Kathmandu, June 13:

People associated with the education sector said at an interaction today that schools should not be operated under the Company Act.

Dinanath Pokharel, a central committee member of the Nepal Education Republican Forum, said: “The Company Act should not govern the operation of schools because they are neither an industry nor a profit-making venture.” “There is no job guarantee for teachers. As the education sector is in a critical stage, there are fears that huge investment made in the sector will be lost.”

Pokharel was speaking at an interaction on Operating the Educational Institutions under the Company Act and its Alternatives.

Umesh Shrestha, president of the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal (PABSON), said: “As nearly 4,000 schools are registered under the Company Act, the nullification of the Act regulating schools, without seeking an alternative, is not a good idea.” “The state should come up with a visionary plan to formulate a separate Private School Act,” Shrestha said, adding: “An environment should be created for the development of schools.”

Ramesh Malla, the treasurer of the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union- Revolutionary, said: “The private schools should be nationalised and the state should look after the schools solely.”

Referring to the Company Act, Tirtha Khania, an educationist, said: “The Act that regulates a factory can’t regulate private schools.” Suprabhat Bhandari, president of the Nepal National Parents’ Association, said: “As the parliament formulated the Company Act, it is the duty of the parliament to outline the vision for the education sector.”