Kathmandu, July 10. According to government data, more than 100,000 Nepali students go abroad every year for studies. A large number of those who go abroad are class 12 pass out.
Following the increase in the number of students going abroad, the government brought the Foreign Study Approval Guideline 2079 BS in February last year. It was mentioned that no objection letter (NOC) should be obtained for higher education (graduation level or above).
There was a heated debate after this guideline did not give NOC to those who have passed class 12. However, the controversy ended when the Ministry of Education issued guidelines to give NOC to students who have passed class 12.
The Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday debated whether to allow him to go abroad for studies after passing class 12.
“They don’t mature as soon as they pass class 12. Even if you go to study, you have to work abroad. They are suffering a lot,” said UML lawmaker Nainkala Thapa.
For a long time, class 10 was called secondary education. However, the constitution of 2072 defined up to class 12 as secondary education. The government has brought a bill to amend some Nepal Acts to make the Scholarship Act 2021 relevant as per the constitution.
During the discussion on the bill, the lawmakers debated the level at which it would be appropriate to send them abroad after reading. The lawmakers proposed to stop going abroad to study without graduation. Some lawmakers were of the opinion that they should be allowed to study abroad after the Secondary Education Examination (SEE), not class 12.
UML lawmaker Nainkala Thapa said that the constitution has said that compulsory and free education up to class 12 should be taught in Nepal even after that. “It is the responsibility of the state till Class 12. Let’s see how much this responsibility has been fulfilled or not,” she said, “But now let’s stop the system of going abroad to study as soon as we pass class 12 and at least have a bachelor’s degree.” ’
He says that it is like going abroad to study as soon as he passes class 12. “They don’t mature as soon as they pass class 12. Even if you go to study, you have to work abroad. They are suffering a lot,” she said.
Janata Samajbadi Party lawmaker Ranju Kumari Jha also stressed the need to review the policy of allowing students to go abroad as soon as they pass class 12. “It’s not mature. It’s also a bad age. The state should take care of it,” she said.
He argued that he should be allowed to go abroad only in special circumstances such as being abroad, having to go abroad with employment or state responsibility.
He believes that if arrangements are made to go abroad to study only after graduation, they will get good work in their respective countries and return to Nepal after a certain time.
Sher Bahadur Kunwar of Unified Socialist Party also said that only students who have received scholarships should be allowed to study abroad. “In case of getting the scholarship, let’s give a no-objection letter and take care of the rest,” kunwar said.
Nepali Congress lawmaker Jeevan Pariyar opined that he should be allowed to study abroad only after giving the SEE. “After passing class 10, someone wants to go to study technical studies and if he needs a no-objection letter, he should be given,” he said.
CpN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Ram Kumar Rai also said that the state should facilitate in special cases and in case of scholarships, otherwise the state should be responsible for allowing them to study abroad. Rai, who stressed on changing the education policy, said, “Let us adopt an education policy that encourages them to join the productive sector.” ’
RASTRIYA Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan said that after passing class 12, one should not be stopped from going abroad to study.
CpN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Purna Bahadur Gharti also said that the state should facilitate if the family wants to study abroad after class 12. “Only the children of the high-rich can go abroad to study if we say so only after graduation,” gharti said.
Stating that Nepal has also adopted the policy of earning by studying, he said that the state should welcome anyone who goes abroad to earn by studying.
Nepali Congress lawmaker Jeevan Pariyar argued that he should be allowed to study abroad after passing the SEE. Stating that the concept of global village is moving forward and the importance of technical education has increased, he further said, “After passing class 10, someone wants to go to study technical and if you need a no objection letter, then it should be given.” ’
कांग्रेसकी सांसद नागिना यादवले पनि विदेश पढ्न जान्छु भन्ने विद्यार्थीलाई अपरिपक्व भन्न नहुने बताइन् । ‘विवाह गर्ने उमेर १८ वर्षमा झारौं भनिरहेका छौं । बिहे गर्ने, बच्चा जन्माउन तयार हुने जति व्यवहारिक के हुन्छ ? त्यसकारण विदेश पढ्न जान रोक्न हुँदैन’, सांसद यादवले भनिन् ।
के भन्छ सरकार ?
शिक्षा, विज्ञान तथा प्रविधि मन्त्रालयका सचिव डा. दीपक काफ्लेका अनुसार २०७२ सालसम्म कक्षा ११ र १२ लाई उच्च माध्यमिक शिक्षाको मान्यता दिइएको थियो । त्यसबेलासम्म कक्षा १० पास गरेपछि विदेश पढ्न जान सकिन्थ्यो ।
पछिल्लो पटक फागुनमा छात्रवृत्ति ऐन २०२१ अन्तर्गत निर्देशिका बनाएर कक्षा १२ पास गरेकाहरुलाई मात्र अध्ययनका लागि विदेश जान दिने व्यवस्था गरिएको छ ।
स्नातक तह पास गरेपछि मात्र अध्ययनका लागि विदेश जान दिनुपर्ने सांसदहरुको मततर्फ संकेत गर्दैै शिक्षा सचिव काफ्लेले संविधानले अनिवार्य भनेको माध्यमिक तहसम्म नेपालमै पढ्नुपर्ने बाध्यकारी व्यवस्था देखाउन सकिने बताए ।
साथै नो अब्जेक्सन लेटर लिएर गएका सबै कामै गर्नका लागि गएको भनेर भन्न नहुने बताए । ‘सम्बन्धित विश्वविद्यालयले भर्ना लिनका लागि स्वीकृति प्रदान गरिसकेको अवस्थामा नो अब्जेक्सन लेटरको प्रक्रिया अगाडि बढ्छ । यसकारण पढ्नकै लागि जाने हुन्’, उनले भने । यसरी गएकाहरुले सम्बन्धित विश्वविद्यालयको निगरानीबेगर काम गर्नु कानुन विपरीत हुने उनले बताए ।
कानुन न्याय तथा संसदीय मामिलामन्त्री अजयकुमार चौरसियाले कक्षा १२ पास गरेपछि विदेश पढ्न जान पाउने वर्तमान व्यवस्था नै उचित हुने राय दिए । विदेश पढ्न जान पाउने तह निर्धारणमा शिक्षासम्बन्धी संघीय ऐन बनाउँदा थप छलफल गर्न सकिने भन्दै उनले छात्रवृत्ति ऐनको संशोधन अगाडि बढाउन आग्रह गरे ।
लामो छलफल र मन्त्रीको प्रस्तावपछि पनि समितिले कुन तह पास गरेपछि मात्र विद्यार्थीहरुलाई विदेशमा अध्ययन गर्न जान दिने भनेर प्रष्ट निर्णय गरेको छैन । सभापति विमला सुवेदीले विधेयकको अर्को दफमाथि छलफल अगाडि बढाइन् ।
सांसदहरुका अनुसार अब विधेयकलाई अन्तिम रुप दिने बेला यो विषयमा छलफल हुनेछ । तर, बिहीबारको छलफलले कक्षा १२ पास गरेपछि विदेश पढ्ने जान पाउने वर्तमान व्यवस्थाले नै निरन्तरता पाउने संकेत गरेको छ ।
