Municipalities begin community school monitoring

By Sailendra Rokaya,Bajhang, Mar. 17: Municipalities have intensified monitoring of community schools to enhance their educational standards.

Jayaprithvi Municipality and Thalara Rural Municipality in Bajhang have increased direct monitoring to accurately assess the educational quality of both community and private schools.

Local concerns regarding the declining academic standards in community schools have prompted municipalities to take proactive measures, including direct involvement in question paper preparation, examination administration, monitoring and evaluation. 

Compared to private institutions, the quality of education in community schools seems to be deteriorating, according to locals. Despite having qualified teachers, the academic performance of students in these schools has been declining, leading to increased supervision.

Last year, the municipality prepared standardised question papers and conducted a common examination for the eighth graders across its areas, evaluated the answer sheets and published the results. 

This year, Jayaprithvi Municipality and Thalara Rural Municipality have expanded their initiative, conducting standardised examinations for students from grades 4 to 9. Exam centers have been designated and monitoring committees have been formed to oversee the examination process.

Jayaprithvi Municipality has initiated municipal-level examinations for its 23 community schools. A total of 3,045 students from grades 4 to 9 are participating in the exam.

The municipality, through a team of experts, has prepared the question papers, marking a significant step toward educational reform, according to Mayor Chetraj Bajal. “If we can improve educational quality, it will serve as an exemplary initiative not just for our municipality but for the entire district. That is why we are prioritising education,” he said.

 Likewise, discussions and debates involving stakeholders, including school management committees, teachers’ associations, students, parents, government and non-government representatives and elected officials are being conducted to ensure better educational outcomes.

Education Officer Nirat Regmi from Jayaprithvi Municipality reported that 3,045 students are appearing for the examinations this year. The municipality has not only prepared the question papers but also provided the answer sheets. To facilitate smooth operations, 20 examination centers have been designated, with 20 field supervisors and assistant center coordinators appointed for monitoring. The municipality is also responsible for evaluating the answer sheets and publishing the results.

Last year, only Ward No. 9 of Thalara Rural Municipality conducted standardised examinations for students from grades 4 to 9. However, this year, the initiative has been extended to all 26 community schools within the municipality, covering students from grades 4 to 9. 

Chairman Prakash Bahadur Rokaya of Thalara Rural Municipality stated that concerns over the weaker academic performance of students in community schools compared to private institutions led to the decision to enhance monitoring and conduct standardised examinations. 

The municipality has also introduced capacity-building programmes for teachers and plans to reward outstanding educators while taking disciplinary action against those found negligent. Currently, 2,400 students in Thalara Rural Municipality are participating in the examination.

Siddharaj Pandit, Chief Administrative Officer of Jayaprithvi Municipality, emphasised that improving educational outcomes requires collective efforts from municipalities, wards and the entire community. He highlighted initiatives such as school restructuring, staffing adjustments, parental awareness programmes and teacher capacity-building activities as part of their broader educational reform strategy.

While only Jayaprithvi Municipality and Thalara Rural Municipality have implemented standardised examinations for students from grades 4 to 9, other municipalities have so far limited such efforts to eighth-grade students. Some local governments are preparing to conduct standardised examinations for grades 5 and 8. Out of the 12 local bodies in the district, only two  have initiated significant educational reform programmes.