For Quality Education

MINISTER for Education and Sports Amod Prasad Upadhyaya said that the government was seriously considering introducing the provision of conducting examination for the license of teachers in order to enhance the quality of education in the country. Addressing a function in Biratnagar recently, Minister Upadhayaya said that the seventh amendment in the Education Act has clearly mentioned the provision for teaching license for teachers and to provide quality education to all. Education is the key to development. Only informed, educated and skilled people can make significant contribution for the overall social and economic development of the country. It is education that creates skilled human resource. Considering the importance, the government has accorded high priority to developing the education sector. A large portion of the national budget has been allocated for education. Greater emphasis has been laid on basic and primary education. In fact, the government has a plan to provide the opportunity of education to all under its " Education For All" scheme. For this, several programmes have been launched. Basic and Primary Education Project has been launched in more than 60 districts, and is expected to be implemented in all the 75 district in the near future. The Basic and Primary Education Project has been instrumental in raising the literacy rate and students’ enrolment in the schools. In order to ensure the opportunity of education to all school-going children, the government has already provided scholarships to more than 13,000 girls and 3,750 boys, mostly belonging to the poor, backward and underprivileged families. Special classes for physically and mentally retarded children have been conducted in 26 districts of the country. Similarly, more than 2,100 informal classes are being run for women literacy throughout the nation. In the same way, the government has provided training to more than 16,000 primary teachers. Despite the high priority and huge investment in the education sector, there have been complaints of deteriorating quality of education in the country. Experts are of the opinion that the deterioration of educational standards in public schools is mostly management related. There is also a feeling that educational institutions are being turned into recruitment centres for people in power. As a result, qualified people often hesitate to join the teaching profession. Fortunately, the government now seems to have realised this. The examination for teaching license is, thus, a move towards recruiting only those who are qualified for the teaching profession. The other provision the government is contemplating is handing over the management of the schools to the community and civil society. Once these provisions are implemented, it would, no doubt, contribute to enhancing the quality of education.

Stranded Dashain Revelers

THIS year’s Bada Dashain, like those in the past, saw thousands of Nepalese on the move throughout the country in jam-packed buses. All of them had one objective: to reach their homes in time to celebrate Nepal’s biggest festival with their family members. Similarly, like in earlier Bada Dashains, if some bus passengers were forced to embark on wild goose chases in the Gongabu Bus Park just to catch their buses, then others were left high and dry because of some sly ticket-sellers’ machinations. Like, for example, palming the passengers off with non-existent buses’ tickets. Or, in some cases, even selling the same ticket to more than one passenger, thereby leaving hundreds of eager Bada Dashain revelers in the lurch. While some passengers’ difficulty in catching their buses in Gongabu Bus Park could be due to sheer number of buses being pressed into service to cater to the inordinately high demands for tickets during Bada Dashain festival, the bus ticket scams are completely another matter. For, not only such cases tend to register a very steep rise in and around Bada Dashain, but hundreds of unsuspecting Bada Dashain revelers are left holding tickets of non-existent buses. Or, in some cases, even with tickets that had been sold earlier to other passengers. Since no Bada Dashain reveler wants to be left stranded, one can just imagine the scene as and when two or more passengers with the same seating arrangement number turn up to claim their seats. In such cases, it is not uncommon to hear of heated arguments giving way to blows. And all because of some unscrupulous ticket-sellers booking the same tickets in two or more passengers’ names. As if all this was not enough, some passengers are seated on stools placed along the buses’ aisles, much to the discomfort and movement of other passengers. But then, since at any given time during Bada Dashain there will be more passengers than bus seats, such an ad-hoc seating arrangement by passenger buses cannot be ruled out as it does ensure that more Nepalese will reach home to celebrate the festival. Until then, the concerned authorities should strive their best to lessen the woes of Bada Dashain revelers. In this regard, they need to not only make more seats available to all those going home during Bada Dashain, but also to strictly control unscrupulous ticket-sellers from fleecing the unsuspecting passengers.