KATHMANDU: The government would soon form a High Level National Education Commission to reform and restructure the national education system in line of the new Constitution, the Education Minister said.

Publishing priorities of his office, Minister for Education Giriraj Mani Pokharel said the Commission would recommend steps needed to be taken to reform education-related laws and policies as well as administrative structures in line with the federal structure and promote quality of education in general.

The Minister has pledged to implement the right to education as provisioned in the Constitution.

"Basic education will be made free and compulsory, while secondary education free," the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Pokharel said the government would retrofit, renovate and reconstruct school buildings damaged  and destroyed in the April 25 earthquake within three years.

The Minister pledged to make community schools child-friendly and teachers there committed for improvements.

Quite ambitiously, he assured that all districts would get textbooks before beginning of the academic session.

Other highlights of the Minister's commitments include establishment of an open university, endorsement of Integrated Higher Secondary Education Act and promotion of technical and vocation education among others.