The Ministry of Education (MoE), which endorsed a merger policy for community schools with an inadequate number of students two years ago, will be adopting the same policy for private and institutional schools as well.

A meeting of representatives from the Private and Boarding Schools Association (Pabson), National Pabson and the Nepal Guardian Association (NGA) at the MoE on Monday made the decision to this effect that will be incorporated in the new directive regulating private schools . The new directive is likely to be approved by the Cabinet next week.

The policy will be applicable to private schools that don’t meet minimum requirements and adequate number of students and were registered after 2005. District Education Offices have been authorised to formulate the modality for the implementation of the merger plan.

“The rule will be applicable to schools categorised under the D grade,” said NGA Chairman Suprabhat Bhandari. The MoE delineates private schools into four categories, from A to D, depending on their infrastructure and facilities. A rough estimation shows that one third of around 10,000 total private and institutional schools are categorised under the D group.

The meeting also agreed to scrap the academic licences of schools that have not been in operation for the last five years. “The policy is for the sustainability of schools that are struggling to operate,” said Pabson Chair Baburam Pokhrel.

The national conference of Pabson, held on Saturday and Sunday, had also decided to adopt a merger plan or corporate partnership for schools facing difficulties operating. According to Bhandari, the meeting also decided to continue the decision of MoE to stop licencing new private schools in major districts, including the Kathmandu Valley.

Aiming to control the rampant establishment of new schools , the government a few months ago had decided to halt licencing schools for the time being and carry out a national mapping of schools .

The ban will be lifted in the districts after an evaluation of the need, based on mapping results.

source: The Kathmandu Post,12 feb 2013