Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...

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government gave more focus to vocational education and use of educational technologies. The
National Campaign for Universal Education was launched during 90s to achieve the EFA goals
through improved participation at elementary level and enhancing of quality of education at all
levels. As a result of reform, elementary education became a fundamental right in India since
2002.
In order to improve the standard and quality of education at school and college levels different
reforms have introduced. Teachers have been given job security, financial and legal protections.
More resources have been allocated to meet the rising demand of higher education. University
Grants Commission (UGC) has launched introduced reforms on restructuring undergraduate
courses. Since 2000, many quality assurance agencies and councils have been erected at national
level to improve higher education. As a part of policy reform the government in 2004 adopted
the National Common Minimum Program (NCMP) to give equal access to education to all, to
improve the quality of education, curriculum and content, and to devolve administration to local
level.
Nepal
After the restoration of democracy in 1990, the government started to take initiatives to
reorganize and reshape national education system according to changing socio-economic needs.
In 1991 the National Education Commission was put in place bring and implement policy
reforms in order to bring quantitative expansion and qualitative improvement in education. The
Ministry of education launched many new programs to make quality education, at least basic
education, available in all parts of the country; the Primary Education Development Project
(PEDP) in 1992, the Basic and Primary Education Project (BPEP) in 1993; BPEP II was
launched in 1999 for five year period to improve curriculum, teaching content, teacher training
and learning environment. The Secondary Education Development Project (SEDP) was started in
1993 to develop secondary education in the country. SEDP and PEDP were funded by the Asian
Development Bank. As a result of new reform primary education had been given a status of
compulsory education since 1997. In the following years the Participatory Management
Development Program (PMDP) was launched to develop the capacity of administration and
management. Through higher secondary education act, more administrative powers were
transferred to Higher Secondary Education Board to develop higher secondary education. In
order to improve the access to technical, vocational and higher education the number of