Educational Business in Nepal

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

I got a call from one of my colleagues seeking for admission in class 11 from the nearest school which has been running +2 college. He called me to get some support to recommend our students who have passed out the SLC examination just a month ago. He also urged me to be together for tea. It is evident that such institutions have been highly commercialized in our country. 

The government has eliminated Intermediate program from Universities so the students have only one choice of +2 colleges. Though this sector is the highly commercialized, the students have only one choice who have been seeking good career in their life. Students have chosen these institutions according to their payment capacity and their interest. The colleges have been advertising through banners, posters, flex boards, radio and television etc. It seems that it is one of the highly competitive businesses in these days.

The college operators and the students have such competition that they would change it into a business of commodity. Both of the partners have played the role equally as mentioned by Aurini (2006). The students and parents have taken it as strategy whereas the investors have taken it as business entity. So they engage in bargaining and the meeting point is that they would come to the consensus. The students have also chosen the best one with their aspirations along with the payment capacity and the investors have taken it as selling goods to the clients.

The relation of client and the businessmen have been running in a full swing. The parents have also taken it as the chance of meeting their aspirations along with their children. On the other hand, the investors have also the same interest to promote their business.

The government has been a spectator of the magicians: students, parents and investors. The country, however should have assured that education and its quality should meet to the national criteria. Instead the government has played the role of the spectator who has watched the film till the end of it. The government neither can set the rules nor can it supervise the institutions. Rather it has been a spectator where the play is going on the stage.

The commercialization of education can be good with some motive but highly commercialized market of +2 can’t produce good result in the future. +2 education is compulsory or its not the choice so the commercialization can’t be taken easily. The nature of +2 education in the nation is too much fragile. So the situation of the country is heading towards hell. It should have been corrected on time neither would it be taken negative way so the country can’t control itself.

Private involvement in education can be good to some extent along with the motto of neolibralism. But the nature and motive of Nepalese +2 education is too much brittle. It can be broken in-on-time; thus the concerned authority should think it on time.