Kathmandu - This week most of the coverage was focus on higher education. Almost all the coverage was negative and mentioned about corruption and irregularities. There were multiple opinion articles about politicization of appointment of positions in universities and it causing degradation of the academic environment.

 

Abbreviations: MOEST- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, TU- Tribhuwan University, TUSC-TU Service Commission, KD-Kantipur Daily, THT- The Himalayan Times, SEE- Secondary Education Examination, BPKIHS-BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, CIAA- Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, VC- Vice Chancellor

 

- A news mentioned about ongoing selection of University Officials against policy. The office of the Vice-Chancellor along with the Vice-Chancellors of seven universities is coming to an end from August 1. Instead of forming a recommendation committee for the appointment of these posts, it has started to select names on the basis of political access. According to sources, close allies of Prime Minister KP Sharma has begun selecting the nominee for the Vice-Chancellor. According to the Act, the Prime Minister, who is the Chancellor of the University, should make a selection committee under the chairmanship of the Pro-Chancellor, Minister of Education,Science and Technology. Report of 'Task Force for Determining the Appointment of Officers of the University, Higher Education and Health Sciences, 2075', has called for the formation of a 'search committee' in coordination with the Chairman of the University Grants Commission six months before the restoration of the official. With only a few days left, the Vice-Chancellor has not formally constituted a recommendation committee. Education Minister GirirajmaniPokharel is currently on a trip abroad. The source claimed that even the Vice-Chancellor Tirtha Raj Khaniya had aspirations to repeat for the post.Nepal Professor's Association has said that the university should appoint one of the professors who can maintain academic value. "The vice-chancellor should be elected through competition with academic image, strong administrative ability and vision," said union president RameshwarUpadhyay.

The case of politicization of government officials has been raised by the media as the primary cause in degradation of the higher education in Nepal. This week as well, there were multiple opinion articles and letter to editor calling for change in policy to appoint Vice chancellor from academic background.The article states that Political sharing of university positions is destroying the academic environment of the nation. Apolitical appointment of Chancellor should create solution to this crisis. Federalize the university as well as its affiliated colleges were also suggested in the article.

- A news mentioned about the crisis in Purwanchal University caused by delay in formation of the academic council. Three years ago, Purwanchal University had called its undergraduate engineering college toapply to conduct additional postgraduate level classes. Not only did the aspiring and selected colleges submit an application, they also handed over the Rs. 252 thousand as charge for approval. But those colleges have not been able to run the program yet. The reason behind it is that the University has been inadequate and without academic council for almost a year. Vice Chancellor GhanshyamLal Das wrote a letter to the Vice-Chancellor and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli a year ago for the formation of an academic council. But Oli has not yet formed an academic council, Das says.

This news is confirms the lack of sincere attention from the government in education sector. The recurring irregularity and lack of serious response from the government in matters of higher education, ensures that the government is seeking for power control over long term agendas for sustainable development of the nation. It is an tragedy that the government that has a slogan as ‘Prosperous Nation, Happy Nepali ’ do not recognize a strong and emerging academic institutions in the country. 

- Another news discussed about the strike called by the professors of Sano Thimi campus against the irregularities done by the campus chief. The professors had restricted the campus chief to enter the vicinity of the campus. An open letter was written to the VC of TU calling for investigation.

- A news reported that the Appointment of Teachers selected from open competition has started. Teachers service commission had selected teachers based on development regions through open competition. It has now started to assign them based on district and subjects. In lack of Federal Education Act, the commission had called for positions based on existing Act. Though the commission has ask its Education Development and Coordination Units to appoint teachers only in coordinate with local governments.  There are 57,000 inadequate teachers in the community schools. In the first phase, the Commission recommended the appointment of 1,949 secondary level teachers.  Based on priority, the commission will appoint teachers who were already working in temporary positions, disability basis, preferring to local residence, and on the basis of capacity. There were advertisements for 12,739 posts called in three phases.

- The government has sought fresh applications for the post of vice-chair of the Medical Education Commission. Having cancelled all the applications received for the post, a three-member task force, which was formed to recommend names for the post, issued a re-application notice, recently. The committee said the applications received so far were incomplete as the applicants did not submit required testimonials and documents along with their applications. The commission has been envisioned as all powerful body to grant or revoke affiliationof medical colleges across the country and to regulate the entire medical educationsector.

Other news covered this week included the expensive courses in Open University due to lack of sufficient budget allocation from the government.  

'Education this Week' is a joint effort put to analyze the press coverage of education in Nepal’s selected print media published in Kathmandu. The main aim of this effort is to identify and explain major education issues picked up by the media and give back and foreground of the news.This, we believe, will help policy makers and other responsible people to keep abreast with ongoing concerns and discussions on and around education. EduKhabar, in collaboration with the Center for Educational Policies and Practices (CEPP) , has produced this analysis based on the news printed in Kantipur (Nepali) and The Himalayan Times (English), Dailies, Himal Weekly(Nepali) and BBC.com(international online portal)between July 17-23, 2019 (Sawan1-7, 2076)- Editor.

Read last week’s analysis : More reports of Corruption / Irregularity in higher education

All analysis read by this link : Education This week