Kathmandu, June 5

Students of technical and vocational stream will now have to undergo mandatory practical course for an extra year as per the Education Bill (eighth amendment) endorsed by the Parliament yesterday.

The Ministry of Education had allowed 99 schools in 71 districts to run technical and vocational classes from Grade IX.

The first batch of students from technical and vocational stream recently appeared in Grade XI board examinations conducted by the Higher Secondary Education Board.

Currently, the government has expanded the technical and vocational education to 139 schools.

According to Ramraj Khakurel, deputy director, Technical And Vocational Education Section, Department of Education, 13 years of school education had been made mandatory for technical students to make them capable of joining the labour market soon after completion of their school education.

He said the one-year mandatory practical course was also introduced to make them academically sound.