This education bill is better

The Bill to amend and integrate laws related to education is technically more sound than previous bills as it has several well-defined provisions. But some provisions are contradictory and there’s room for improvement in the government-sponsored bill registered in the House of Representatives. For instance, it talks about teaching in mother tongue, with a rider: Teaching four subjects in English is mandatory. The bill has cited constitutional provisions on providing free basic education, without tasking any authority with their implementation.

It has stipulated selecting the chair of the school management committee from among parents. Well and good. But what about the existing school management committee federation? 

It envisions operating new private schools under Guthi (Board of Trustees), while exempting private schools already in operation from the Guthi system. What of equality? 

Overall, this bill is better than previous ones. How will teachers and other stakeholders react? Let’s wait and watch. 

The author is an educationist