KATHMANDU: Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel has said the government is preparing to revise the national school curriculum framework to align it with changing educational needs and contemporary realities.
Responding to lawmakers’ questions during discussions on the ministry’s Appropriation Bill in the House of Representatives on Thursday, Pokharel said a task force has already been formed to carry out the revision of the national curriculum framework for school education.
He expressed confidence that the revised framework would bring significant improvements to school education by making it more relevant to current social, economic, and technological contexts.
The minister also said the government plans to take necessary measures in the upcoming fiscal year regarding school mapping and restructuring, including merging schools with extremely low student enrollment or downgrading their academic levels based on geographical distance and other criteria.
However, he clarified that no student would be deprived of their right to education solely because of school mergers prompted by low enrollment.
Pokharel further announced that a comprehensive survey of all community schools will be conducted next year to assess physical infrastructure and other key aspects. A detailed report will then be prepared to guide future budget allocations and infrastructure development initiatives.
He added that the forthcoming School Education Act and related regulations will establish standards for teacher-student ratios across schools.
The minister noted that current challenges in the education sector stem partly from past decisions that failed to manage teacher and staff positions according to actual needs, instead relying on temporary measures to address immediate problems.
Pokharel also informed Parliament that athletes who win gold medals at the Asian Games have been granted lifelong monthly allowances by the government in recognition of their achievements.
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