Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 19:

Educationists today said increasing the number of universities would not solve the problem in the higher education sector but would only add up more problem. Educationist Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya saying the average pass rate in TU — from certificate level to postgraduate level — was just a discouraging 15.97 per cent in 2002, said, “The government should work towards improving the performance of existing universities rather than opening new universities.”

Presenting a concept paper on Multi-university: Opportunities and Challenges at an interaction organised by ANNFSU, Khaniya said, “Universities should be opened systematically and they should not be opened just because of the vested interests of political leaders in power. New universities should aim at increasing poor’s access to education.”

He accused the officials at the education ministry of lacking vision on quality education. He blamed the government for ignoring professional and technical input while bringing in new universities. Dr Surendra KC, head of department of department of history at TU, said universities should not be created just to appoint ‘son-in laws’ of the political leaders in different positions. “When the existing ones are not doing well, more universities will only add burden to the nation,” said KC. Rajendra Kumar Rai, former president of ANNFSU, said the students would take to the streets if the government dare to bring in new universities without homework.

“Instead of increasing the number of universities, it would be better if the existing universities were well-equipped to produce skilled manpower.” However, Mahendra Narayan Mishra, retired professor, said the universities were being brought due to the need felt by the public who had been deprived of higher education in remote areas. The process for the issuance of ordinances to open four new universities is at the last stage. Another ordinance on Information Technology Academy has been waiting royal seal.