Instruction in English medium attracting students to public schools
Sukkhet: Ashish Bam of Itram secured 91.57 percent in the district level examinations for grade eight and topped his class. Despite good grades, he left the private school and joined Itram Higher Secondary School next to his home.

Madan Thapa of the same village had also passed with flying colors, but he left his private school for a government school.

Currently, a majority of students from private schools in the district have been enrolling in government schools after the latter introduced instruction in English medium.

According to District Education Office (DEO), Surkhet around 1,500 students have already switched over to government run schools after they introduced instruction in English medium. “Enrollment of students in government schools has increased significantly,” said District Education Officer Ram Prasad Upadhaya.

In the current academic session, over a hundred students enrolled in Jana Higher Secondary School (JHSC), the oldest and biggest public school in Birendranagar. Of them, 206 students had earlier studied in private schools, said headmaster of the school Yam Prasad Shrestha.

“After we introduced English as the medium of instruction, many students have switched over from private schools to our school,” said Shrestha.

Kamala Khanal of Bhairabsthan said the teachers in government schools were better than that of private schools.

According to Upadhaya, more than 25 percent of government run schools use English and Nepali as the medium of instruction. “The Education Training Centre has been providing English language training to teachers,” informed DEO Upadhaya.

source: republica,16 may 2013