is meant to assist the original committee, though it has yet to get started. PABSON
is fielding a committee of its own. Not to be outdone the ANNFSU-R is to come out with a
report also. Complicating the picture still further is the argument in some quarters that
all this is superfluous as the seventh amendment to the education act has already been
tabled in parliament. In fact the activities of the various committees might actually be
harmful and get in the way of the new legislation. That the picture is confusing is bad
enough. It will be even worse if the outcome of all this committee activity turns out to
be similarly confusing at a time when the question of transparency at schools has been
raised for the first time.
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