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Kathmandu Saturday January 12, 2002 Paush 28, 2058.
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Overdue results
As with so much else in this country, law
enforcing agencies have to goad government officials into discharging their
responsibility. Otherwise they bask in idleness or wallow in controversy created by
preceding or incumbent ministers. The education ministry is a typical embodiment of the
ills plaguing our ministry culture. Belatedly though, the education authorities are
hustling and bustling to publish the results of a series of assessments for aspiring
teachers conducted across the country six years ago . This semblance of zeal is neither
spontaneous nor voluntary. It was only after the Supreme Court formally urged the
government to deliver the assessment results on time that the authorities geared up to do
the needful. The unusual delay in publishing the results of the competition for 14,397
vacant posts has been attributed to former Education Minister Govinda Raj Joshi and his
alleged misdeeds. Accused of tampering with the exams, Joshi’s case ended in court.
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has been invited to scrutinise and
give an impetus to the final selection process that is expected to be completed within two
months, a good move to give legitimacy to the evaluation procedure. This development comes
at a time when law enforcement agencies have pledged to dismantle the pernicious fake
certificate racket pervading the administrative and teaching services. That this is a
hard-won occasion to stamp out irregularities needs no exaggeration. But this is just part
of the problem. Other gargantuan headaches still remain. A massive mopping up operation
will certainly clear the way for major structural changes and policies in the education
sector.
Marred by myriad problems and controversies and
shadowed by Maoist activity, academic institutions have gone through trying times this
year. Some of the issues raised by the rebels were very genuine. Regrettably, they were
brought to the fore by an unlikely quarter in an unpleasant manner. But what is even more
regrettable is that it failed to make a significant dent on the Education Ministry. Clouds
of threat and violence no longer hang over educational institutions. Teachers and students
are heaving a sigh of relief in a relatively calm environment, thanks to the state of
emergency. But beneath the serenity lies a sea of grievances and agonies shared by
teachers and students alike. Inadequate infrastructure and sketchy class room lectures,
unfair evaluation of assessments, exorbitant fees, meagre salaries, lack of job security,
irregular classes have over the years become a trademark of our education system. How bad
it is will be discovered by a student as soon as he or she enters the job market, at home
or abroad. In the absence of regulations, schools and colleges are sprouting up only to
churn out educated youths who are unemployable in a shrinking economy. To add to the woes,
those who procure educational documents from across the southern border are snatching away
a share of employment from those who earn academic credentials the hard and honest way.
This is grossly unfair. But who listens? Of course, the Supreme Court again. A few days
ago, the court spokesperson pledged aloud that fake certificate holders will not go with
impunity. This is indeed reassuring. And the bad business has to be dealt with immediately
after publishing the long overdue results eagerly awaited by 86,678 hopefuls. |
