PABSON's Positive Step
IN line with the government's reform programmes to improve the country's education system,
the Private and Boarding Schools' Organisation/Nepal (PABSON) has taken specific measures
in a bid to end the current uncertainty in the sector. The uncertainty was triggered by
the so-called indefinite closure of schools at the call of All Nepal National Free
Students Union-Revolutionary, the student faction of the outlawed Nepal Communist Party
(Maoist). Earlier, the government had made some important decisions requiring the private
schools to provide various facilities to the girls and socially underpriviledged students
like Thami, Raute, Chepang and Hayu. The measures, among others, include free education to
the oppressed groups. Similarly, it has been made compulsory for the private schools to
contribute 1.5 per cent in the Rural Education Development Fund and provide scholarships
to five per cent of the total students. And now, following the two weeks' closure, the
PABSON has decided to reduce the tuition fees by 15-25 per cent. In addition, the schools
will have to provide freeship to the students and scrap the additional charges for
readmission, re-registration, physical development and construction etc. except the
regular annual charges. The closure has already cost dearly to all the concerned parents
and students, especially those who are waiting to appear in the School Leaving Certificate
examinations stipulated to be held in April next year.
However, PABSON's announcement that it would reopen the
schools from today comes as a happy relief. Problems may arise in every field and staging
protest programmes for the sake of reforms in the concerned sector could be taken
positively. But, in the name of protests, forceful closure of such important institutions
like schools and colleges where young minds are moulded to bear the future
responsibilities of the country, cannot be accepted. There are democratic means of seeking
solutions to the problems like dialogues. Therefore, all the concerned organisations and
individuals need to be prevent the recurrence of such unwanted incidents in the future and
take timely measures.
Other Story
|
