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The recent month-long teachers’ movement, which was driven by the demand for the immediate enactment of the Education Act, has underscored the need for urgent reforms in Nepal’s community education system. While the movement primarily focused on securing professional rights and employment stability, it largely sidelined issues related to the quality of education—raising concerns about whether such protests truly contribute to meaningful educational reform.

Although the movement did not directly address systemic improvements, some of its outcomes are expected to indirectly benefit school education. However, once the protest gained momentum, discussions around key policy issues that should have been addressed in the Education Act were overshadowed by demands for teachers’ rights and benefits. Experts argue that workplace stability and social security are key to unlocking educators' full potential.

Despite this understanding, various categories of teachers have been created over time—often due to political favoritism and donor-driven programs—leading to further complications. A lack of timely problem-solving by authorities has emboldened protestors, allowing them to dominate education discourse more than the official mechanisms.

Two major factors are seen as the primary reasons behind the delay in passing the Education Act. First, existing education policy mandates that institutional schools be converted into trusts after a certain period, a point of contention. Second, the government has yet to clearly decide whether to enforce the constitutional provision of free school education or to redefine the objective of school education altogether.

This delay is further complicated by a conflict of interest. Many political leaders own institutional schools and hold influential positions in the education sector. This dual role hinders the creation of unbiased legislation. Moreover, although the constitution and laws guarantee compulsory and free education up to grade eight, in practice, community schools continue to charge parents monthly fees under various pretexts, including for “support” and administrative costs. Even the Examination Board collects fees under the guise of registration and exam charges.

Given these realities, there is growing acknowledgment within the current leadership that making school education entirely free may not be feasible without compromising quality. As the debate continued following the submission of a parliamentary subcommittee’s report, attention remained fixed on teacher adjustments—such as increasing the number of positions and making temporary or contract-based teachers permanent—rather than addressing deeper issues within the education system.

Meanwhile, data from the Economic Survey sheds light on structural challenges within community schools. Of the 27,990 community schools operating nationwide, 15,965 have fewer than 100 students. Organizing proper teaching and staffing for such small student populations is highly complex. Another 9,704 schools have between 100 and 500 students, while only around 1,600 schools enroll more than 1,000 students—suggesting that only a small fraction meet the criteria for being considered standard schools.

This data indicates that the current focus of debate is detached from the pressing needs of the education sector. In light of this, restructuring and consolidating schools should be part of the broader reform agenda. While merging schools may be necessary, it alone cannot solve the problem. Instead, implementing multi-grade teaching systems with appropriate teacher training in sparsely populated areas could address the challenges more effectively.

As the government prepares to introduce the new School Education Act, it is crucial to base reforms on ground realities. A task force composed of independent experts should be formed to study the actual conditions of community schools. Without considering factors such as Nepal’s diverse geography, migration patterns, and shifting parental attitudes, any hastily prepared legislation risks exacerbating existing problems. While the government has proposed issuing the act by July 29, education stakeholders argue that taking four to six additional months to develop a more comprehensive and responsive law would be more beneficial in the long run.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 1, 600 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 189, 300 per tola today.

Meanwhile, the price of silver, however, has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 2, 005 per tola today.

A fire broke out at the Tirupati Wood Panel Industry in Sunsari–Morang Industrial Corridor on Wednesday.

Efforts are underway to bring the fire that broke out at 2: 30 am under control.

According to the Chief of the Area Police Office DSP Laxmi Bhandari, the fire may have started due to a short circuit.

He said that a total of 16 fire engines from Dharan, Biratnagar, Itahari, Damak, Pathari, Duhi, and Inaruwa have been used to contain the fire.  

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on Tuesday from its Starbase facility in Texas, in the latest test of the world’s most powerful launch vehicle. Standing 403 feet tall, Starship is designed for future missions to the Moon and Mars and aims to be fully reusable.

This ninth test flight marked the first time a Super Heavy rocket was reused, as well as the third successful catch utilizing the launch tower's robotic arms—both of which are critical to quick reuse, Reuters reported.

The flight follows a mixed record of four previous failures and four successes. NASA plans to use a modified Starship as the crew lander for Artemis 3, its mission to return astronauts to the Moon.

The Venezuelan government issued a travel alert on Tuesday, advising its citizens to avoid traveling to the United States. The alert cited concerns over potential risks such as deportation, family separation, and detention.

The announcement followed shortly after the US State Department released its own advisory, warning Americans and legal residents against traveling to Venezuela due to safety and security concerns, according to Xinhua.

The Trump administration intends to revoke all remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, valued at $100m. A letter from the General Services Administration directs agencies to identify and terminate these contracts by June 6, claiming discriminatory admissions and hiring practices, as well as a failing to protect Jewish students, according to Reuters.

This decision follows previous efforts to reduce roughly $3bn in research funding and limit international student enrollment. Although a federal judge temporarily lifted the student visa prohibition, US embassies have halted new visa appointments.

Harvard is challenging the administration in court, arguing the actions violate constitutional rights. Student protests have erupted on campus, with many criticizing the government’s pressure on academic institutions, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday cautioned Russian President Vladimir Putin about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, suggesting that Putin is “playing with fire.” Trump implied that his involvement has prevented severe consequences for Russia.

Earlier, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Putin’s actions and criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his comments about US responses to Russian attacks, New York Post reported.

In response, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, cautioned that growing tensions might lead to a far more devastating battle, citing the prospect of World War III.

The Trump administration has directed US embassies and consulates to suspend new appointments for student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J categories) while the State Department reviews and plans to strengthen social media vetting for these applicants. An internal cable, authenticated by a top official, specifies that previously planned appointments would be maintained, but unclaimed appointment seats must be withdrawn, Reuters reported.

The heightened vetting aims to improve screening systems as part of the administration's larger immigration enforcement operations, which include more deportations and visa revocations. The State Department stated that it will continue to prioritize services for US citizens, immigrant visas, and fraud prevention.

The review is expected to require operational changes at consular posts to manage the additional workload and resource demands, according to Reuters.