Nepal to Recognise Buddhist and Muslim Religious Schools

February 19, 2008

Author: Kalpit Parajuli

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Asia News

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=39,5924,0,0,1,0

Hundreds of Muslim and Buddhist schools want to join the public school system after the government signalled its intention of recognising religious schools, but has set some conditions to do so, namely that such schools also use non-religious textbooks recommended by the government’s Education Board rather than rely exclusively on their own religious texts.

Till a few months ago Nepal was the only Hindu monarchy in the world. Religious schools were not recognised but merely tolerated.

The public education system gave non-Hindu religions no space.

When the country became a secular state in June 2007 a madrassa or Islamic school was recognised in Banke District.