KATHMANDU: The School Education Bill is unlikely to be tabled in the House of Representatives by the June 29 deadline.
Members of the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives say ongoing parliamentary obstruction and the committee’s inaction make it nearly impossible to meet the deadline.
Despite this, Committee Chairperson Amar Bahadur Thapa and Minister for Education, Science and Technology Raghuji Pant are confident that the bill will be introduced within the stipulated timeframe. However, there has been no significant progress on the Bill to support their claims.
Stakeholders say neither parliament nor the government seems to be actively working to ensure the passage of the bill within the timeframe.
The committee has not met since May 25. The Bill cannot be tabled in parliament unless the committee concludes its discussions and endorses the Bill. The last meeting was postponed after Minister Pant requested more time. No new date for the committee meeting has been announced since then. As a result, deliberation on the subcommittee’s report has remained stalled.
Members of the committee also say it would be difficult to finalize the Bill before the deadline. Ram Prakash Chaudhary, who was part of the subcommittee tasked with reviewing the bill, said the Bill is unlikely to be tabled as scheduled. “If the government genuinely wants it, nothing is impossible. But if the current political uncertainty persists, the bill can only move forward through fast-tracking,” Chaudhary said.
Several key issues, including positions for early childhood teachers, regulation of private schools, teacher transfer policies and the role of local governments, have not been resolved yet.
The Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) has opposed the subcommittee’s report, arguing that it undermines the rights and roles of teachers. Several affiliate organizations of the CNT have also expressed dissatisfaction with the report. On June 4, the United Teachers’ Organization (UNTO), a CNT affiliate, submitted a memorandum to lawmakers Rekha Sharma and Gyanu Basnet, raising their concerns about the report.
Following the CNT’s strong objections, the education ministry agreed to revise 27 points in the bill during a meeting on Monday. However, several key issues, including positions for early childhood teachers, regulation of private schools, teacher transfer policies and the role of local governments, have not been resolved yet. These issues may still hinder the bill’s progress, say committee members.
The government earlier agreed to implement nine of the demands raised by the CNT after a 89-day protest in Kathmandu.
Speaker Devraj Ghimire has also expressed concern over the Bill’s delay. On Thursday, he urged opposition parties to lift the parliamentary obstruction and allow discussions on the education bill. “You are all aware of the national disruption caused by the recent teachers’ protest,” he said.
Committee Chair Thapa said that the Bill is in its final stages. “We are at the concluding phase of discussions,” he said. Thapa even stated that he would resign if the Bill was not tabled within the stipulated timeframe.
Education Minister Pant is also optimistic about the Bill’s passage. Speaking at an event in Kathmandu on Saturday, he claimed that all valid demands are being addressed and that the Bill would be passed by June 29.
Government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, also expressed confidence that the bill would pass during the ongoing session of parliament. “It is essential to clarify the legal framework of the education sector. I believe the long-delayed education bill will finally be enacted this session,” Gurung said on Friday.
