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DOCKING NEPAL’S ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
EDUCATION EDUCATION The impact of COVID-19 on education has been huge, especially for developing economies like Nepal. Despite government attempts to prepare for e-classes through various online platforms such as Skype and Zoom; weak technological infrastructure, lack of access to the internet, and lack of basic computer knowledge has left both teachers and students devoid of online teaching-learning experience. Moreover, important exams including SEE, HSEB, and other college and university level examinations have also either been canceled or postponed until further notice. As the pandemic unfolds, there is increased uncertainty over the future of the education sector. Government in favor of encouraging private sector investment in education: As per international
practice, a minimum of 20 percent of a country’s national budget should be allocated for the education sector. Despite Nepal government’s commitment to adhere to this, there has not been a significant increase in the budget for education over the years. Moreover, the National budget of Nepal for the year 2077/78 envisioned the authorization and promotion of investment by the private sector in education, encouraging private schools to take responsibility for improving public school education.50 Educationists and organizations working in the education sector worry that this plan of promoting privatization of education would make education less affordable, contradicting the constitutional right to free education up to secondary level. Out of the 36,722 schools operating in Nepal with 7 million students, 29035 are government funded public schools, and 1121 are religious schools. This currently puts the private sector’s share at around 18 percent or 6566 schools. A 500-page report submitted to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli by
the High-Level National Education Commission last year recommended the government to increase its budget in the education sector. Likewise, it also proposed converting profit oriented private schools into trusts to make them more service oriented. However, the PM seemed to be quite reluctant to publish the report, drawing a lot of criticism. 51 Government announces cash incentive package to promote merger of private schools with public ones: With a vision to boost
the quality of education in Nepal and develop synergy between the private and public sectors, the government of Nepal, for the first time, has decided to provide incentives to merge private schools into public schools. The government believes that such mergers would benefit the education sector of Nepal as it would not only help upgrade infrastructure and improve the quality of education, but also make education affordable and accessible to children from various backgrounds. As per the announcement by the Centre for Education and Human Resource Development, the incentive package includes three categories ranging
from NPR 2 million (USD 16,664) to NPR 5 million (USD 41,660). According to the plan, public schools managing to merge private schools with classes up to Grade 5 are to receive NPR 2 million (USD 16,664). Likewise, Public schools managing to merge private schools teaching up to Grade 8 are eligible to receive NPR 3 million (USD 24,996). Finally, for the third category, public schools that successfully merge secondary level private schools, are entitled to receive NPR 5 million (USD 41,660). Schools which have gone into mergers since the academic year 2017 are eligible for the incentive. The work plan also allows teachers and staff from the merged private schools to continue with their employment as contract employees. In the previous year, six private schools successfully merged with public schools in two rural municipalities of Palpa district. The municipalities welcomed this initiation from the Ministry of Education as they further plan on merging all private schools in their areas as part of a “No Private School” plan. Local governments in Jhapa and Nawalpur have also started initiating plans to merge private schools into public ones in their respective areas. 52
