Kathmandu, June 9:

Lekhnath Neupane, the president of All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) — the student wing of the Maoists — today said education till grade 12 should be nationalised by providing compensation to all private educational institutes.

“Education should not widen the gap between the rich and the poor,” Neupane said at a discussion programme held at Martin Chautari. “Education and health are the basic needs of the people and it is the government’s responsibility to provide free education and free health facilities.”

He said the feudal education system has only produced self-centred individuals, who are not concerned about the country and its citizens. “The system has taught them to take the bourgeoisie as power centres and has undermined the labourers who actually hold real powers.”

“We are not expecting results overnight but we at least expect some kind of commitment from the government on free and qualitative education to all till grade 12,” he said. “It needs a lot of exercise and all the student bodies affiliated to the seven political parties are in favour of the proposal.”

Commercialisation of education should be stopped, he said.

Referring to the federal system of government, he said women and Dalits should be given special rights for proportionate representation in the state mechanism.