KATHMANDU, July 20: Differing views among three ministries-- the ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of General Administration -- regarding the management of education service at the local-level and deputation of employees have made lawmakers worried.
In a meeting of the Legislature-Parliament's Development Committee today, secretaries from these ministries presented their differing views regarding the management of education service at the local-level. There are 2,702 employees including 22 joint secretaries under the Education Ministry.
Likewise, 1053 people serve as resource persons and around 200,000 are teachers. So far 78 joint secretaries (education) have been deputed at the local-level.
Lawmakers, suggesting the formation of a joint experts' taskforce among the three ministries, urged them to seek a solution to the matter. They sought seriousness from the Prime Minister and the ministerial-level to sort out the issues. Some lawmakers were of the view that right related to education like issue should not be devolved to the local level at once.
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Committee President Rabindra Adhikari, stating that republic and federalism were achieved due to combined struggle of political parties, directed the authorities concerned to manage human resources required for the local level as soon as possible so as to institutionalize such achievements.
The committee has demanded for bringing the policy and working procedure for the quality improvement and management of schools. The Development Committee and Women, Children, Aged Citizens and Social Welfare Committee would work jointly to this end, he added.
Lawmaker Top Bahadur Rayamajhi said that the centralized mentality was still dominant in the country which did not let the people feel the democratic change.
Lawmaker Ram Chandra Pokharel also complained that ministries had only presented the details of problems seen in deputing the employees at local level rather than showing the solution.
Present in the meeting were lawmakers Dr Ganesh Man Gurung, Ram Krishna Ghimire, Sita Giri, Tulsi Rana, Angdaba Sherpa, Shanta Manavi, Ranjana Sardar, Guru Burlakoti, Anita Devkota, Yagya Bahadur Thapa, Amar Singh Pun, Lalit Jung Shahi and Ram Kumar Bhattarai.
Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya also said that the authority regarding the management of the secondary education has been given to local bodies therefore, the central body does not have any rights regarding it.
Acting secretary at the Ministry of Education Surya Prasad Gautam stressed on coordination among the concerned bodies to manage the school level education. He added that the constitution has clearly mentioned such rights to local levels but all mechanism for the same was yet be developed and therefore central body was taking some responsibility in this connection.
Education expert, Dr Mana Prasad Wagle, said that the central bodies should coordinate among the concerned authorities for ensuring quality education.
He further claimed that the Education Ministry and Departments were still sending letters to schools which was wrong as such rights were constitutionally allocated to the local level. RSS
