उच्चस्तरीय शिक्षा अयोग गठन

रुबी रौनियार

बदलिँदो परिवेश अनुसार शिक्षा क्षेत्रलाई नयाँ व्यवस्थापन गर्ने लक्ष्यसहित मन्त्रिपरिषदको शुक्रबार बसेको बैठकले उच्चस्तरीय शिक्षा अयोग गठन गरेको छ।  

शिक्षामन्त्री चित्रलेखा यादवको अध्यक्षतामा गठित १७ सदस्यीय आयोगले समग्र शिक्षा क्षेत्रमा समय र देशपरिवेश सुहाउँदो नयाँ शिक्षा नीतिका लागि सिफारिस गर्ने बताइएको छ। आयोग उपाध्यक्षमा त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयका पूर्व उपकुलपति केदारभक्त माथेमा छन्। सदस्यहरुमा सुरेशराज शर्मा, तीर्थराज खनिया लगायत छन्।

शिक्षा मन्त्रालयका प्रवक्ता हरि लम्सालले मन्त्रिपरिषदले गठन गरेको उच्चस्तरीय शिक्षा आयोगले देशको आवश्यकता र मागअनुसार विद्यालयदेखि उच्च शिक्षासम्मको नयाँ नीति तय गर्नेतर्फ काम अघि बढाउने जनाए। आयोग सदस्य एवं काठमाडौं विश्वविद्यालयका पूर्व उपकुलपति सुरेशराज शर्माले सरकारले समग्र शिक्षा क्षेत्रमा नयाँ आयाम थप्ने उद्देश्यले समय र देशसुहाउँदो शिक्षा नीति ल्याउन उच्चस्तरीय शिक्षा अयोग गठन गरेको बताए। उनले अबको शिक्षा नीति सीपमूलक, प्रविधियुक्त र रोजगार सृजना गर्ने किसिमको हुनेतर्फ आयोगले जोड दिने सुनाए।

आफु पनि विज्ञानको विद्यार्थी भएको र हालको युग विज्ञान प्रविधिको युग भएकोले देशको आवश्यक्तामा आधारित प्रतिस्पर्धायुक्त उत्पादनमुलक जनशक्ति तयार पार्न तर्फ शिक्षा नीति ल्याउने पर्ने उनको भनाई छ।

देशमा ठूलो राजनिति उथल पुथल भयो। समय निकै परिवर्तन भइसक्यो तर शिक्षा निति राणाकालिननै भएकोले विश्वविद्यालयहरु बेरोजगार उत्पादन गर्ने थलो बन्दै गएको छ। तीन दशकअघि गाउघरमा शिक्षा पुगेकै थिए। राणाकालिन समयमा २ प्रतिशत जनता मात्र साक्षर थिए। तर १५ वर्ष अघि मात्र युनेस्कोको सबैकोलागि शिक्षा भन्ने अभियान चलायो। यसले नेपालमा पनि नागरिकहरुलाई अक्षर चिनाउने काम गर्यो तर रोजगार सृजना गर्ने अक्षरै चिनाउन नसकेकोक कारण ठूलो युवा जमातहरु बेरोजगार बनेको उनले जनाए।

‘गठित उच्च शिक्षा आयोगमा प्राविधिक,मेडिकलदेखि साधारण शिक्षाको समयनुकुल अध्ययन अनुसन्धान गरी देशको माग र आवश्यक्ता अनुसारको नयाँ शिक्षा नीति ल्याउन अयोगले काम गर्ने छ,'आयोग सदस्य शर्माले नागरिकसँग भने‘यसले विद्यालयदेखि विश्वविद्यालयसम्मको शिक्षा नीतिमा नयाँ आयाम थप्ने छ।'

हुनत सरकारले २०४९ र २०५५ सालतिर पनि शिक्षा अयोग गठन गरेका थिए। तर विभिन्न कारणले त्यो सक्रिय हुन नसकेको अवगत गराउँदै अबको उच्चस्तरीय आयोगले जिम्मेवारीपुर्ण आफनो कार्य गर्ने प्रतिबद्धतचा समेत जनाए। ‘हाल हाम्रो देशमा पुरुस र महिलाको शैक्षिक स्तर करिब समान हुन थालेको छ,'शिक्षाविद शर्माले नागरिकसँग भने‘तर हाम्रो शिक्षा नीति उही चार दशक पुराना छन्। आजको युग सिप,प्राविधि युक्त ब्यवस्थापन गर्न सक्ने शिक्षा नितिको आवश्यक्ता छ।'उनले थपे‘अबको शिक्षा नितिले युवाहरुको हातहातमा सिप दिएर रोजगार सृजना गर्नसक्ने किसीमो शिक्षा दिन सक्ने हुनु पर्छ।'

डिग्री र परीक्षामुखि शिक्षा नीतिको अन्त गर्न पनि नयाँ शिक्षा नितिको आवश्यक छ। जुन उच्चस्तरीय शिक्षा आयोगको जिम्मेवारी हुने उनको भनाई छ।

Source:  http://nagariknews.com/society/nation/story/35551.html 

Local Mess

Purna Bahdur Thapa/ Maheshwor Rijal 

Village Development Committees in Nepal function, in principle, as the decentralized local governance bodies working at the grassroots, which are also taken as leading development agents. But in absence of elected local bodies since 2002, VDC secretaries have been working as chairpersons with executive authority in these bodies.  But their working modalities are not people-friendly thus victimizing the very people whom they aim to serve. The prolonged absence of elected representative, abuse of public authority and misuse of development budgets has hindered the pace of development. As the VDC secretaries do not carry out their duties responsibly, there is no good governance in the local bodies. This article attempts to explore the existing scenario of corruption, and unethical behavior at VDC offices. 

