KATHMANDU: A senior official at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday said that the educational consultancies that help Nepali students go abroad for studies should also encourage them to return home after completion of their studies.

Speaking at a programme organised by Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal, MoE Spokesperson Hari Lamsal said that it was not bad to go to foreign countries for studies, but the concerned sector that sends students abroad for studies should also pay attention towards encouraging them to return home.

Lamsal said, “In the age of globalisation, it is not possible to bar students from going abroad for studies, but if the knowledge and experience gained abroad is utilised for the development of own country, there will be progress everywhere.”

He also suggested that the students should be prohibited from taking illegal means to move to other countries for studies and they should also be made aware of fraudulent consultancies while encouraging them to return home after completion of studies.

Rajendra Baral, President, ECAN, said that they were going to organise an educational fair to provide information on abroad studies to aspiring candidates and parents to make foreign education system transparent and service-oriented. He said that the fair will be helpful to provide certain direction to education system in Nepal.

“Nepali students returning to the country after studies will bring new skill and expertise which will be helpful in building new Nepal,” said Baral. According to Baral, there will be 200 stalls in the fair where representatives from colleges and universities from more than two dozen countries will be participating.

Suprabhat Bhandari, President, Guardians Association of Nepal, said that many Nepali students have been going abroad for studies due to lack of appropriate education system within the country. “ECAN should not only send Nepali students abroad but should attract foreign students to Nepal as well,” he said.