Education Bill Advances in House Committee Amidst Opposition

Key Developments in the School Education Bill

After nearly two years of discussion and deliberation, the Parliament's Education, Health and Information Technology Committee has finally endorsed the School Education Bill. The approval came despite reservations from several opposition parties, including the CPN (Maoist Centre), the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. These groups expressed concerns over specific provisions within the bill.

The bill was supposed to be tabled in Parliament by June 29, but the process took an additional two months due to significant disagreements among political parties. One of the main points of contention was the role of Early Childhood facilitators, who are responsible for teaching students before Grade 1. The ruling parties and the opposition remained divided on whether all scholarship recipients from private schools should also be entitled to free hostel facilities.

Under the Free and Compulsory Education Act, schools with up to 500 students must provide full scholarships to 10 percent of their students. This percentage increases to 12 percent for schools with up to 800 students and 15 percent for those with more than 800 students. The scholarships must be equally distributed between academically strong students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

While the opposition argued that all students receiving scholarships should have access to free hostel facilities, the ruling parties suggested that only 2.5 percent should qualify. In the end, the bill was passed with a provision that requires private residential schools to offer free hostel facilities to three percent of disadvantaged scholarship recipients. However, the Maoist Centre and the RSP have registered formal notes of dissent against this clause.

Ammar Bahadur Thapa, chairperson of the House committee, stated that the bill will soon be submitted to the House of Representatives for final endorsement. Private school operators have already begun protests against the provisions related to full scholarships. They have called for the removal of these provisions and have also opposed another part of the bill that mandates the gradual conversion of private schools into nonprofit organizations.

Devendra Poudel, a member of the Maoist Centre committee, emphasized that the bill does not prevent the establishment or operation of private schools. He added that there is no need to exaggerate the scope of the bill.

Major Provisions of the Bill

The School Education Bill redefines Early Childhood Development up to Grade 8 as the basic level and Grades 9 to 12 as the secondary level. Schools will now have the option to teach in Nepali, the students' mother tongue, or English. Private schools will still be allowed to register and operate under the Company Act. For secondary education, schools can offer different curriculum tracks, including general education, technical and vocational education, and traditional education.

Schools with foreign affiliations that are already operational will be permitted to continue, but no new registrations will be allowed. Local governments will also gain more authority, including the power to merge, relocate, downgrade, close, or rename schools based on local needs.

In terms of teacher recruitment, 60 percent of teaching positions will be filled through internal competition, while the remaining 40 percent will come from open competition. This applies to relief, temporary, technical, and special category teachers, as well as teachers for Grades 11 and 12.

Community schools will be allowed to collect small, nominal fees from parents for supplementary income. While a teaching license will now be mandatory for all teachers, having a degree in education will no longer be a requirement.

Opposition Concerns and Demands

The main opposition has raised concerns about certain regressive provisions in the bill. They argue that current Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilitators should be allowed to participate in a teacher recruitment competition once without any age limit. Those who do not pass the competition should receive a financial exit package based on their years of service. They have also demanded recognition of ECD facilitators as teachers and fair compensation for their work.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has similar demands. Additionally, the Maoist Centre has called for the government to provide accommodation and uniforms for students from martyr, missing, injured, and economically disadvantaged families. It argues that the government should take full responsibility for implementing such provisions.

One of the Maoist Centre's reservations includes a proposal to require all children of individuals who receive salaries from the state treasury (either father or mother, or both) to attend public schools. The goal is to improve the quality of public education and ensure equitable access for all students.