KATHMANDU: Educationists today underscored the need to incorporate peace education in school curricula in order to restore peace and harmony in the society torn apart by the decade-long conflict.

Speaking at an interaction on 'peace education in secondary level curriculum', organised by Shantimalika-Woman for Peace, Care Nepal and Humanitarian Aid, Bhoj Bahadur Shah, president, Private and Boarding Schools' Organisation Nepal, said peace education was a must in the present curriculum. "Students are getting violent. There’s an urgent need to develop right attitude, values and behaviour among children from the very start of their life." Shah said such an education would be useful to political leaders as well.

Gita Rana, president, National Private and Boarding Schools' Association Nepal, said the country was in quest for peace and a time has come to provide peace education to children to help create a peaceful society.

"Education gives insight to identify what is right and wrong," she said. "Peace education helps children identify the elements that bring chaos in the society and keep them off the violent path."

Pradeep Paudel, president, Nepal Students' Union, said education sector could be a zone of peace only if the prevailing irregularity was wiped out in its entirety. He, however, bemoaned that the parties had politicised education.