Bhaktapur, September 24

A gathering of technical and vocational schools across the country today decided to forward a three-point demand to the Higher Secondary Education Board tomorrow.

Technical and vocational schools have been demanding permission to run technical classes for Grade XI, approval of additional subjects, expansion of technical and vocational education to each constituency and addition of technical subjects in the higher secondary level.

The government had introduced technical and vocational studies in Grade IX in 99 schools in 2013. A total of 3,250 students in the technical and vocational stream passed SLC this year and are currently awaiting enrollment in Grade XI. But the HSEB has yet to permit schools to run technical and vocational classes for higher secondary schools.

The Technical and Vocational Education School Network — a network of schools running technical and vocational classes for ninth and tenth graders — had invited principals of all technical and vocational schools and the chairpersons of their school management committees for the gathering at Bhaktapur-based Shree Padma Higher Secondary School to discuss issues concerning technical and vocational education.

Ram Hada, president, TVESN, said the meeting today decided to press HSEB to allow secondary-level technical schools to run technical classes and permit higher secondary technical schools to introduce new subjects.

Till date, HSEB has given approval to 62 higher secondary technical schools for the same.

“The meeting also decided to urge the government to expand technical education to all constituencies by establishing at least one technical and vocational school in each constituency.”

The TVESN has also decided to urge the Department of Education to provide a grant equivalent to the salary of three teachers to each technical and vocational school running Grade XI classes.