Raise quality of education

This is in reference to the article “SLC examination: High investment, low achievement” by Prof. Mana Prasad Wagley published in THT on June 21. We all know that there has been sheer negligence in the publishing of this year’s SLC results. While speaking at the Reporters’ Club a few days before the results came out, the Controller of Examination had said the results would be out within two weeks as some answer-books had been missing, but the results came out within two days. How was it possible? What happened to the missing

answer-books? The Office of the Controller of the Examination (OCE) is accountable to the students whose answer-books were missing. Also, the omission of one of the two toppers among the girls in the results shows the laxity of the officials concerned. There has been a drastic drop in the SLC pass percentage this year. This is a serious issue before the OCE as well as for the education ministry. On the other hand, some government schools have drawn a blank. These schools have poor infrastructure, untrained teachers and lack various facilities.

The government should help the schools at the district level improve. It would be better to have a government monitoring body to inspect the basic requirements of the schools. A large part of the budget is allocated to the education sector every year, but not much has been utilised for the advancement of Nepal’s education system. We cannot expect excellent SLC results without improving educational standards. The Ministry of Education, the district education office and other concerned bodies should take concrete steps to raise the quality of education in the government schools.

Bimal Ojha , Dhangadhi

Eye-opener

The Midway article “My blissful friends” by Richa Sharma, published in THT on June 17, regarding the writer’s experience with the street children was an eye-opener. I agree with Richa that the people should help these orphans on humanitarian grounds. Such articles can make a difference in the lives of the street kids. It is the duty of the State and those

organisations working for the protection of child rights to do something meaningful for the street children. The media should also give good coverage to the plight of the poor and the disadvantaged groups. Media coverage builds public pressure on the government to do

something for such groups and creates awareness among the public.

Ramhari Khadka, Tinkunae

Jobless

Unemployment is a big problem for the Nepali youth. Many educated people are without a job, so much so that they are unable to get even a job inferior to what their academic

qualifications would warrant. Most of them are working for a pittance, waiting for the day when their qualifications would be honoured. But that is usually not the case in Nepal, given the poor state of its economy and no sign of an end to the conflict. Many Third World

countries face this problem. But a number of peculiar factors have made Nepal’s unemployment problem worse. The government should come out with a concrete and realistic

plan to create more jobs for the desperate lot. For this both the public and the private sector have to work together.

Kishor Dhakal, Ratopool