Government of Nepal is going to implement the ‘Institutional School Criteria and Operation Directives-2012’ from new academic soon. A minister-level decision had issued ‘Institutional School Criteria and Operation Directives’ on February 17. This directive aims to monitor and regulate institutional schools across Nepal.
At a time when private academic institutions are reluctant to abide by the education act and regulations, the implementation of directives seem a bit challenging.
Acting Director of Department of Education, Tek Naryan Pandey told in the press meet that, The directives will come into force in mid-April. The registration of schools will be scrapped if they do not abide by the directives, he said.
However, the government should be able to implement it this time as it was drafted in the presence and with consensus of heads of private schools organisations. “As it is our responsibility to ensure the implementation of directives from the new academic session, we are firm to enforce the decision at any cost,” he said.
The directives had halted the operation of new private schools in an arbitrary manner. New schools will only be permitted to open in a new location on a needs basis, he said.
Meanwhile, only those schools with their own property will be allowed to relocate to a new location.
He said,” A big playground, one toilet per 50 students, one drinking water tap per 50 student, one water filter per 25 students, one library per 500 students, quality food in hostel and monthly food inspection report, no sale of textbooks and stationery, no more than two sets of uniform for students are some of the guidelines for institutional schools mentioned in the directives.
Representatives from Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON) and National Private and Boarding Schools Association Nepal could be invitee members in the District Education Committee, as per the directives.
Two or more than two schools will be merged if they fail to meet the standard mentioned in directives. Meanwhile, PABSON President Babu Ram Pokharel pledged to support the government in implementing the directives.
