The guideline, prepared by a nine-member committee led by DoE Director Tek Naryan Pandey, includes a provision on limiting the weight of school bags depending on the grade of students. [break]
As per the provision, the bags of students of class 1 to 5 should not exceed 4 kg, including textbooks, other education materials and a lunch box. Likewise, students of class 5 to 8 can carry 6 kg and those in the secondary level can carry a bag weighing not more than 8 kg. The guideline also states that the pre-primary class students need not carry school bags.
The responsible government authority can scrap the license of the schools flouting the rule, said Pandey.
The guideline also directs the schools with foreign names, mainly those which have been promoting themselves as international schools, to adopt a Nepali name.
“Only the schools that have at least one percent foreign nationals out of the total students can call themselves international schools,” said Suprabhat Bhandari, member of the guideline drafting committee and chairman of the Guardian Association of Nepal.
The schools named after eminent scientists, philosophers, poets and international leaders need not change their names, he added. Some schools have already changed their names, whereas many others have sought more time with the government to change their names from new academic session that begins from mid-March.
The capital city can have up to 10 primary and five secondary schools in each ward, whereas the government education offices in four sub-metropolitan cities are authorized to register seven primary and three secondary schools in each ward.
Likewise, VDCs with less than 500 school going children can have five primary and two secondary schools, while VDCs with more school goers can have seven primary and three secondary schools.
The guideline has also made it mandatory for the private and boarding schools to ensure scholarships for 10 percent of the total students enrolled.
Highlights of Private and Boarding Schools Guideline 2013:
- Private schools with very poor infrastructure to get merged or scrapped
- A piece of open land for conducting school assembly and as playground must for a school
- Cleanliness and greenery in school premise have to be maintained
- One toilet per 50 students, separate toilets and changing rooms for girls
- Schools not to spend more than Rs 500,000 in advertisement per year
- Revision of admission and tuition fees
Related story
In lack of good schools in Siraha, children go to Indian school...
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
