Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 29:

Minister of Education and Sports, Radha Krishna Mainali, said that the government is planning to issue Identity cards to underprivileged and displaced students so that they can benefit from incentives and support programmes. “Most of the support programmes have been misused as well off students often receive benefits and moreover, the schemes were given in block, rather than to selected groups,” said Mainali during an interaction organised by Media Group Nepal here today. He said that government is planning a single school system upto grade 12 and the higher education from bachelor’s level to improve the quality of education. “We have asked private school owners to insure their schools and vehicles if they cannot bear losses,”

said Mainali. “If teachers are in favour of professionalism then they should be confined to one union only rather than multi-party associations,” he said. Lakshya Bahadur KC, acting general secretary of Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal said two dozen schools were vandalised. “The government should compensate immediately,” said KC.

“Around 20-30 per cent private school students have not joined the schools after the reopening of schools,” said KC. “Government should solve the problem through dialogues to free schools from terror.” Keshab Prasad Bhattarai, president of Nepal Teachers’ Union said that due to strikes students attend only 100 out of 220 working days, which is why uncompetitive students are being produced. “The government needs to do something to stop strikes.” said Bhattarai. Suprabhat Bhandari, president of Guardians’ Association of Nepal said that the condition of 80 per cent public schools is very pathetic and the government should improve its quality.