Kathmandu: Educational experts today urged the government to make sure school education is provided completely free of cost.

Speaking at an interaction organised by All Nepal National Free Students Union-Unified on ‘Needs of restructuring education’, Mana Prasad Wagle, an educationist, said that school education should be the priority for government.

He said, “The state should take the responsibility of school education and no one should be deprived of education,” adding, “The Supreme Court has already directed the government to give free education up to secondary level.”

He said, “Government is spending Rs 5,000 per student currently which means that Rs 38 billion was enough to give free education to 7.6 million students from Grade I to X.”

Rameshwor Upadhaya, general secretary, Tribhuvan University Teachers’ Association, said that education sector should be free of politics to make it result oriented.

He said, “Political parties’ vested interest should not be blended with education,” adding, “Mentality of political parties and leaders should be changed to bring drastic changes in education sector.”

Deepak Raj Subedi, president of Higher Secondary School Teachers’ Association of Nepal, also urged government to focus on the education sector to improve the quality of government schools.

Suprabhat Bhandari, president of Guardians’ Association of Nepal, said, “Pre-primary education should be incorporated in school education.”

Student leaders from various political parties accused the government of making policies on the basis of donors’ interest. They also stated that policies should be implemented and monitored properly.

source: The Himalayan Times