KATHMANDU: A government committee formed to find out the effect on students after the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) phase out has recommended the Ministry of Education to strengthen the infrastructure in the existing higher secondary schools and make the fee affordable.

The five-member committee was formed under the coordination of Laba Dev Awasti, joint secretariat MoE to study on the effect of PCL phase out, on July 15.

Talking to The Himalayan Times today, Awasti said that the recommended to lay focus on students' accessibility and affordability while giving alternatives to the PCL. "We've recommended to strengthen the existing community schools in 16 districts such as Kanchanpur, Kaski, Chitwan, Jhapa, Dhankuta, Morang, among others, where more students are likely to be affected due to the reason.”

Similarly, the committee has urged the government to make a taskforce to redefine the fee structure in existing Plus Two colleges to make the education affordable to the students with poor financial background. It has also been recommended for 20 per cent scholarship in Plus Two as well as to give continuity to the provision of scholarship being given up to Grade X to the students from Dalit, indigenous nationalities, physically challenged and others.

Out of 60 constituent campuses, 35 campuses run PCL where 18 colleges have science faculty, 17 have management, 12 have education and 24 have humanities. Likewise, out of 561 affiliated campuses, 105 campuses are running PCL where 8 campuses have science faculty, 70 have management, 10 have education and 99 have humanities faculty.

"Some of the demands of students were genuine and their main objection was to the high fee structure in Plus Two colleges," he said.

He also expressed hope that the students would have no problem with the decision to phase out the PCL if the education was made affordable in the Plus Two colleges.