State needs to increase investment in education: Minister Pokharel

Kathmandu. Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, has said that the State needs to increase investment in the education sector.

Addressing a consultation seminar on ‘School Management and Curriculum Management’ as part of homework on the drafting of School Education Bill organized by the Ministry of Education and Sports here today, Minister Pokharel said that education is a worldwide practice to invest at least 20 per cent of the total budget.

According to him, less than 11 percent of the total budget is allocated to the education sector in Nepal. According to him, an additional five billion rupees have been allocated for the education sector and the budget for education could be increased in the current fiscal year.

He said, “Today, the federal government’s budget for education is less. There is a global practice that we should allocate 20 percent of the entire budget to education in the country’s scenario as far as possible. We’re down to about 11 percent, with education going up in fiscal years. It may be around 11 percent, and it could be even more ‘

Minister Pokharel stressed the need to give priority to students, schools and the suggestions of various levels of government while preparing the draft of School Education Bill.

He thanked the participants for giving suggestions keeping the voice of the students at the center during the consultation.

“In the past, I heard fewer students’ voices, but today I heard a little more students,” he said. I would like to thank all those who gave suggestions keeping the voice of the students at the center, keeping the school at the center. ’

According to him, coordination and collaboration among the federal, state and local governments should be made more effective. He stressed the need of clarifying the rights and responsibilities related to education and increasing coordination among the three tiers of government.

He said that the Ministry is preparing to forward the bill by incorporating the suggestions of the stakeholders in the formulation of school management, curriculum and education policy.