The government is all set to create a high-level commission with full authority for restructuring of education sector and quality education along with making an amendment to the Education Act.

Earlier in March, Minister for Education Chitra Lekha Yadav had proposed a 17-member high-level Education Commission, but that could not be formed citing ‘busy schedule of the proposed members of the panel’.However, in the policy and prgorammes, presented by President Ram Baran Yadav today, the government has announced that it would form the high-level commission for the fiscal year 2015-16.

According to government policy and programmes, the Higher Education Reform Plan will be implemented for reforming the higher education sector.

Starting technical education in higher secondary level, engaging higher education students in national volunteer services in coordination with the universities, formulation of national policy on medical education, establishment of health science institutes in all five development regions and free education for post-graduate level at public institutions are some of the new programmes of the government for new fiscal year.

Other new programmes include establishment of residential schools targeting students belonging to Dalit and other communities of Tarai and hill districts.

Provision of free residential education has also been proposed for the children of the quake-affected districts.

According to the government policy and programmes, residential schools with facilities will be operated in each development region. Partnership between community schools and institutional schools, ‘One School One Library’, ‘One Secondary School One Laboratory Programme’ will also be given continuity.

Similarly, teachers’ quotas will be reviewed and their work performance evaluation will be tied up with exam results.

Prof Tirtha Khaniya, educationist and former member of National Planning Commission, said that the high-level commission would be established in the new fiscal year. He added that the commission could not be established earlier due to the delay in government’s working model.

“Had it been established earlier, the commission would have submitted its report by around this time,” he said.

source:the himalayan times,9 july 2015