Himal Press 
SEE examination underway.
KATHMANDU: The government has decided to delegate the authority of managing the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) to provincial governments.
Presenting the budget for fiscal year 2025/26 in the joint session of federal parliament on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel said the move is expected to strengthen the administration of SEE based on local needs and facilitate improvements at the provincial level.
The federal government, however, will continue to take the Grade 12 examination, the final secondary-level examination.
Rs 211.17 allocated to education sector
The government has allocated Rs 211.17 billion to the education sector for the upcoming fiscal year. This budget includes plans to merge schools, address teacher shortages, improve infrastructure, and introduce new student-focused programmes.
A key policy initiative is the proposed merger of schools based on the teacher-to-student ratio. Likewise, the government has decided to provide Rs 2.5 million to one school in each district to help enhance physical infrastructure and improve the quality of education.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to set up a “Teachers’ Bank” to address the shortage of teachers, particularly in subjects like English, Mathematics and Science.
The government has also announced a provision for collateral-free subsidised loans of Rs 200,000 to Rs 2 million at a 3% interest rate, based on the academic qualifications of students, business registration, and project proposals, to promote entrepreneurs.
In addition, Rs 10.19 billion has been allocated to enhance the mid-day meal program for students up to Grade 5. This program is expected to benefit 2.8 million children. Likewise, it has allocated Rs 1.29 billion to provide free sanitary pads to students. This scheme is expected to benefit 1.3 million girls.
Furthermore, students will now be allowed to work up to 20 hours a week and access internship opportunities.
