COVER STORY (Spotlight Weekly)

An Alternative Approach

The phenomenal growth of higher secondary schools offer a choice to the middle class Nepalese students to get 10-plus-2 education within the country and in the process has helped develop much needed educational infrastructures and manpower. As the government investment is inadequate in the higher secondary level, private sector has jumped in to fill the void. Despite some negative aspects, higher secondary schools have provided employment opportunities and also have saved millions of rupees by giving option to students to study in the country itself

By KESHAB POUDEL

Flocks of teen-aged boys and girls attired in tidy uniforms walking down the streets of urban areas indicate the rising number of competitive higher secondary schools in the country. The new breed of young generation students, who are studying at the 10-plus-2 level, overcrowd the cities' thoroughfares.

While the higher secondary schools have made an indelible impact on the country's education system in such a short span, their impact on the country's economy is no less important. The sluggish economy did get a new life following the mushrooming growth of institutions of higher secondary education. The opening of such institutions has helped to mobilize capital, generate revenue and create livelihood opportunities to a large section of population thus triggering a considerable growth in urban economy.

10+2 students : For brighter future

Besides, another important aspect of their mushrooming is the creation and expansion of educational institutions. Had the students been compelled to go abroad for higher education, a big chunk of native resources would have goal out of the country. Furthermore, the large number of higher secondary schools are competing among themselves-- which is expected to force them to ensure quality as well as efficiency.

There is a multiple social as well as economic effect in the opening of such a large number of schools in private sector. When the market forces are allowed to work independently, it will itself determine its demand and supply. It is a good sign when Nepalese are spending money inside the country which would otherwise have gone abroad. If there is a strong regulatory body, the quality matter could be settled conveniently.

After the publication of SLC results, most of the daily newspapers published in the city flush with advertisements offering admissions to students in higher secondary schools. In fact, more than 10 percent of the space in the newspapers are covered by these schools for some time. Along with the admission for students, the advertisements for the recruitment of teachers are other highlights.

Earlier, most of the students after completing their School Leaving Certificate (SLC) level usually had to go to India or abroad in the absence of quality higher secondary schools back home.

In the private higher secondary schools, fees for the XI grade students range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per month in urban areas like Kathmandu. But the fees in the rural areas range from Rs 150 to Rs 250 a month. The operating expenditure per student in urban private school is much higher compared to that in rural schools.

It is estimated that per student cost of educating in the private higher boarding schools is Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 a year depending upon the faculty. The science students need to spend additional expenditure for laboratory equipments.

According to rough estimates, operating expenditure per student is at an average about Rs 12,000 a year. So, the investment by 82,000 students (including those who have joined this year) would come to 984 million rupees a year. If indirect expenditures like transportation and refreshments are added, the investment will be well above one billion rupees a year. Ironically, the government is, however, investing less than Rs 20 million on this sector.

The Finance Ministry has allocated 10.78 million rupees as development budget and 10.6 million rupees as regular budget. According to the Tertiary Education Project, the operating cost per student on faculty, law, management and humanities, social science at the Tribhuvan University is about Rs 2080. The operating cost per student on science and technology is about at Rs 5123, according to the estimate of 1993\94.

As the number of schools and investment increases in higher secondary education, infrastructure, economic activities and employment opportunities also multiply.

As demands for higher secondary school education is gradually increasing, large number of private investors are jumping in the field. Higher secondary schools are now one of the areas for private investment. From rural to urban areas, guardians are coming up to tie with the new system.

Physical infrastructures are necessary for higher secondary education to provide room for administration, departmental activities, running classes, operating laboratories, libraries, seminar halls, sports complexes and others.

But, even TU's campuses do not have such facilities. Though many of them operate in rented houses, the private higher secondary schools do offer better facilities. The expansion of infrastructure in private sector do benefit the students.

The system introduced to lessen the gap between rural and urban students is not meeting the objective.

If one calculates benefits in terms of time, higher secondary school offers cheaper education. Quality education, timely result and descent academic environment are some of its plus points.

A student has to spend nearly two and half years to complete subsidized TU's Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) education. Regular disruption of classes also hamper TU's quality of education.

In rural areas, students can save time and money as 10+2 schools have been opened nearby. It will also help develop rural economy. Less than a half decade after it began, the higher secondary education system has succeeded in attracting a large number of middle class parents.

The system is now the first choice for nearly 30,000 students who would otherwise have sought education in Indian schools or abroad.

It is not hard to recognize students of TU's PCL and higher secondary schools as there is a clear distinction between them. The higher secondary schools in the valley have their own code of conduct whereas the TU education system has neither any organized calendar nor code of ethics.

