Schools told to promote all grade 1 pupils

Kathmandu, May 1:

The Department of Education (DoE) today directed all schools throughout the country to promote all Grade 1 students having completed an academic year to Grade 2, as per the government’s liberal promotion policy (LPP).

“Students who have fulfiled all LPP criteria will be promoted to Grade 2,” said Janardan Nepal, director general at DoE. Under this provision, the students only have to meet the LPP criteria instead of having to clear the Grade 1 examination. The government introduced LPP this year to check the increasing dropout rate in Grade 1.

The DoE has directed all schools to make necessary arrangements so that children can be easily enrolled - even those who do not have birth certificates.

Laba Prasad Tripathee, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), said the DoE has started welcome programmes and student enrolment campaigns from April 30. Both programmes were postponed due to the people’s pro-democracy movement. “Most of the necessary documents for school enrolment campaigns have already been sent to all 75 districts. The remaining documents will be sent by May 6,” said Tripathee.

From May 14 to 21, enrolment campaigns will be launched in districts where a large number of children are out of school. Around 14 per cent children of school-going age are still out of school in Nepal. A two-day orientation programme will also be held from May 7 to 9. “All schools should prepare yearly reports by May 21,” said Tripathee.

The government has been organising welcome programmes and enrolment campaigns since last year with the support of NGOs.