Kathmandu, May 8 Minister of Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel has said that though local levels were responsible for school education, appointment of teachers should be made only through the Teachers Service Commission. Minister Pokharel was addressing the meeting of the Education and Health Committee under the House of Representatives today. He said the central government had developed a mechanism to take immediate decision whenever there was a lack of teaching manpower in the country. Referring to the current trend where several local bodies are appointing new teachers or transferring them, the minister said that teachers’ management would be difficult if their appointment was made through means other than the TSC’s selection process. “Temporary teachers who have failed the internal competition will be given a golden handshake with facilities they get this fiscal year. Rest of the teachers cannot be included in internal examination frequently,” he said. Public Education Strengthening Decade has been declared in government’s policies and programmes for coming year, the minister said, adding the government’s attention would be toward improving the quality of education at community schools. Stating that a proposal has been presented to the Council of Ministers to formulate National Education Policy on the basis of a report submitted by the High-level National Education Commission-2018, he said a federal education act would be prepared. Minister Pokharel also expressed the belief that the ministry will accept the committee’s suggestions and directives. Committee president Jayapuri Gharti handed over a report to Minister Pokharel on the occasion. The report that deals with contemporary problems in education sector and ways of resolving them was prepared by a sub-committee under Education and Health Committee. Khagaraj Baral secretary at the ministry underscored the need of adjusting the number of schools in the country. “As permission to open new schools was provided in the past without identifying the need, schools across the country were opened in a haphazard manner. Their redundancy only adds to government’s burden,” according to Baral. Lawmakers who are members of the committee demanded that budget should be allotted for free school education as guaranteed by the constitution. They also demanded that teachers’ quota issue should be resolved at the earliest.