Stakeholders Demand Investment Protection and Policy Participation for Private Schools in Education Bill

Stakeholders have emphasized the need for the forthcoming education bill to clearly address investment protection, participation in policymaking, and educational quality in private schools.

Speakers at a major educational debate organized today by the Lalitpur District Committee of the Private and Boarding Schools' Organization Nepal (PABSON) stressed that cooperation between the government and the private sector is essential for improving Nepal's education sector.

House of Representatives member Kusum Maharjan said that the government and the private sector complement each other and that dialogue and cooperation are necessary to resolve problems in education.

Noting that not all parents who send their children to private schools are financially well-off, Maharjan urged school operators to provide quality education that meets parents' expectations and respects the sacrifices they make for their children's education.

Shailendra Jha, Chief Advisor to Education and Sports Minister Sasmita Pokharel, said that free education should not simply mean education without fees. It should also ensure that every child has access to quality education.

He explained that education is financed through taxpayers' money and that the state is responsible for ensuring quality education for children across all geographical regions and economic backgrounds.

Jha also emphasized the need for clarity on how the state's long-term education policy would address the future of private schools and parents' right to choose schools for their children. He said the forthcoming bill would be prepared after considering the suggestions received.

PABSON Central President Krishna Adhikari claimed that the private sector carries approximately 41 percent of the educational burden, covering preschool through Grade 12 as well as technical and vocational education.

He demanded clear policy provisions to protect private investment and ensure private-sector participation in education policymaking.

Adhikari said school operators had invested in education by pledging ancestral property and jewelry as collateral and taking loans. He emphasized that appropriate policy arrangements should be established to protect investments made by domestic education entrepreneurs in accordance with the property rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

He also said local and provincial governments should provide the necessary facilities for operating colleges and universities.

Krishna Kumar Bohara, President of the Association of Early Childhood Development Operators (APIN), also urged policymakers to give due consideration to protecting investments in private educational institutions.

Ram Hari Silwal, General Secretary of the Higher Institutions and Secondary Schools' Association Nepal (HISSAN), said the government should recognize the contribution of private schools to education and give them an appropriate place in policymaking.

He argued that although political leaders had expressed commitments to reform, the traditional working practices of the bureaucracy had prevented the expected changes. He therefore stressed the need for administrative reform.

Citing figures indicating that the government spends between Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 85,000 annually per student in community schools, Silwal urged political leaders to engage in dialogue and cooperation with the private sector to improve education rather than merely criticizing private schools.

Similarly, PABSON Central General Secretary RB Katuwal said education should be developed by integrating values, skills, and technology.

He emphasized the importance of involving the private sector in educational development and called for the removal of legal barriers that hinder efforts to attract international students to study in Nepal.