Kathmandu, October 23, 2006

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today said the government would recognise Nepal Sambat as Nepal’s national calendar within a year.

“I have directed the Ministry of Culture to set up a committee of experts to further study the historic background of Nepal Sambat. Thus, I will do my best to recognise it in a year,” he said. The prime minister was addressing a function organised to celebrate the New Year 1,127.

Following today’s announcement, the Nepal Era movement, launched by Nepalbhasha Mankaa Khalaa (NMK) 26 years ago, may see a successful end. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Pradip Gyawali said he would soon form a committee of experts who would conduct further research on Nepal Sambat.

“I express my full solidarity with the NMK’s 26-year-old movement for the recognition of the Nepal Era,” he said, adding, “Your struggle for equal status of languages, religion and cultures is also praiseworthy.”

According to him, the country is witnessing conflicts because of the discrimination by the ruling class on the basis of language, culture and religion.

“This democratic government is committed to recognising Nepal Era as the national calendar,” he said.

Bid to expedite schools’ handover to communities

The Ministry of Education and Sports is counting on the amendment of the Education Act to expand its programme of handing over the management of government-owned schools to communities.

The bill to amend some issues regarding education and sports under Nepal Act is in the House for discussion. The amended act might be out after two weeks.

The government has hoped that clarity in policy, in the amended act, regarding transfer of schools’ management to the community, and definition of role of teachers in the new school management, would help expedite the programme.

Laba Prasad Tripathee, spokesperson at Education Ministry, said the government is hopeful that the communities would come forward to take charge of management of the schools after the amendment bill is endorsed.

However, there has been no progress regarding the transfer of schools’ management to the communities for the past few months. Authorities concerned are receiving only three to four applications a month requesting transfer of the schools.

Management of only 2,326 schools have been transferred to the community since 2003 after the World Bank-funded Community School Support Project (CSSP) was launched. Of them 1,941 are primary schools, 277 lower secondary schools and 108 secondary schools in 63 districts.