Production of skilled human resources is present responsibility: Minister Pokharel

Kathmandu - Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Giriraj Mani Pokharel has pointed out that production of skilled human resources was the need of the hour for the prosperity of the country. Minister Pokharel said this while inaugurating the Province No 2 branch office of Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) at Bardibas of Mahottari district today. He said realising this need, the government has stressed on technical and practical education.

"Teaching and learning in technical education has been started in 637 local levels as per the government's announcement of reaching technical education in all the local levels of the country," the Minister said, adding that subjects like medicinal herbs, ayurveda, naturopathy and yoga have been included to promote life-skilled based and practical education.

The Education Minister opined that education should have the objective of character building besides enrichment of knowledge and skills. Stating that given the present situation in which schools cannot be opened over COVID-19 risk, he urged the teachers to utilise the alternative learning methods by connecting to students at their homes.

The Education Minister said there is no alternative to adopting the appropriate alternative method of teaching and learning in the present context. NATHM Province No 2 level branch office is starting classes in the four-year Bachelor in Hotel Management Programme from the current academic session. The office is enrolling 80 students in this programme this year, chief of the branch office, Shivendra Mallik, said.

Similarly, the office will also provide short-term skills training. NATHM executive director Deepak Kumar Thapa said NATHM has operated branch offices for the first time for providing training and classes on hotel management. Such branch offices have been operated at Bardibas of State 2, at Birtamod of State 1 and at Nepalgunj of western Nepal.