Kathmandu, February 14:

Nepal Institutional School Teachers’ Union (NISTU) today asked the government to nationalise all institutional schools to end commercialisation of education and bridge the gap between the quality of education in the government and private schools.

Addressing an interaction organised by the union here today, Hom Bahadur Thapa, president, NISTU, demanded an end to the dual education system and stressed on the need for restructuring of the education system. “Some 90 per cent of teachers have been deprived of appointment letters by the institutional schools. I ask the schools to provide appointment letters to the teachers at the earliest,” Thapa demanded. He also said nationalisation of institutional schools was also essential for the professional security of the teachers. He said nationalisation would help systematise the education sector.

“We have also demanded the government to nationalise the property of late king Birendra and his family to make investment in the education sector,” he added.

CA member and Unified CPN-Maoist leader Agni Sapkota said the government should bear all the responsibility of education. “The education sector has become commercialised and profit-oriented. It lacks transparency,” Sapkota said. He stressed on the need to make necessary amendment to the education system as per time.

He urged the government to introduce scientific and technical education. Underlining the need to nationalise all institutional schools, Sapkota said he would work for amending the procedure of registering the schools under the Company Act. He said the nation should introduce technical education and asked the government to declare free education up to higher secondary level.

Nepali Congress Constituent Assembly member Ramesh Lekhak asked the government to increase its investment in the education sector. “Legal provisions should be amended as per the need of the time,” Lekhak said, adding, “The teachers in private schools are being exploited by the owners.”

Bhoj Bahadur Shah, president of Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON), said PABSON was ready for the nationalisation process if there were good logic behind it. He, however, denied allegations that 90 per cent of teachers in institutional schools were being deprived of appointment letters.