Education ministry urges LGs to fix scholarship quota before admission; KMC prohibits schools from selling uniforms and stationery items

Kathmandu / April 5: The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has requested the local authorities to arrange the admission of students only after determining the scholarship quota in private schools.

According to the MoEST, when the quota is allocated after the students have been enrolled, the children of the poor and marginalized communities are deprived of scholarships. The practice of offering scholarships post-admission leads to inaccessibility of scholarships.

The MoEST has also requested the local levels to allocate the number of scholarships at the time of student enrollment and arrange free admission for the children who receive the scholarships.

In addition, the MoEST has also reminded the legal provision that school fees should be determined by the local government by submitting a proposal for the fee charged in each academic session. According to this, the MoEST has requested to determine the criteria and publicize the fees through the website of the relevant local government and school.

KMC prohibits schools from selling uniforms and stationery items

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has barred community and institutional schools within KMC’s jurisdiction from selling uniforms and stationery items.

The Department of Education under KMC has issued a circular to schools, cautioning them against breaching the existing regulations.

It is mentioned in the circular issued by Saraswati Pokharel, Acting Head of the Department of Education of KMC, that textbooks, uniforms and stationery used for the academic year 2081 BS should not be mandatorily purchased or sold within schools.

As per the circular, public schools are permitted to exclusively utilize textbooks sanctioned by the Curriculum Development Center. In the case of English medium textbooks, only those translated and published by the center or listed by it should be utilized. Other textbooks will not be subsidized by KMC.

Similarly, institutional schools are required to adhere strictly to textbooks approved by the Curriculum Development Center.

The circular stipulates disciplinary actions for non-compliance, including coercive practices forcing students and parents to procure materials like uniforms and stationery from the school. Such violations will be addressed in accordance with the Education Act, 2028 BS, Education Rules 2059 BS, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Education Act 2075 BS, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Education Management Regulations 2074 BS, and other pertinent laws.