Bhaktapur: The 22nd meeting of Higher Secondary Education Assembly held at the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) today passed an annual budget of around Rs 989.84 million for fiscal year 2012/13 to execute its various academic and administrative activities.

Presenting the budget at a programme today, Bhim Lal Gurung, member secretary of HSEB said that out of the total budget, they received Rs 12 million from Nepal government for employees’ salary, Rs 221.78 million from last year’s savings and Rs 756 million from proposed sources.

Gurung said, “The 21st meeting of HSEB assembly had passed Rs 896 million budget for fiscal year 2011/12. This year’s budget is 9.48 per cent more than last year’s.”

Hem Kumar Mishra, vice chairman of HSEB today spoke on the current status of HSEB, challenges and the need to meet present opportunities.

He said, “Fund crunch in HSEB, lack of human resources, lack of coordination between other bodies of education, weak management of examination, differences in educational achievements, variations in education quality catered by community plus two colleges and institutional plus two colleges, inaccessibility to higher secondary education for children in remote districts were some of challenges in higher education.”

He said, “There was need to execute inspirational programmes following the Public Private Partnership theory to increase investment in higher secondary education as the government’s investment in higher education is unnoticeable.”

The assembly today proposed that the Ministry of Education organise a national level workshop to discuss possible challenges after formation of the National Examination Board (NEB). Experts believe that NEB was going to substitute HSEB after implementation of School Sector Reform Plan.

The assembly also proposed scholarships to poor and hardworking students through one-door system. It also urged the government to provide special package to HSEB staff who have been working for a long time in the office.

Speaking at the assembly, Dina Nath Sharma, education minister said they were getting lots of complaints related to HSEB, therefore it needed to be careful and dedicated.

source: The Himalayan Times, 30 July 2012