Madhes makes 16-point plan for literacy public

By Dhirendra Prasad Sah,Janakpur, Mar. 17: Madhes Province Ministry for Education, Science, Technology and Commerce has made public its 16-point plan for necessary reforms in the education sector to make it a literate province and produce skilled and educated manpower.

Formation of effective education policies, tripartite coordination, policies for people of marginalised communities, quality education monitoring system, provincial education act, punishment and reward policy, quarterly meet with education experts, technology for guardians, starting classes in Madhes Agriculture University from next month, prioritising practical and cultural education in mother tongue, construction of a proper infrastructure for science and technology, specialised policy for trade and commerce, control of harmful chemicals in goods, and policies for economic reform, among others, have been incorporated in the 16-point plan.

Making the plan public amid a programme at Janakpurdham on Wednesday, Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Commerce Mahesh Prasad Yadav said, "I had announced to make Madhes a literate province when I assumed the post 38 days ago. During this period, I have been in regular consultation with stakeholders and experts."

He also informed that he found the province’s education system in a dire situation during his recent inspections of education institutions.

"I didn’t find a single work from the provincial government in the sector of science and technology. The same is true in the trade and commerce sector. However, there has been investment worth billions from the government in these sectors over the years," said Minister Yadav.

According to him, the provincial government would now focus not only in improving education in the government schools but also educate guardians regarding their responsibility in ensuring quality education in local schools.

"The involvement of teachers in politics, unplanned infrastructure construction and lack of proper provisions in prevailing laws have crippled our education sector," said Minister Yadav.

Ministry officials informed that they would coordinate with other government bodies in all three tiers to enforce effective steps to achieve the targets mentioned in the plan.