Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations and Human Rights today asked the government to stop granting autonomy to the Tribhuvan University constituent campuses until a new policy is formulated.
PCFRHR chairman Padam Lal Bishwokarma said the decision came in the wake of complaints from students and guardians that Ilam-based Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, the only autonomous TU campus, was hiring teachers arbitrarily.
“Education should be the responsibility of the government at a time when the nation is heading towards federalism,” said Bishwokarma, adding that granting autonomy means encouraging private education and allowing room for irregularities.
He further said they had also directed the government to have a thorough discussion to formulate a new policy about granting autonomy to TU constituent campuses.
Prof Hridaya Ratna Bajracharya, technical adviser of University Grant Commission, today said, “The government should have carried out a study prior to granting autonomy to campuses.”
He said the Second Higher Education Project was to give autonomy to some TU constituent campuses to make its management independent, thereby producing good results. Since July 27, 2007, when the project came into effect, only Ilam-based Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus has been given autonomy. Some other campuses are willing to be established as autonomous institutions.
The panel aims to control private schools from charging high fees and using irrelevant textbooks, ending disparity in education in private and public institutions, and giving permanent status to temporary teachers.
The panel directed government to probe Prem Gyawali’s death, a student in Banke-based Civil Engineering in Technical School, and provide compensation to his family.
(Source: The Himalayantimes)
