The Ministry of Education’s tardy approach towards endorsing curriculum has further delayed the start of technical education classes at higher secondary level, putting hundreds of students in dilemma.
The Ministry of Education’s tardy approach towards endorsing curriculum has further delayed the start of technical education classes at higher secondary level, putting hundreds of students in dilemma.
It has already been more than a month since the classes for the students under general category commenced, the students who are waiting to join the classes in grade 11 will still have to wait at least for few weeks to start their study.
A total of 3,256 students from 99 public schools graduated the School Leaving Certificate examination under technical category. Publishing its academic calendar a month ago, the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) had announced that the curriculum would be approved within the September 3 deadline to allow the classes to begin on September 14.
It has been more than a week since the deadline, but the MoE has yet to begin the curriculum approval process. The HSEB had on August 26 forwarded the curriculum of five subjects—computer engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, animal science and plant science—for grade 11 to the ministry. According to MoE spokesperson Hari Lamsal, as the officials were busy in preparations for the Education Day no process has begun in approving the curriculum. “I hope the curriculum will be endorsed very soon,” he said.
The MoE can either endorse the curriculum directly or form an expert committee to evaluate it before the endorsement. If an expert team is formed it will take one more month to approve the curriculum. Amid a tussle between the HSEB and Council for the Technical Education and Vocational Training over getting authority, the MoE had decided on July 7 to authorise the former to run the classes. The SLC result under the category was published on June 8.
The HSEB has mentioned on its calendar that the procedure for granting affiliation would be completed by September 9, but it has yet to carry out feasibility study of around half a dozen schools due to the ongoing protests in the various parts of the country. As many as 91 higher secondary schools from across the country had applied for the affiliation to run the technical education.
Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.
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