A consultative meeting on reforming the education system was held in Biratnagar, jointly organized by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Koshi Province Government. In the meeting, Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai emphasized the need for coordination and cooperation among the three tiers of government while stressing the importance of quality education.
She said, “The constitution has allocated powers; all three levels of federalism have specialized powers, but there are also tasks that can be carried out jointly. Cooperation among the three levels of government is necessary to implement the Compulsory and Free Education Act.” She added that employment opportunities should be created for young people within the country, and no one should be deprived of education at the basic level.
Speaking at the program, Minister Bhattarai mentioned that Parliament is considering the Education Bill and hopes for its positive outcomes. She believed that the federal government and the provincial and local levels must share responsibility and contribute to educational efforts. She stated that local levels must establish a local education fund from their budgets.
Noting that the program's conclusions will serve as an essential input for the overall reform of the education system, she announced that such meetings will be conducted in all seven provinces. The findings from each province will be synthesized and presented to the relevant committee, based on which policy and budget decisions will be made in the days ahead.
At the program, Chief Minister of Koshi Province Hikmat Kumar Karki highlighted the need for reforms in the education sector. He praised the Federal Ministry of Education for holding the meeting and expressed the province government’s readiness to cooperate with the federal government. Although the Federal Education Act was not introduced on time, he stated that one should not merely point to the absence of acts and regulations. Still, he should direct employees to complete tasks promptly.
Pointing out the need for special partnerships in higher education, Chief Minister Karki stressed the importance of improving the quality of government schools and prioritizing the amalgamation of schools. “A policy should be introduced to establish residential schools in the Himalayan region and provide bus services in the Terai,” he said. He requested the federal government to prioritize school amalgamation.
Provincial assembly members who participated in the meeting presented various problems and suggestions related to the education sector. They discussed technical and vocational education management, teacher management, curriculum reform, and budget allocation.
Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai chaired the meeting. Provincial Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki, provincial assembly members, ministry secretaries, and others were present. At the meeting, Joint Secretary of the federal ministry Shiva Kumar Sapkota and Undersecretary of the Koshi Province Ministry of Social Development Gopal Dahal gave presentations on the provincial government's authority, the province's role in the proposed School Education Bill, budget allocation, the province’s main programs, and other related subjects.
