Education Bill tabled in parliament

KATHMANDU: The government has introduced a Bill to Consolidate and Amend Laws Related to School Education, 2023 in the House of Representatives (HoR). Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Ashok Kumar Rai, tabled the Bill in a session of the lower house on Sunday.

Introducing the Bill, Minister Rai said it is important to address the concerns raised by school teachers who took to the streets following the registration of the Bill in the Federal Parliament Secretariat by amending contentious provisions in the Bill. “The primary objective of the Bill is to implement the right to education guaranteed by the Constitution and provide clarity regarding jurisdiction and management of the education sector among the three tiers of government.

Meanwhile, a proposal made by lawmaker Prem Suwal to postpone the presentation of the Bill was rejected by the majority. Suwal expressed concerns over the ongoing arbitrary fee increases by private schools and preparations to ‘reinstate’ the District Education Office which had triggered widespread protests by teachers.

The Bill was officially registered in the HoR on September 13.