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think many of us are
yet to be conversant with SSRP. The SSRP is a continuation of the on-going
programs such as Education for All (EFA), Secondary Education Support Program
(SESP), Community School Support Program (CSSP) and Teacher Education Project
(TEP). Establishment of School Sector Reform Program (SSRP) has been expected
to be a wind of change in the traditional educational system, which was set up
in the year 2009. The government of Denmark
has agreed to provide grant assistance of DKK 125 million (equivalent to NRs
1785 million) to the government of Nepal for the continuation of the
SSRP. This is a seven year (2009 to 2015) strategic plan. At present, the
Ministry of Education (MOE) is working out to reconstruct the basic education
system i.e. standards 1-8. In accordance with the old structure, basic
education in Nepal
is standard 1-5. These plans of the MOE are praiseworthy. Nonetheless, a lot
needs to be done. The MOE is likely to commence the restructuring standards
9-12 at the outset of 2012. Every year one grade had to be merged to the new
secondary school system. In the year 2009 the MOE implemented new curricula for
grade nine and will continue it until new curricula will be implemented for
grade 12 in 2015 as per the SSRAP.
The
aforementioned issues reveal threat the final examinations if grade 12 will be
held with a new format. Till now, standards 9-10 are known as secondary level
whereas 11-12 are known as higher secondary education controlled and monitored
by a separate body, HSEB. These two levels are being controlled by two
different departments. Though the HSEB has issued a notice to all the higher
secondary schools that were not running classes 9 and 10 to integrate standards
9 and 10 to stand-alone 11 and 12 by 2014, they have been turning deaf ears. To
develop and systematize the educational system the HSEB seems to be supportive,
so it has already stopped affiliating stand-alone 11 and 12 (10+2) schools
since 2008.
According
to the new education bill, grades (9-12) cannot be split into divisions like
9-10 and 11-12; this is the main reason why the government has been preparing
the new curricula on the basis of vertical integration. If the secondary level
goes to two pieces as before then there will be no use of the restructuring of
educational system. At international level, school means 12 years education as
a whole without breaking. The government is endeavoring to do what
international education system requires.
Nearly 3500 higher secondary
schools in Nepal
are affiliated to the HSEB. Of them less than 3 per cent schools are running
only grades 11-12. The new rule has stated clearly that these sorts of schools
must either extend two grades downwards or close their schools. Indeed, 10+2
schools are run by business minded people who are reluctant to extend
downwards. But some businessmen and trade-unionists have been expressing their
anger and reprimanding the government. They say that they will close down all
the higher secondary schools to create havoc if they are compelled to extend
two classes downward i.e. 12-9.
Are these people
serious about the system of Nepalese education? Is this what they had mentioned
in their proposal before getting affiliation to the HSEB? Is closure of higher
secondary schools a solution? Such private educational institutions are set up
in the name of social purpose but run for business purpose. About 25.16 per cent
people, according to the Third Nepal Living Standards Survey-2011/12 are below
poverty line who cannot afford to send their offspring to costly 10+2 schools.
Withdrawing decisions due to banda, strike and closure of institutions is a
loophole of the government. Trade unions –PABSON and N-PABSON were set up in
1991 and are still reluctant to pay one per cent tax to the government as
provided for in the law but the schools affiliated to these unions have been
deducting certain amount of money from the salary of schoolteachers in the name
of tax. Teachers themselves don’t know whether the schools where they teach are
paying tax to the government or not. Regardless to say, the Ministry of
Education (MoE) itself has been unable to enforce regulations and penalize the
so-called schools.
Likewise, there is one issue associated to the one discussed above.
There are mushrooming three dozens of GCE-A level schools equivalent to stand
alone grades 10+2 of Cambridge University in Nepal are running at the private
sector aiming at imparting quality and international standard education. The
government can’t exercise discrimination to the stand-alone (10+2) schools
which are affiliated to Nepal’s
education board (HSEB). The government should close down al the stand-alone
10+2 schools, A Level schools or IB to be just. These institutions have been
casting shadow over the national graduates. The MoE and stand the stand-alone
schools must follow whatever t has planned under SSRP and ask the A Level and
IB (International Baccalaureate founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland which
offers three educational programs for children ages between 3 to 19)
institutions to phase out and stop enrolling students ahead of 2014, the year
when the government is to introduce new curricula in grade 11 with the new
structure of secondary education equivalent to international level.
If the
government is certain that the program they are going to lunch is the most
beneficial to Nepalese, it should strictly phase out all parallel systems in
regard to grades 11 and 12 whether it is A level or 10+2 or IB otherwise the
effort of the government to bring reform in the history of Nepalese education
will be no less than the futile effort made by Sisyphus. Systematizing
improvement in education and replacing the traditional formation/structuring
are painstaking effort t make and all the denizens of Nepal should be
united to strengthen the praiseworthy plan of the government to unlock the door
to new educational structure. We ourselves can assess that highly
commercialized and heavily profited 10+2, A level and IB institutions are not
in favour of economically backward people. I recommend that the government make
a decision without hesitation taking the problem of poor people into account. As a Nepali citizen and teacher, I am keen on
seeing the new incarnation of Nepali education system by utilizing the grant
assistance of Denmark.
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Don't hesitate to shoot your comments on this article at amarsherma@gmail.com
amar sherma (limbu)
Chief Editor
