SANO THIMI; The Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB), which oversees more than 2,500 higher secondary schools (HSS) across the country, is establishing a separate Teachers’ Service Commission in order to permanently appoint teachers in the schools by amending the Higher Secondary Education Act.

The regulatory body has long been criticised for its inability to manage teachers and number of schools. There are 836,044 students currently enrolled.

The plan tabled in the HSEB Assembly was endorsed today, eight months after the commencement of the current fiscal year. Posts of three teachers will be created in each community HSS to have got permanent affiliation effective from the next fiscal.

Some 400 HSS have applied for permanent affiliation and those meeting the set criteria are said to be provided the recognition.

Ram Bahadur Khadka, member secretary, HSEB, presented the 581 million rupee programme which will be funded by government grant, the Board’s savings, Higher Education Project-II grant and other sources proposed for the fiscal.

Ironically, the government meets only 5.5 per cent of the estimated budget while 81.05 per cent will be met from affiliation, admission and exam charges. He said the cost of the new posts, however, will be borne by the government.

Khadka has prepared some priority programmes and claimed having included them for providing hassle-free services.

Day-to-day and administrative functions are planned to be carried out at the district-level as well. One public HSS running the science stream will be provided monetary assistance to establish a laboratory and a library each.

The HSEB will monitor the activity of affiliated schools by forming central and regional monitoring committees this year.

Presenting a policy paper, HSEB vice-chairman Dr Upendra Kumar Koirala said the instances of question paper leakage and loss of answer books in the past had badly hit the credibility of the Board. He said little investment of the government in the sector was a major challenge for the organisation. Half of all HS students have joined the education stream while only nine per cent are studying science. Koirala stressed that the government needs to invest in infrastructure development in the affiliated public schools.

Presenting a strategic plan, Dr Koirala stated the HSEB will organise seminars and interactions of national and international levels in order to establish its leadership role.

He has proposed upgrading the academic quality so as to establish bilateral and multilateral relations at the international level. Public Private Partnership Programme has been planned in order to attract more investment from the communities in the sector.

Task forces will be formed to fix highest and lowest fees to be charged by private HS schools to students, number of students admitted and the minimum resources to be made available.