Kathmandu, May 13: Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Sashmit Pokharel, has said the literacy campaign in Madhes Province is not a formality but a significant initiative to bring social transformation and spur developments.
Minister Pokharel said it while receiving a report prepared by the ‘High-Level Expert Panel on Literate Madhes Province’ in Janakpurdham today. He thanked the high level task force for preparing the report with rigorous study and furnishing necessary suggestions to the government. He vowed the government would take necessary decisions after reading the report and suggestions.
A seven-member team was formed under the coordination of former government secretary Dr Ramswarup Sinha as per ministerial decision. The ministry decision focused on how Madhes Province could be declared literate in the current fiscal year.
He made it clear that the federal government would extend utmost support and coordination in realizing the campaign of making Madhes Province literate. The Minister also underlined the need of smooth coordination and collaboration among three levels of government in addition to support from schools, teachers, students and the related community.
According to him, a special campaign was essential targeting the illiterate citizens in the age group of 15 to 60. The learning methods should be also result-oriented, he added.
On the occasion, Madhes Province’s Minister for Education and Culture, Rani Kumari Tiwari, questioned investment in education sector in relation to its result. She also suggested utmost cooperation among all three tiers of government and school teachers so that Madhes Province can be declared literate within two months left for this current fiscal year.
Chair of the Women, Children and Social Justice Committee of the Parliament, Rupa Yadav, also thanked the expert team which studied the status of literacy/illiteracy in Madhes Province and forwarded suggestion for reform.
Similarly, Member of the House of Representatives, Manish Jha, believed the study recommendations would be useful to guarantee the fundamental right of citizens and bring foundational reform in education sector in Madhes Province.
Task force coordinator Sinha presented the basic content of the report such as the literacy status of Madhes Province, hindrances to illiteracy, and the strategies and new practices essential to solve the problems.
Moreover, Director General at the Education and Human Resource Development Centre, Ana Prasad Neupane, opined that the students of Grades 10, 11 and 12 could be mobilized for the literacy drive in Madhes Province.
