By Manjima Dhakal

Kathmandu, Nov. 8

The government has a scheme to establish specialised secondary schools in the area of science, music, sports, herbal, Ayurveda and other streams under its plan to extend the opportunities of science and technology education.

This is one of the plans included in the National Education Policy-2076 that was unveiled by the government on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) on Thursday to inform about the newly unveiled policy, Minister for Education Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel said that the unveiling of the new policy was an important achievement of the government because it was the first integrated education policy ever introduced in Nepal.

Minister Pokharel said the policy had paved the way for formulating School Education Act, Higher Education Act and Technical Education Act.

According to the new policy, the government will establish a Higher Education Council in the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to regulate and manage the higher education programmes effectively.

The policy envisaged that the government would run entrepreneurship programme to connect technical and vocational education with an eye on producing skilled manpower. The government has also planned to restructure the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) to bring effectiveness.

Likewise, the policy has a strategy to mobilise the university graduates as volunteer teachers under a programme called ‘National Development Service’.

The policy has also envisaged to conduct programmes for professional development of teachers and rewards for the best teachers.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Management Education (STEM Education) will be the main focus of the education system, the policy said.