Private school teachers join protests against Education Bill

KATHMANDU: Private school teachers took to the streets in Kathmandu on Monday, protesting provisions in the draft School Education Bill that they say undermine their rights and the sustainability of private institutions.

The demonstrations at Maitighar Mandala come just as the Nepal Teachers’ Federation is preparing to launch a fresh round of protests from the same day. Carrying black banners, the private school teachers demanded that their concerns be addressed before the bill moves forward in parliament.

Earlier, last Thursday, private school operators and principals had also staged a symbolic protest by placing banners on the street.

Key demands of private school operators and teachers include:

1. Removal of the phrase full scholarship from the bill.
2. Scrapping provisions requiring schools to supply items not directly related to education—such as uniforms, stationery, and food.
3. Eliminating the clause that would gradually convert schools registered under the Company Act into non-profit institutions.
4. Ensuring that the authority to distribute scholarships remains with individual schools, with oversight from a transparent committee including representatives of local governments.
5. Repealing discriminatory provisions under existing scholarship-related laws, such as the rule that only students who studied grades 6 to 10 in community schools can access higher education programs under CTEVT.

Private school teachers argue that unless these provisions are amended, the new legislation will unfairly burden private institutions and weaken education choice in Nepal.