All the inmates of Central Jail who sat for the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations this year passed, but now their futher schooling remains uncertain as there is no +2 education on offer there.

Jagannath Secondary School at Central Jail said that out of 30 inmates who appeared in the examination this year, 15 secured first division and the remaining passed in second division. The school administration said that there are over 150 SLC graduates in the central prison. The prison school has a 100 percent success rate in the SLC exams every year.

Earlier, the inmates could have appeared for the intermediate level exams as private students. But Tribhuvan University phased out the intermediate level some five years ago and the +2 colleges do not entertain private students while jail inmates cannot leave the prison to attend classes.

´The inmates are eager to pursue further studies but due to lack of approval for running +2, their wish has remained unfulfilled,´ said Keshab Raj Sharma, jailer at Central Prison. Approval from the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) is needed for running +2 classes.

Sharma claimed that the prison management is doing its best to start higher secondary schooling there. ´We have been pressing HSEB for permission to operate +2 in the prison,´ he added.
Officials at HSEB, however, said that the Department of Education (DoE) has not recommended such approval. ´Recommendation from DoE is needed for giving approval. DoE has not written to us to grant approval for +2 at the prison school,´ said Bhim Lal Gurung, member secretary of HSEB.

Officials at DoE said the office has directed DEO Kathmandu to study schools in the district which are suitable for upgrading to +2 level. ´I don"t know much about the problem of the prison school but if DEO recommends the upgrade, we will forward the file to HSEB,´ said Tek Narayan Pandey, director of DoE.

Baikuntha Aryal, chief of DEO Kathmandu, said he was unaware about the problem at the prison school. He said the prison administration had not made any formal request for a feasibility study for upgrading the prison school to higher secondary level.

Dr Kedar Narshing KC, superintendent of the prison hospital, said that inmates have been demanding higher secondary classes. He said he has been trying his best to start +2 in the prisons.

The prison management concedes that most inmates who study inside the prisons give up criminal activities and are not convicted again after being released.

source: republica,15 june 2013