One of the important characteristics of the higher education system is that the private sector is gradually investing big money on it. In the last year alone more than 137 schools were permitted to start Class 11.

At a time when large number of middle class families of urban area were beginning to send their wards abroad in their quest for quality education, the newly established higher secondary private schools provided alternatives. Fed up with the eroding quality of education and politicization in TU affiliated campuses, large number of parents in rural areas also are putting their children in higher secondary schools.

The investment in higher secondary education also pushed up the economic activities in the cities. In Kathmandu valley, the private higher secondary schools have rented most of the houses that were getting vacant on account of the real estate crash. The situation is similar in the rural areas also. Even some TU affiliated campuses are now running 10+2 classes.

In the absence of government funding, private sectors and communities are coming up to start higher secondary schools in the rural areas also. Large number of public schools are yet to show any interest to operate 10+2, but the pressure is building up to upgrade them.

"If the government agrees to provide some kind of financial support to public schools, most of the schools will upgrade themselves to higher secondary schools," said Bhagyasali Ghimire, headmaster of Isaneshowr Higher Secondary School of Lamjung. "Our problem is to find qualified teachers and resources."

A class room scene : Quest for quality education

Even some schools in rural areas have moved from TU affiliated PCL course to the higher secondary education. "We introduced 10+2 in the schools replacing Proficiency Certificate Level," said Damodar Adhikary, Principal of Sarbamangala Higher Secondary School at Panchkhal, Kavre. "Our school caters to children of low income parents so that they afford higher education on their own."

More than three dozen campuses in different parts of the country are now teaching 10+2 higher secondary courses.

One of the problems of the new higher secondary schools is that they do not have institutional character as they are running classes in rented houses with part time teachers. The teachers do not have job guarantee and adequate pay.

Of course, the private schools are generating feeling of competition in the public schools.

The higher secondary school is said to be a part of the school education system. If it is really a part of it, the higher secondary school education must be integrated with it. Although T. U. is getting large amount of subsidy to run PCL, the government is spending very minimum on higher secondary schools.

The government developed a plan to phase out PCL program but it does not have any plan to phase out resources from TU to higher secondary schools due to political pressure.

Due to lack of government policy, the higher secondary schools rush by the government are getting directionless. If the government wants to maintain higher secondary education, it must allocate adequate budget.

Even the Population and Social Committee of House of Representatives in its annual report recommended to upgrade all the schools as higher secondary ones. It also suggested to introduce 12th grade as the final year for the school level. Unfortunately, the recently presented Education Amendment Bill ignores these suggestions.

Some attractions of the higher secondary school are the quality of curriculum, timely examination and result. A student of HSEB completes an academic year just within two years whereas it takes almost three years at the Tribhuwan University.

That's why the number of students enrolled in the higher secondary education has doubled in the last two years. According to a report published by the Higher Secondary Education Board, there were 16,754 boys and 10,219 girl students in class XI during the academic year of 2055 B.S and 26,070 boys and 16,267 girls in the academic year of 2057 B.S.

According to HSEB, more than 50,000 students are expected to enrol in various schools in coming academic year. HSEB has already given affiliation to 657 schools to start 10+2 classes.

This year alone affiliation has been given to 137 new schools. In Kathmandu Valley 45 new higher secondary schools have got permission to operate classes. Likewise 28 schools out side the valley, 38 in western region, 29 eastern region, 11 in mid-western region and 10 in far western region have received permission.

Even many TU affiliated private campuses are now scrapping the old course to get affiliation to run 10+2 schools. Although Tribuhvwan University has agreed to phase out the proficiency level courses by 2005, it is yet to come up with reasonable programs. In more than 169 campuses, the TU is still teaching proficiency certificate class.

"It is very encouraging to see growing demand for higher secondary schools in the rural areas," said Dr. Shree Ram Lamichhane, member secretary of Higher Secondary Education Board. "The present trend shows that TU's Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) is automatically out-numbered by the new higher secondary schools."

Although most of the higher secondary schools in the Kathmandu valley are in the rented houses, some of them are now in a situation to build their buildings on their own. After the opening of many schools, the quality as well as fee structure are also gradually improving. Unlike previous years, there is no more monopoly.

"It is the quality and academic atmosphere that are assets of these schools," said Baburam Pokharel, founding principal of Vinayak Sudha Higher Secondary School. "We selected 500 students out of 5,000 applicants."

As the number of schools increases, competition among new schools have become very tough. There can be seen cut-throat competition among the schools to lure students.

