Students organisations Tuesday announced their new phase of protest programmes following a deadlock in talks with the government on Monday over the issue of declaring secondary education free. They stick to their demand that education must be made free up to the secondary level.
The coalition of seven student organisations has called on parents and the students not to pay any fees to schools until all their demands are fulfilled.
In a three-hour-long meeting with the students held on Monday, the government had fulfilled all their demands except the demand for free education up to secondary level.
The government contention was that it was impossible to declare public secondary education free overnight from the government’s regular budget.
"The government has neither the resources nor any intention to declare secondary education free for all students," Ministry officials said here Tuesday.
"We suggested the formation of a taskforce, which they disregarded, leaving the meeting deadlocked though the talks were conducted in a relaxed and open atmosphere," said Ministry spokesperson Laba Prasad Tripathee. "It is impossible to declare secondary education free but the student leaders do not understand that."
He said that it would cost not less than Rs 6.5 billion to make secondary education completely free, as demanded by the student groups. "Some sort of a miracle has to occur in the present gloomy sate of the economy and the country’s slothful productivity to generate more revenue to meet this demand."
Of the total of Rs 30 billion generated as revenue, Rs 11.5 billion is consumed by the education sector alone, said Tripathee. "From where are we to find an extra Rs 6.5 billion to meet the cost involved in providing free education from six through ten grades? It’s impossible."
A meeting of the seven student organisations today decided to wage a series of protest programmes. From June 18 to 21, they have decided to launch what they describe as "publicity campaign". From June 22 onwards, they are set to close down principals’ offices of PABSON, N-PABSAN and the Higher Secondary Education Board "indefinitely".
Similarly, they are determined to lock the principals’ offices and account counters of private schools charging more than Rs 1,000 from a single student as monthly fees. Further, on June 24, they are to organise what they describe as "public hearing programme" to voice their demands and win popular support, a joint press statement signed by the leaders of all seven student organisations stated here.
They have also threatened the custodian of schools, with "stern action" if fees are collected from students during the interim until the government meets all their demands.
"Education has never been free and will never be. The question is who is going to pay? If a son bears the cost, it will be the tuition fee but if it is borne by the parents, it will be a kind of tax, leaving education to be free," said Dr Tirtha Khaniya, educationalist.
"Students should talk with Finance Ministry not with the Education Ministry," he said.
"The students’ demands seem never-ending. They come, one-after-the-other and are confusing," said an observer unwilling to disclose his name.
The coalition of seven student organisations has a 58-point demand with the Tribhuvan University (TU), which seemed to have been fulfilled. Now they have come up with a fresh nine-point demand with regard to private and boarding schools, demands on public schools and separate demands with regard to Mahendra Sanskrit University.
"Our demands will not end with free education up to secondary level," said Guru Raj Ghimire, president of Nepal Students’ Union. The NSU and six other student groups are not willing to give up unless the government makes education free up to the secondary level.
The coalition of seven student organisations has called on parents and the students not to pay any fees to schools until all their demands are fulfilled.
In a three-hour-long meeting with the students held on Monday, the government had fulfilled all their demands except the demand for free education up to secondary level.
The government contention was that it was impossible to declare public secondary education free overnight from the government’s regular budget.
"The government has neither the resources nor any intention to declare secondary education free for all students," Ministry officials said here Tuesday.
"We suggested the formation of a taskforce, which they disregarded, leaving the meeting deadlocked though the talks were conducted in a relaxed and open atmosphere," said Ministry spokesperson Laba Prasad Tripathee. "It is impossible to declare secondary education free but the student leaders do not understand that."
He said that it would cost not less than Rs 6.5 billion to make secondary education completely free, as demanded by the student groups. "Some sort of a miracle has to occur in the present gloomy sate of the economy and the country’s slothful productivity to generate more revenue to meet this demand."
Of the total of Rs 30 billion generated as revenue, Rs 11.5 billion is consumed by the education sector alone, said Tripathee. "From where are we to find an extra Rs 6.5 billion to meet the cost involved in providing free education from six through ten grades? It’s impossible."
A meeting of the seven student organisations today decided to wage a series of protest programmes. From June 18 to 21, they have decided to launch what they describe as "publicity campaign". From June 22 onwards, they are set to close down principals’ offices of PABSON, N-PABSAN and the Higher Secondary Education Board "indefinitely".
Similarly, they are determined to lock the principals’ offices and account counters of private schools charging more than Rs 1,000 from a single student as monthly fees. Further, on June 24, they are to organise what they describe as "public hearing programme" to voice their demands and win popular support, a joint press statement signed by the leaders of all seven student organisations stated here.
They have also threatened the custodian of schools, with "stern action" if fees are collected from students during the interim until the government meets all their demands.
"Education has never been free and will never be. The question is who is going to pay? If a son bears the cost, it will be the tuition fee but if it is borne by the parents, it will be a kind of tax, leaving education to be free," said Dr Tirtha Khaniya, educationalist.
"Students should talk with Finance Ministry not with the Education Ministry," he said.
"The students’ demands seem never-ending. They come, one-after-the-other and are confusing," said an observer unwilling to disclose his name.
The coalition of seven student organisations has a 58-point demand with the Tribhuvan University (TU), which seemed to have been fulfilled. Now they have come up with a fresh nine-point demand with regard to private and boarding schools, demands on public schools and separate demands with regard to Mahendra Sanskrit University.
"Our demands will not end with free education up to secondary level," said Guru Raj Ghimire, president of Nepal Students’ Union. The NSU and six other student groups are not willing to give up unless the government makes education free up to the secondary level.
