By Manjima Dhakal

Kathmandu, May 16: “Making all citizens patriot, hopeful towards the future, civilised, cultured, qualified, competitive, innovative and self-respective will be the education policy of this government" President Bidya Devi Bhandari said while unveiling the policy and programme of the government on Friday.
According to her, promoting online education across the country, expanding technical education in all public schools, providing skills and vocational training with special focus on youth and converting universities into research centres are the main education plans of the government.
The government in the policy and programme has given high priority to the extension of online education in the community schools. Under its policy, the government will first provide high speed internet service in all community schools across the country.
Appointment of qualified teachers and their development and mobilisation are other priorities.
“The community schools will be the centre of quality education,” the President said.
The policy also included a plan to develop early child development centres in the participation of the local governments.
The government will assure an environment for all children to complete at least secondary level education, she said, adding that the community schools having small number of students would be merged.
Likewise, the government has a policy to produce skilled and educated manpower according to prior projection as required. The government would give continuity to its old plan to declare literate Nepal by next fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the government has emphasised production of specialised manpower in its higher education policy to prepare skilled workforce in the sectors of construction, social development, agriculture, forestry, medicine, ayurveda, environment, tourism, engineering, artificial intelligence, mines and hydropower.
The government has also planned to develop infrastructure of Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology and Yogmaya Ayurveda University and improve Tribhuvan University as a specialised research center of the nation.
As previous year, the government has also planned to mobilise graduate students in volunteerism under 'make known our own soil, build your own country' programme.