Lawmakers Fail to Agree on School Education Bill, Sent Back to Subcommittee

The Parliamentary Education, Science and Technology Committee has sent the School Education Bill back to the Consultation and Coordination Subcommittee after Thursday’s meeting ended without consensus, mainly over the management of private schools.

Despite day-long discussions, lawmakers couldn't agree on key points. Another round of talks is scheduled for Friday morning, with hopes of passing the bill in committee and presenting it to the House of Representatives by Saturday.

Committee Chair Amar Bahadur Thapa confirmed that meetings will begin at 9 a.m., followed by a full committee session at 11:30 a.m.

Nepali Congress’s Shyam Ghimire opposed banning private schools for 15 years, urging for better regulation instead. CPN-UML’s Bidya Bhattarai insisted the bill must follow the constitutional right to free education, while Maoist Center’s Rekha Sharma argued that if the state can’t ensure free education, amending the constitution may be necessary.

No consensus was reached on Early Childhood Development (ECD) either. The committee aims to finalize the bill before the June 29 deadline, as agreed with the protesting Nepal Teachers’ Federation.