KATHMANDU, Feb 20: The Ministry of Education (MoE) is seeking an alternative to the district education offices once they cease to exist from April 11 in the new federal setup.
With less than two months left for the annulment of the existing bodies, the government is yet to establish new coordinating bodies in the districts to conduct the examinations of grades X, XI and XII.
As per the Local Government Operation Act 2017, all the district education offices across the country will be annulled from April 11.
MoE in dilemma over exit point for secondary education
After April 11, the district education offices, which have been working as the apex body of education at the district level, will cease to exist, according to high-ranking officials at the MoE.
"There will be lack of coordinating bodies in the districts to carry out different works when the schools will be operated under the local bodies," said an official requesting anonymity.
The ministry has proposed four options to carry out educational activities, said Dr Hari Prasad Lamsal, spokesman at the MoE. "The Local Government Operation Act 2017 has provisioned 23 functions of district education offices to be executed by the local bodies. However, there are other vital concerns unaddressed by the Act. So, we have prepared four options to replace the district education offices," said Lamsal.
There won't be any responsible authority to hold the examinations of grades X, XI and XII after dissolving the district education offices, according to Lamsal. "Similarly, the process of curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation of teachers and coordination with schools as well as tasks relating to technical education will be badly affected after April 11," he added.
One of the four alternatives to the district education offices proposed by the ministry is to retain a branch of the education office at the District Coordination Committee. Other options include keeping a branch of provincial education office in the districts, formation of division office for education and appointing an education field office under the federal government, according to the MoE.
"These concerns are being discussed at the secretary level," said Lamsal. "We will propose the government to endorse one of these alternatives," he added.
"But tabling one of them in the cabinet for endorsement will be possible only after the appointment of education minister," he concluded. "The government can also bring other options to solve the problem of coordinating body in the districts."
