Teachers, students, and schools clash over Nepal’s Education Bill

 The Government of Nepal is struggling to get the new Education Act approved in Parliament because different groups involved in education have opposing demands.

The Teachers’ Association of Nepal is one of the loudest voices protesting. They are angry because past promises made by the government haven’t been fulfilled. Their main demands include making temporary teachers permanent without any age limits, better management of staff and retirement benefits, fair pay and recognition for early childhood workers and private school teachers, clear promotion rules based on experience and qualifications, and stronger union rights. Despite agreements in 2018, 2021, and 2023, many of these promises remain unmet, causing frustration and mistrust.

On the other hand, student unions strongly disagree with giving permanent status to temporary teachers without exams. They say all teaching jobs should be filled through open and competitive exams to ensure fairness and quality.

The Private Schools’ Association also opposes part of the bill that would make private schools operate as non-profit organizations, a rule meant to align with Nepal’s constitution, which guarantees free basic education and discourages commercializing schools. Private schools argue against this, which clashes with the constitution’s vision of education as a public service.

Political parties are also divided on the bill, even within the ruling coalition. The opposition criticizes the draft for ignoring the values of Nepal’s political history and for failing to reflect the spirit of the constitution.

Powerful groups like the Teachers’ Association, student unions, and private school owners heavily influence the education sector and pressure politicians to protect their interests. The Teachers’ Association is backed by both ruling and opposition parties and pushes to make temporary teachers permanent without exams, often for political reasons rather than merit. This has led to a lack of agreement within the government and political paralysis on education reforms.

Political leaders often avoid opposing these groups because they don’t want to lose voter support, even if it means delaying important reforms. The opposition uses Nepal’s history of political movements to argue that the bill fails to promote inclusion, fairness, and proper reform as promised in the constitution.

The government is caught between following international standards and sticking to constitutional goals. There’s also tension between the constitution’s vision of education as a public good under socialism and the government’s current market-driven approach that allows privatization and commercial interests in education. This conflict makes meaningful reform very difficult.

Because of this deadlock, needed changes to improve education quality, fairness, teacher recruitment, and school regulation are being delayed. The ongoing disagreement harms public trust in the government’s ability to deliver free and fair education as required by the constitution.

The lack of cooperation among political parties, teachers, students, and private schools also shows deep divisions that make it hard to create a clear, united education policy. If this continues, it could worsen inequalities in education, discourage teachers, and slow Nepal’s progress toward international education goals.

This situation not only causes administrative problems but also highlights the difficulties of balancing many competing interests in a democracy.

To move forward, the government must start open and honest talks with all groups involved to find solutions that respect different views and follow the constitution. Without this, the government risks failing to meet its education promises and losing public confidence.

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