A consensus has been reached on most of the debated and widely discussed points in the School Education Bill. The report, prepared with agreement by the parliamentary subcommittee, will be submitted on Sunday to the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the Parliament.
To build consensus on the most contentious issues in the bill, a subcommittee was formed under the leadership of CPN-UML Secretary Chhabilal Bishwakarma. According to a member of the subcommittee, the report writing was completed late Friday. It took nearly three months for the subcommittee to reach a consensus.
Headmasters to Be Appointed Through Open Competition
If the education bill is passed based on the subcommittee's consensus, headmasters at the school level will be appointed through open competition.
This process will be conducted by the Teacher Service Commission, and appointments will be made by the local level authorities. The Commission will prepare a roster, and headmasters will be appointed from this roster.
Provision for Teacher Transfers
The bill also opens the door for transferring teachers. The respective local level can transfer teachers who have served at least two years under its jurisdiction from one school to another.
Similarly, teachers with a minimum of five years of experience can be transferred from one local unit to another, and those with at least seven years can be transferred from one province to another.
However, such transfers will require mandatory consent from both the sending and receiving schools, local units, and provinces, as stated by the subcommittee.
Transparent and Legal Transfer Process
An official affiliated with the committee stated, “Teacher transfers will not be based on political affiliations or arbitrary decisions. The process will be made transparent and follow legal procedures.” If a teacher faces departmental action, the bill also includes a provision for appeal.
Management of Relief Teachers
Currently serving relief teachers at the school level will be managed by appointing 60% of them through internal competition. Those who fail to pass or do not wish to participate will receive benefits based on their years of service. There are currently over 40,000 relief teachers working across the country.
Early Childhood Development Class to Be Mandatory
From now on, a two-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) class will be mandatory before enrolling in Grade 1. This rule will also apply to private and institutional schools.
At present, many private schools enroll children in playgroups or nursery classes as soon as they turn two. This practice will end once the new School Education Act is implemented.
Scholarship Distribution to Be Regulated
The bill proposes stricter regulation of scholarships provided by private and institutional schools. Section 27, Subsection (3) of the Compulsory and Free Education Act, 2075, mandates that all schools operated under private investment and public educational trusts must provide scholarships from Early Childhood Development to Grade 12.
According to the provision:
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Schools with up to 500 students must provide free education to at least 10% of students.
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Schools with 500 to 800 students must cover at least 12%.
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Schools with more than 800 students must provide at least 15% scholarships.
Despite the legal requirement, this provision has not been fully enforced yet.
Private Schools Required to Register as Trusts
As per the subcommittee’s agreement, all new private and institutional schools must be registered as public trusts. Existing schools may also convert to trust status if they choose.
This issue was a key point of debate within the parliamentary committee. Some members had demanded a fixed deadline for private schools to transition into trusts.
Other Agreed Provisions
Additional agreements reached by the subcommittee include:
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Periodic promotions for teachers.
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Competitive opportunities for teachers in Early Childhood Development to apply for open posts.
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The retirement age for teachers is to be set at 60 years.
