The Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Balen Shah, is enthusiastic about offering mandatory scholarships to students attending institutional schools. Without reducing the overall school population by 10%, the Mayor has requested that scholarships be provided within the Metropolitan.
Mayor Shah highlighted the importance of offering suitable scholarships to private schools in the KMC region, especially since the new academic session has recently begun and admissions are still underway. The regulations governing school management in KMC, specifically Rules 58 and 59 of the School Management Regulation 2074, outline provisions pertaining to scholarships.
Under these provisions, private schools are required to waive 100% of the fees for the first student in each class, while institutional schools must waive 50% of the fees for the second student in each class. Additionally, schools must not reduce their total student enrollment by more than 10%. Scholarships must be offered to disadvantaged students, including those who are poor, disabled, helpless, female, from Dalit or Tribal backgrounds, or from families of conflict victims and martyrs. These scholarships should be offered inclusively.
The head of all relevant schools is responsible for posting information regarding the scholarships on the school's website and notice board to inform parents and students. It is the school's responsibility to adhere to all regulations, and parents and stakeholders should ensure that these rules are being followed. Mayor Shah has called for the implementation of the system, and failure to do so may result in legal action.
KMC has a total of 89 community schools, 59 secondary schools, and 30 primary schools. The combined student population of these schools is 52,000. In contrast, there are 540 private schools in KMC with 150,000 students enrolled.
KMC recently released a notice citing Rule 146 (2) of the 9th Amendment of the Education Regulations 2079. According to this rule, no fees may be collected from any student studying at the primary and lower secondary levels of public schools. However, the notification specifies that donations, gifts, or other forms of support provided by parents to community schools may be accepted.
Recently, Center for Education and Human Resource Development has also urged schools to comply with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology's regulations for the forthcoming academic session. Along with admission and academic session rules, the Center has stressed the significance of offering scholarships to deserving students. Parents and students have widely supported this provision as it aids in establishing equal opportunities for all.
