Kathmandu, February 11

The Ministry of Education has formed a three-member committee to conduct a study on the programmes being run by National Institute of Open Schooling of the Indian government in Nepal.

The committee is headed by joint secretary Laba Deo Awasthi and comprises Babu Ram Poudel, executive director of Curriculum Development Centre and Jung Bahadur Aryal, chief, Curriculum Division, Higher Secondary Education Board, as members.

NIOS is providing a number of vocational, life enrichment and community-oriented courses besides general and academic courses at the secondary and senior secondary level. It has its own curriculum.

Under NIOC programmes, three subjects  English, mathematics and science  are not compulsory and anyone completing education equivalent to Grade X is eligible to appear in Grade XII examinations without attending Grade XI.

However, under Nepal government’s open school programme, English, mathematics and science are compulsory subjects.

The ministry had drawn controversy as on the one hand, the ministry had been asking schools running under the Central Board of Secondary Education to register themselves, while other on the other hand it was granting permission to NIOS programmes, which are incompatible with the national curriculum.

MoE Spokesperson Hari Lamsal said, “The committee has been formed to study the various components of NIOS programmes.” He said the committee will study the quality of open schools that are running NIOS programmes as well as their curriculum.

The committee has been asked to submit a report with recommendations to the ministry. “The ministry will take further decision on the matter after studying the report,” he added.

Recently, MoE had granted permission to Jorpati-based Rai School to run NOIS programmes.

Currently, four schools in the country are running NIOS programmes.

The Social Committee of the Cabinet had taken a decision on January 6 to bring all schools affiliated to foreign boards under the Education Act and Regulations.

As per the decision, the MoE had asked all such schools to register themselves.