Integrity refers to being honest and trustworthy. This comprises moral consciousness and loyalty to one’s own values. Local bodies need people guided by this principle but there is conspicuous lack of such people. It is obvious that VDCs have been receiving millions of budget from the government, which is increasing every year. It is VDC secretaries who are responsible for overall planning and budgeting of development activities and programs. However, in absence of elected representatives and civil servants, VDC secretaries have to work both in the capacity of people’s representatives and the managers and administrators. This has created fertile ground for corruption. Collusion among the political parties to misuse the local budget has made the situation even worse.

There is nominal development outcome despite huge money funneled for village development. Yet nobody seems to care. As VDC secretaries represent the government, they are least accountable to people. They misuse social security allowance by producing fake data of the dead and migrated people. Most graft cases are related with local bodies. Commission for Investigation and Abuse of Authority (CIAA) report shows 11,000 corruption cases related with local bodies.

Rising corruption at the local bodies has frustrated local youths. They see going abroad as the only escape from this mess. Thus corrupt officials not only corrupt the national resource, but also erode working environment for country’s youths. We are backward in development because of lack of dedicated and loyal personnel. If we cannot change the situation, we will remain backward forever. 

Government of Nepal has adopted policy of zero tolerance on corruption. But this has not been practiced on the ground.  Corruption is rampant in local bodies though there are a number of Acts and Regulations in place to discourage grafts. Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002, and National Anti-corruption Strategy 2009 highlight the need for preventing corruption in the public sector.  The government has made the provision of social audit, financial audit and public hearing in the local bodies to ensure transparency and accountability.  CIAA has also been filing cases against the wrongdoers. But nothing has stopped corruption at the local level. So what should be done?

We believe that we need to develop absolute integrity and trustworthiness in local officers.

Integrity in local actors is vital. Thus it is time to use this moral tool which link with the individual belief, values and ethics as a tool to fight graft. VDC secretaries should stop supporting political parties and political parties should stop interfering in VDC work. Developing moral values alone may not be able to abolish graft in the local bodies but it will surely have positive outcomes. For the permanent solution, however, we must hold the election of the local bodies at the earliest and fill the vacuum.

Meanwhile, it is also vital to have men with integrity, self-commitment and proven dedication at the local bodies. This should be the first step towards creating a corruption-free society.  This can also be the means of making vital services available to the people in the remote areas.

 http://new.myrepublica.com/opinion/item/16798-local-mess.html#sthash.CWd105gk.dpuf  

Please Implement Semester!!

Maheshwor Rijal

Implementing the semester system for the master level courses in all its constituents’ colleges of Tribhuvan University in the Kathmandu valley has been recently cancelled due to the pressure from the students’ unions, blaming the decision was wrong as there are no adequate preparation and management regarding the physical infrastructures, the curriculum/syllabus design and the teachers’ availability.  Some says this is good to not to implement decision now as this not apt time. But, there are some circles of intellectual opposing the decision saying why the semester is a matter of headache for students’ union padlocking the campuses and threatening the college administration?  This was the great debate in academia recently.

Yes, we have been following the yearly education system except some faculties since a long decade in TU. I am not blaming the yearly based education system, but in the context of Nepal, everyone can see this is not effective since there is lack of platform for the research based learning.  This makes students only exam oriented all the time. Anyone can see, in the testing modalities of year based model of education, students go to the exam centre with piles of book and reading in the toilets.  And it is not contextual to test the students a year’s learning achievement within three/four hours of paper pencil test.  Thus, Nepali academia needs to have paradigm shift in terms of quality to get international recognition so that students would be autonous and the unemployment rate will get reduced.

Let me reflect myself here. I did my Bachelor from TU following the yearly system of education and completed the master level of study from the Kathmandu University under the semester system a year back. Then, I have found the remarkable difference in terms of teaching techniques, the guidance of the teachers, and the testing and evaluation.  I was examined every time by the tutors and busy in the research and the project works. There was no fear of examination since I was not judged only by paper pencil examination, and the more, I was evaluated based on my performance in every task assigned.  This makes me autonomous and proactive.  Thus, semester system has bundles of advantages if this is used wisely. 

Where there is a problem there is a solution also.  We need to make the academia as the centre of the excellence in the international community enhancing its quality. It’s urgent to reform the education of the varsity though there are challenges to implement the semester system as there is no appropriate preparation including the management in terms of input, process and output. We need to change the education system to make students proactive and develop learners’ autonomy.  In TU the students’ density is high and some students only appear in examination without taking classes.  For this case of students TU should lunch special package like distance or open mode of education.  For others, semester model is fine, I think.

Now, it’s time to seek the educational transformation breaking the boundary of route learning, memorization and banking modalities of education.  Only getting number in the examination is not an end, rather there is urgent need to make academia as a centre of excellence allowing research based learning so that there would be transformative and progressive changes in society. I, therefore, urge implementing semester in varsity is necessary to uplift the quality standards of education.