Regulate Consultancies

Ansu Bhatt

With 3, 90,847 students having recently completed the +2 exams, education consultants in Nepal are racing to attract more than 200,000 pupils. Last year, over 110,217 students received No Objection (NO) letters from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. This year, more than half of all higher secondary graduates plan to study abroad, especially in Australia, Canada, and other countries. This pattern raises serious concerns about Nepal's long-term socioeconomic situation. Despite their education, many young Nepal's face unemployment or underemployment, receiving low wages with few chances for professional advancement. 

The government's failure to adopt long-term policies exacerbates brain drain; with no steps to retain talent or reintegrate returning professionals in the following decade, we will face greater challenges in terms of manpower shortages for the country growth. In Kathmandu, the number of consultancies has grown exponentially. Between the Nepali months of Jestha and Mansir, consulting firms aggressively recruit students for overseas studies. These consultancies are funded by enormous commissions and charge excessive fees, frequently exploiting students and their families. Despite countless complaints, the absence of official control permits this exploitation to continue unabated.

The Education Consultancy Services and Language Institution Directive of 2011 requires all international education consultancies to obtain approval from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. However, only about 1,500 consultancies have been registered out of the approximately 4500 now on the market. Many work secretly, avoiding taxes and adding to institutional corruption. Clause 4 of the directive authorises the Department of Education to provide or revoke accreditation for educational consultancies. However, no serious action has been taken against the fraudulent consultants. Students and workers encounter several hurdles and scams, both in Nepal and elsewhere. 

The government's silence on this matter is a matter of serious concern. There is an urgent need for disciplinary action against unregistered consultancies, as well as strategies to decrease student withdrawals. Additionally, a structure to secure meaningful employment for returning professionals is required. The government must identify and confront the crisis. Education consultancies must be rigorously regulated, with fair practices enforced and regulations that promote long-term work prospects implemented. Furthermore, measures to encourage qualified experts to return will boost economic growth and stability. 

The government should promote an environment that allows young Nepalis to thrive without the need to seek better opportunities elsewhere. The public deserves to know what steps are being made to ensure that our brightest minds are not compelled to leave the country owing to a lack of possibilities provided by the government. The administration must explain why it continues to neglect the critical issues of juvenile migration and exploitation by unlicensed consulting firms. The time for complacency is over. 

What is the government doing to keep 3, 00,000 students with the promise of a better future and job opportunities? Education consultancies are targeting about 2,000,000 pupils this year. Decisive action is required to protect Nepal's future and its youth. The government's responsibility is to actively contribute to building an environment in which young Nepalis may thrive without feeling compelled to seek better possibilities elsewhere.