Nepali Students to Be Barred from Foreign Board Schools from Next Academic Year

The Government of Nepal is preparing to implement a legal provision that will bar Nepali students from enrolling in schools operating under foreign educational boards within the country from the next academic year.

The Ministry of Education stated that this move aims to ensure Nepali children are educated in the context of Nepal’s culture, society, and values.

During discussions on the School Education Bill at the House of Representatives’ Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee, Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Raghuji Pant formally submitted this stance in writing. According to the proposed bill, once it becomes law, schools following foreign boards will not be allowed to admit Nepali students starting from the first academic session.

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Clause 10 of the Bill: What It Says

Clause 10 of the bill allows foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal to request permission to establish and run schools for the children of their own nationals, based on their home country’s curriculum. However, Sub-clause 3 proposes that starting from the first academic session after the enactment of this law, such schools cannot admit Nepali students, and they must allow existing Nepali students to complete their education.

“We Cannot Prepare Nepali Children for Foreign Nations”

Currently, several schools operating under foreign boards are teaching both the children of foreign diplomats and Nepali students. Critics argue that these schools fail to introduce Nepali children to their own country’s history and society.

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Kedar Koirala, Undersecretary at the Legal Division of the Ministry of Education, said the new provision is being introduced to address this concern.

“Diplomatic mission schools teach their national curricula, which is understandable,” said Koirala in an interview with Nagarik News. “But private schools have been enrolling Nepali students in foreign board programs without educating them about Nepal and its social fabric.”

He emphasized that for Nepali students, up to the secondary level, education must be based on the national curriculum.

“Parents invest heavily, but children end up unfamiliar with their own nation and society,” he added.

The ministry maintains that it is not justifiable for Nepal to invest in schools that ultimately prepare its children to live abroad. “We can no longer support preparing our children for foreign nations. That’s why we will restrict enrollment of Nepali students in these schools from the next session,” he added. However, current students will be allowed to complete their education.

Over 50,000 Nepali Students Studying in 21 Foreign Board Schools

Currently, 21 schools in Nepal operate under American, British, Indian, and French boards, educating an estimated 50,000 Nepali students, according to the Ministry of Education.

Usha Dhakal Lamichhane, an official at the ministry’s School Division, noted that after 2015 (2072 BS), foreign board schools have been required to register with the Ministry. Prior to that, such permissions were granted directly by embassies.

The first foreign board school in Nepal was St. Xavier’s School, established in 1951. Since then, various schools affiliated with Indian, British, American, and French curricula have opened across the country.

“Before 2015, the ministry didn’t even have data on these schools,” said Lamichhane. “We could confirm their numbers only after mandatory registration began. However, many schools still do not participate in the government’s official student registration system, making it difficult to track the exact number of Nepali students.”

New Bill to Bring All Foreign Schools Under Regulation

The proposed School Education Bill seeks to bring all such schools under Nepal’s legal jurisdiction through formal guidelines and standards for monitoring and regulation.

Lamichhane added that due to the lack of regulatory procedures, some schools have even denied access to ministry representatives. “This won’t be possible anymore once the law is enacted,” she stated.

However, Secretary Chudamani Paudel of the Ministry of Education noted that while the proposal has been tabled, no official statement can be made until it becomes law.