Education Reforms Show Promise 

The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) has introduced a series of reforms in education, digital governance, timely services and quality improvement during the first 100 days of the Balendra Shah-led government. 

Over the past three months, the ministry has advanced policy reforms, administrative improvements, and infrastructure initiatives aimed at improving public service delivery and strengthening the quality of education. One of the ministry's major reforms has been the introduction of a delivery-based governance model to ensure timely publication of examination results. Under the new practice, Secondary Education Examination (SEE) results have been published within one month of the examination, Grade 12 results within 40 days, and university examination results within 65 days. Earlier, students had to wait three to nine months for their results.

The ministry has also modernised the No Objection Certificate (NOC) system for students seeking higher education abroad by integrating it with Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Integration with Nepal's National Identity Number (NIN) system is also underway, enabling seamless data verification. To improve citizen services, NOC issuance and academic certificate verification services have remained operational even on public holidays.

Institutional reforms

There have been measures adopted by universities to minimize politics within higher educational institutions by getting rid of permanent political banners, flags, and political buildings on campus premises. Kathmandu University has adopted a student council system, and other universities are preparing similar changes too. Political partisanship is being separated from all governmental processes. 

There is an introduction of academic calendars in nine universities to make academic activities regular through the University Grants Commission. Moreover, there is a transparent process of appointment of university administrators on a merit basis, with politically assigned office bearers. Moreover, a transparent merit-based process appoints university administrators, replacing politically assigned office bearers with temporary appointees. with temporary appointees. Tribhuvan University is also collecting financial liability from university employees who did not come back to work after study leave. Of the expected Rs. 2 billion repayment, more than Rs. 500 million has already been collected.

There is also the introduction of continuous assessment from Grade 1 to Grade 5 to get rid of periodic examinations to alleviate the mental stress of students. There are new guidelines for the assessment of students and orientation programmes for teachers for the implementation of the assessment system.

The MoES has stated that a task force has been set up to review Nepal’s National School Curriculum Framework to make learning child-centric, vocational, practical, and more current. It has developed standards of quality for school education, and the learning assessment framework. Children without birth certificates have been permitted to enroll in school due to certificates issued by local government authorities. Moreover, students who want to pursue bachelor's degrees will not have to submit any citizenship certificates in order to enroll in the universities under a newly designed procedure. Work is going on to launch the E-Pension Scheme for teachers, whereby it will be easy to take care of their retirement benefits starting the next financial year, the ministry stated.

The Education and Human Resource Development Centre of the Ministry has introduced the Sikai Chautari digital learning portal. So far, 9,820 teachers have received training through the portal, while more than 36,000 have received orientations. The platform has more than 220,000 registered users and more than 456,000 installations of mobile apps.

Systemic reforms

Several pending policy reform measures have been implemented during this reporting period, according to the ministry. There has been implementation of recommendations from several national commissions, and studies are being carried out regarding governance, scholarship management, fees structure, and other operational procedures of the Medical Education Commission.

Regulations regarding foreign educational institutions running in Nepal, educational consultancy agencies, language learning institutions, and preparatory classes have been drafted and sent for legal sanction, said the ministry.

Final touches are being given to the draft of the TVET Act along with comprehensive policy reforms for the coming fiscal year. Significant progress has been made in reconstruction of schools damaged by earthquakes in western Nepal. Construction of 108 classrooms has already been finished, and construction of 170 more classrooms is going on. The ministry has completed work on designing school buildings in accordance with Nepal's revised National Building Code with the assistance of GPE, ADB, JICA, and the Government of India. 

Several permanent and semi-permanent school buildings are being constructed in Bajhang, Jajarkot, and Rukum West with the help of the above-mentioned development partners. Furthermore, the government has also expanded scholarship schemes for children from highly marginalised communities and those with disabilities. Operational guidelines have also been drafted for autism-specific schools.

Instructing private schools to follow the scholarship schemes as per the Compulsory and Free Education Act of Nepal, the local governments have now upgraded their education management system with lists of out-of-school children to help boost enrollment and retention rates. 

Dr. Bal Chandra Luitel, an education expert, said that the government's first 100 days have brought about a feeling of "positive uncertainty," as many positions in the education sector are yet to be filled. Luitel said that this may be seen as a change from the previous practice, signaling changes.

Luitel added that 100 days may not be sufficient enough to evaluate the performance of the government, but still it has given some encouraging signs in terms of reforms. He asked the government to work on school mapping and calculating teacher quotas according to the new school education scheme proposal. Luitel also said that it was time for an education policy that strikes a balance between local and international aspects.

As suggested by Luitel, these accomplishments and dedication are optimistic about the hope of improvement in terms of governance, digital public services, quality of education, university reforms, school reconstruction, and inclusive education. But the government should be cautious about some difficulties that may impede 

these reforms.

(Dhakal is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)