Private School Buses Stage Peaceful Protest Against Federal Education Act

Pokhara: Private and residential schools across Nepal have expressed strong opposition to the proposed Federal Education Act introduced by the government. The Act includes provisions to make private schools non-profit and remove full scholarships, which has sparked widespread discontent among school operators. Organizations such as PABSON, N-PABSON, HISAN, APEN, and NAM have jointly organized the protests and outlined their demands.

As part of the protest, school buses across the country, including those in Kaski, took to the streets on Monday, displaying black flags and banners to signify their opposition. The protest was carried out peacefully, with buses circulating various parts of Pokhara to draw public attention. Hemant Adhikari, president of N-PABSON Kaski, stated that this demonstration is part of the second phase of the ongoing movement. He further noted that if the government does not address their concerns, schools are prepared to escalate the movement up to temporary closures.

The private and residential schools have highlighted several key demands. They insist that the word “full scholarship” should remain in the law and that schools should not be forced to operate on a non-profit basis, as many are already registered under the Company Act. They have also requested the removal of mandatory provisions for items that are not produced in schools, such as uniforms, stationery, educational materials, and meals.

Additionally, schools demand that the authority to distribute scholarships remain with the individual institutions. They propose that transparent committees, including local government representatives, can oversee the distribution process if necessary. They also seek the repeal of discriminatory provisions in previous education laws, including Section 3(A) of the Scholarship Act 2021, Rule 10(A) of the 2060 Regulations, and amendments under the 2077 Education Act, which currently restrict higher education opportunities under certain programs to students who studied only in community schools from grades 6 to 10.

The protest reflects the broader concerns of private and residential school operators that the new Act could adversely affect school autonomy, scholarship rights, and the overall operational framework. They continue to urge the government to amend the proposed law to address these concerns.