Nepal's Education Budget for the Fiscal Year 2081-2082
Creating a moral and dignified society begins with providing high-quality, practical education. This vision ensures the right of every child to basic education and creates employment opportunities by expanding skill-based and technical education. Higher education will focus on research, innovation, and professionalism. To enhance early childhood education, 1,500 child development teachers will undergo specialized training. Efficient student registration, transfer, and scholarship programs will be linked to the social security management system to streamline processes.
Infrastructure improvements are also a priority, with local produce being used in the midday meal program, benefiting 300,000 students in underprivileged areas. Increased budgets will support this initiative, particularly in regions like Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Dolpa, and Kalikot. Scholarships will be extended from classes 9-12 to include classes 6-12, providing greater access to education for underprivileged and marginalized groups, benefiting an additional 45,000 students.
School infrastructure will see significant upgrades, with water supply and toilets being constructed in 500 schools, prioritizing backward areas and communities. Rs. 2.5 billion has been allocated for building 1,000 disabled-friendly, gender-sensitive, and safe classrooms. Existing Shaheed Memorial schools will be mainstreamed, and arrangements made for orphan children to study there.
Support for start-ups and intellectual property protection will be bolstered, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship among students. Technical schools will be mapped based on labor market demands to produce skilled manpower in high-demand sectors. Special scholarships will be provided to the Dalit community to increase their access to technical higher education.
Laws will be amended to sustain government investment in medical education, focusing on scholarships for target groups and providing subsidized educational loans for higher education in fields like medical, agriculture, engineering, and IT. Educational institution quotas will be reviewed to ensure a steady supply of manpower in key sectors. New medical colleges will be established in several locations, with feasibility studies for additional sites.
Tribhuvan University will be developed as an academic center of excellence, with research centers facilitating knowledge and technology transfer. Studies will be conducted on merging and restructuring universities to enhance higher education quality. International cooperation will be encouraged, with streamlined visa processes for foreign students.
A University Integrated Act will be formulated to ensure uniformity in university operations, and the University Grants Commission will be restructured to improve coordination, grant management, quality assurance, and regulation in higher education. Rs. 21.45 billion has been allocated for these initiatives. New universities focused on science and technology will be established, and the period from 2081 to 2099 will be designated as the Science and Technology Decade, with a comprehensive budget allocation of Rs. 2 trillion 3 billion 66 crores for the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.
Qualitative Improvement in Education: Basis of Prosperity
Developing a Moral Society through Quality Education
- Right to Education: Ensuring all children receive basic education.
- Employment Opportunities: Expanding skill-based and technical education to create job opportunities.
- Higher Education Focus: Emphasizing research, innovation, and professionalism in higher education.
Enhancing Early Childhood Education
- Teacher Training: 1,500 child development teachers will participate in boot camps to improve early childhood education quality.
- Student Registration and Scholarships: Linking student ID cards with the social security management system for efficient registration, transfer, and scholarship programs.
Improving School Infrastructure
- Midday Meal Program: Utilizing local produce for midday meals in classes 1 to 5 and increasing the budget for meals in Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Dolpa, and Kalikot districts. Rs. 8.39 billion allocated for the program benefiting 300,000 students.
- Scholarship Expansion: Extending scholarships from class 9 to 12 to include class 6 to 12, benefiting an additional 45,000 students with a budget of Rs. 600 million.
- School Transformation: Conducting programs to enhance educational quality, including peer learning and teaching, and career counseling for 100,000 students. Rs. 870 million allocated for the President's Educational Reform Program.
Supporting Orphan Children and Mainstreaming Shaheed Memorial Schools
- Orphan Education: Arrangements for orphan children to study in Shaheed Memorial schools.
- Geographic and Demographic Mapping: Mapping schools based on geography, demographic changes, and number of schools to ensure efficient teacher allocation.
Building and Upgrading School Facilities
- Water Supply and Toilets: Construction of water supply systems and toilets in 500 schools, prioritizing backward areas.
- Disabled-Friendly Classrooms: Rs. 2.5 billion allocated for constructing 1,000 disabled-friendly, gender-sensitive, and safe classrooms.
Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Start-Up Collaboration: Protecting intellectual property created through research and innovation, and engaging students who have passed class 12 in skills and employment using school infrastructure.
- Industry-Academia Interface: Linking business skills with the labor market through organized interfaces in collaboration with Tribhuvan University, the private sector, and local levels.
Mapping Technical Schools and Increasing Accessibility
- Labor Market Demand: Mapping technical schools based on labor market demand and producing skilled manpower in high-demand sectors.
- Dalit Community Access: Rs. 1.59 billion allocated for scholarships for the Dalit community and needy students in technical higher education.
Sustaining Government Investment in Medical Education
- Medical Education Scholarships: Amending laws to focus on medical education scholarships for target groups and providing subsidized educational loans for higher education studies.
Ensuring Manpower Supply in Key Sectors
- Quota Review: Reviewing quotas for educational institutions based on manpower projections in agriculture, engineering, IT, and health services.
- New Medical Colleges: Starting the operation of Shaheed Dashrath Chand Health Sciences University in Dhangadhi and establishing medical colleges in Pokhara, Bardibas, Butwal, and Surkhet. Conducting feasibility studies for medical colleges in Udaipur, Morang, Parsa, and Chitwan.
Enhancing Academic Excellence and Research
- Tribhuvan University: Developing as an academic center of excellence and facilitating knowledge and technology transfer through research centers.
- University Restructuring: Conducting studies on merging and restructuring universities for quality enhancement and transformation.
International Cooperation and Exchange Programs
- Global Knowledge Exchange: Facilitating the exchange of knowledge, skills, and technology among students in cooperation with prestigious global universities. Easing the visa process for foreign students coming to Nepal for study.
Uniformity in University Operations
- University Integrated Act: Formulating an act to maintain uniformity in university establishment, operation, and management.
- University Grants Commission Restructuring: Enhancing coordination, grant management, quality assurance, accreditation, national aptitude tests, standard setting, monitoring, and regulation in higher education. Rs. 21.45 billion allocated for higher education.
Science and Technology Initiatives
- New Universities: Establishing Madan Bhandari Science and Technology University and Vidushi Yogamaya Ayurveda University.
- Science and Technology Decade: Implementing the period from 2081 to 2099 as the Science and Technology Decade.
Comprehensive Budget Allocation
- Education Ministry Budget: Rs. 2 trillion 3 billion 66 crores allocated to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology for various educational initiatives and programs.
