Education experts today said financial irregularities and arrears in the education sector posed a big challenge.

1. Irregularities, arrears rife in education sector, say experts.
Education experts today said financial irregularities and arrears in the education sector posed a
big challenge.
Speaking at an interaction on ‘Good Governance in Education’ organised jointly by Education
Journalists Network and Loo Niva Child Concern Group today, they said that due to financial
irregularities and an old education system, the government was not getting the expected result.
Babu Ram Gautam, spokesperson, Office of the Auditor General said that the major problem the
education sector was facing these days was financial irregularities.
He said there were arrears in government bodies from primary schools to the education ministry.
“There was more than Rs 37 billion arrears last year in the 256 education related committees and
councils,” he informed.
Likewise, there were Rs 2.75 billion arrears in the 140 government offices from the Regional
Education Directorate to District Education Offices across the country, he added.
He further said that arrears were prevalent in the university too. “All arrears do not mean
corruption, but if there are arrears it is perceived as corruption,” he said adding, “The quality
education has improved a lot these days, but along with improvement, corruption in education
has also increased and is deep-rooted.”
According to OAG, there are more arrears in the education system due to problems such as dual
salary release of teachers, physical infrastructure development, operation of fake schools among
others. Dr Laba Dev Awasthi, director general, Department of Education, said good governance
was possible if everyone respected laws.
He also claimed that the government had improved a lot on many issues such as clearing arrears,
maintaining financial transparency in government offices, among others.
Educationist Bidhyanath Koirala spoke of the need to increase investment in technical education.
He said that authorities at the policy making level are still giving priority to traditional education
system.
He also stated that educated unemployment in the country could be eradicated if the government
stressed more on open education system and technical education in the country.
Santa Ram Dangol, programme coordinator, Loo Niva, said that good governance was a must for
end to poverty and ensures equality in education and prosperity in the country.