"The schools have to prove their efficiency and quality to lure students. One cannot send their kids to schools just because of colorful advertisements," said Manorama Rana, principal of Mahendra Bhawan Girls Higher Secondary School and president of Higher Secondary Schools' Association.

Despite the reluctance of public schools to start 10+2, the schools are gradually realizing that there is no future for them. Even in Kathmandu valley there are more than a dozen public schools that have already upgraded themselves as higher secondary schools.

Although the number of higher secondary schools is still low, it is expanding from east to the west. Compared to terai regions, hilly areas have still insignificant number of higher secondary schools. There are a total of 657 higher secondary schools scattered around the country.

In Eastern Development Region, 142 schools have been given affiliation, 118 in Central Region (out side valley), 154 within Kathmandu valley, 156 in Western Development Regio, 43 in Mid-western Region and Far Western Region has 44 higher secondary schools.

The government investment in higher secondary school is nominal. According to a study, government spent 0.1 percent of its total budget on education from 1993/94 to 1995/96. The budget increased to 0.2 percent in 1997/98 and 0.3 percent in the year 98/99 and 99/2000.

The number of students joining higher secondary schools isgradually outnumbering students at TU's campuses but TU seems to be in no mood to totally phase-out Proficiency Certificate Level.

The duty of the government is to monitor, regulate and support higher secondary schools. It must encourage public schools to start 10+2 education. The system must be developed to ensure co-existence between private and public enterprise.

The education must be made affordable to all parents. Monthly fees are also gradually coming down in private school and becoming affordable to many. But there is no institution and/or mechanism to supervise the schools. The question is not only of fee but what type of facilities these private schools are offering in return for their high fees.

One of the problems of higher secondary schools is that they are yet to get permanent affiliation. The future is insecure as nobody knows when they might have to close down if the board withdraws its affiliation.

HSEB should provide at least five qualified teachers to the public high schools and provide some kind of resources to improve their physical infrastructures, said experts.

As the number of schools increases, the question of survival remains vital. There is no question of who will survive. Only those schools will survive which offer qualitative education.

The affiliation process for the higher secondary school is very simple as HSEB issues affiliation after fulfilling few simple terms and conditions. The board does not care whether the schools have any infrastructures or not.

As such, the mushrooming growth of ten plus two schools has both the plus as well as minus points. While its minus points including lack of quality and poor infrastructure which can be easily controlled by the government if they begin to monitor and supervise, its plus points like providing alternative to Nepalese parents and contribution to the growth of economy can no more be undermined.

‘Pvt Sector Is Playing A Lead Role To Meet Resource Vacuum’

— Narayan Kunwar

NARAYAN KUNWAR, Vice Chairman of Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB), is also an associate professor at Rampur Agriculture Campus, Chitawan. Kunwar spoke to SPOTLIGHT about the issues of higher secondary education. Excerpts:

What are the challenges of higher secondary schools?

We have many problems in front us. One of the formidable problems is to maintain quality and credibility of the higher education system. As number of institutions affiliated to us increase, we need to develop strong mechanism within us.

How do you see the annual budget?

It is very insignificant to meet the overall burden of the board. We need more budget than what we are presently getting.

What is your impression on the mushrooming growth of higher secondary schools?

This is an initial stage of the higher secondary school system so the mushrooming growth is a natural phenomenon. Now we will make rules and regulations more strict while giving affiliation. When the TU totally phases out its proficiency certificate level, we may need more 10+2 educational institutions than we have at present.

There was a disturbance within HSEB recently. How is the internal situation now?

I am very happy to say that the board is able to maintain it annual examination calendar. We have also published the result as planned and in right time. Earlier, when I was appointed Vice Chairman and came to HSEB, there was anarchy.

How do you see the present board structure?

Well, it needs some modification. Minister for Sports and Education is our Chairman and he is the executive head of the institution. This is the reason we have to go to minister for every executive decision. If some authority is delegated to Vice Chairman, it would be more convenient.

How do you see the future of HSEB?

There is no doubt about it. In the changing context, there is no alternative to HSEB. Of course, it will take some time to popularize the system in the country.

It is complained that HSEB is distributing the affiliation to schools without verifying matters including that of infrastructures and resources. What do you say?

I cannot claim everything is going alright but we will issue affiliation only after schools meet certain criteria. From the coming fiscal year, we will issue the affiliation only after detailed mapping of such institutions.

How do you see the private investment in this sector?

It is a very positive sign as the government is in no position to spend much in this sector. Private parties are playing a lead role now in fulfilling the resource vacuum.