A 13-member code of conduct monitoring committee today decided to seek clarifications from Higher Secondary Schools (HSS), which have been publishing glitzy advertisements in the print media featuring the names and photos of students and celebrities.

According to the Higher Secondary Education Board, which had constituted the committee to enforce the code of conduct meant for HSS, the code bars HSS from using names or photos of celebrities in their brochures and advertisements. It also prohibits HSS from using the names or photos of president, vice-president, prime minister, ministers, government secretaries, high-ranking officials or former prime ministers, former ministers, former ambassadors or former high ranking officials in their ads.

It also disallows these institutions from using the names or photos of toppers. Last week, the committee had formed a three-member taskforce to analyse print media advertisements that HSS have been running.

As per the committee’s directives, the taskforce studied advertisements published in major dailies such as The Himalayan Times, The Annapurna Post, The Kathmandu Post, The Republica, Kantipur, Nagarik and other newspapers right after the publication of School Leaving Certificate exam results (June 11) till July 4.

The taskforce comprises Ishwor Raj Dhakal, president of the Education Journalists’ Network Nepal, Dambar Kumar Batas, chief of the HSEB’s monitoring section, and Puskal Khanal, section officer at the HSEB’s Kathmandu Office. After analysing published advertisements of 26 HSS — 22 HSS from Kathmandu district, three from Lalitpur and one from Bhaktapur — the taskforce submitted its report to the main panel today.

The report found most of these HSS using the names and photos of SLC toppers, HSEB toppers and MBBS toppers while announcing new admissions. It found some colleges running advertisements in newspapers in the name of Tole Sudhar Samiti (Area Development Committee). Among others, the taskforce found Gaushala based-Alok Bidhyashram, Samakhushi based-Takshila Academy, Kupandole based-Nightingale School, Jawalakhel-based DAV College, Tinkune-based Triton International College, Balkumari-based Milestone International College and the Tinkune-based Pentagon International College at fault.

First-time violators of the code face fine of Rs 50,000 with a warning, second-time offenders a fine of Rs 1 lakh and admonition and third-time offenders face fine of Rs 2 lakh as well as cancellation of their registration.

“In the first phase, the committee decided to seek clarification from the violators by calling school authorities to the HSEB. If we find their clarifications unsatisfactory, we will take action against them,” he added.

source: the himalayan times, 7 July 2013