Discussion on bill: Establish schools assessing need, relevance

Kathmandu, Aug 9: The lawmakers have underlined the need for amending the 'School Education Bill, 2080' in a way it ensures establishment of education based on population, geography and need.     

Putting forth their views in the meeting of the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives on Friday, the lawmakers expressed wonder why the schools were established even in the places having no sufficient population to enroll children. "It is wrong trend to allow running school randomly. Whether population and geography are important factors or not must be ascertained well before issuing permission to establish school," Mahendra Bahadur Shahi underlined.     

He presented a fact that government had allowed running a school up to Grade 5 where there are eight students and ten teachers. The bill, therefore, needs moving forward based on spirit of federalism rather than discussion on teachers' service and incentives.     

Similarly, Prem Bahadur Maharjan proposed the amendment in the bill which regards even the grandparents of pupil as their guardians. Separate teachers could be managed for students with partial eyesight in a bid to make schools disabled-friendly.     

Both private and community schools should have childcare centres, according to Bhagbati Chaudhari.     

The lawmakers further viewed separate investment was required from State for the education to the disabled students. Arrangement of separate teachers for teaching mother language, guarantee of teacher's noninvolvement in politics, absence of politics in appointment of principal, national standard of school education, and uniformity in criteria of school establishment are other points suggested by the lawmakers in the bill.(RSS)