Govt’s new policy on private colleges out

Kathmandu, October 9:

The government has implemented a new policy on establishment and operation of private technical colleges for higher education. The policy has provisions whereby a private technical college established with local investment will have to provide scholarships to 10 per cent students while those with foreign investment will have to provide freeships to 20 per cent students. Laba Prasad Tripathee, spokesperson at Education Ministry, said that with the introduction of the new policy, the ministry has already begun inspecting private colleges.

As per the new policy, the private medical and dental colleges will have to reserve 20 per cent beds for poor and underprivileged groups, of which half should be given free treatment and bed fee for the other half should not be charged.

The policy also addresses the issues of private technical campuses teaching medical science subjects including: nursing, medical education and pharmacy, engineering, agriculture and forest, science and technology, accounting and management and other subjects as decided by the Education Ministry.

A monitoring committee under the coordination of Education Minister has also been formed with an aim to promote higher technical education in the country.

Announcing the major decisions taken by the new government in the educational sector, Tripathee said various educational bills including the Lumbini Bouddha University Act has been passed while a bill to amend some educational and sports related acts is in the House for discussion. The education ministry also informed that it would provide funds to pay 5,800 more teachers this year.

The government has already disbursed scholarship fund to 7 lakh girl students and 583,000 Dalits of primary level under the scholarship programme. Similarly, scholarships for 40,000 female students of secondary level, too, have already been provided. Similarly, a working plan has been formulated to provide scholarships to students in private schools, Tripathee said.