Kathmandu, December 19
Students in Grades 9 and 10 are facing delays in submitting their registration forms due to an unresolved decision on whether to collect registration fees. This issue has arisen even as exams approach, leaving students and schools in limbo.
According to the academic calendar, registration forms for Grade 9 should have been submitted by the first week of December. However, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology’s directive to implement the Compulsory and Free Education Act by waiving fees has not been fully executed, causing significant delays.
Disputes over whether fees should be collected for Grades 9 and 11 are at the center of the problem. Nandalal Paudel, the Controller of Examinations for Grade 10, stated, “We forwarded a file to the Ministry of Education proposing to waive fees. A decision was expected by the end of November, but it has not been finalised yet.” He added that registration for Grade 9 should ideally be completed this week as per the calendar.
The Ministry of Education has clarified that registration fees for Grade 9 go to government revenue. Therefore, approval from the Ministry of Finance is required to waive these fees, which has caused further delays. Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai confirmed that her ministry has already sent a letter to the Finance Ministry requesting a waiver of the fees, but no confirmation has been received yet.
“Registration fees for Grade 9 go into government revenue. We have requested the Finance Ministry to confirm that these fees should not be collected,” Minister Bhattarai said. She emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring free education and believes the fees will eventually be waived.
Approximately 500,000 students register for Grade 9 annually, generating around Rs 500 million in revenue. Examination Controller Paudel highlighted that the Ministry of Finance’s approval is necessary to exempt this revenue.
Minister Bhattarai, however, maintained that there is no issue with Grade 9 registration, asserting that her ministry will ensure the required budget. “There’s no problem with Grade 9. The Exam Controller’s Office is waiting for Finance Ministry approval, but work can proceed regardless,” she said.
On the other hand, the National Examination Board (NEB) has already collected registration fees for Grade 11 students, complicating the implementation of the fee waiver this year. The NEB had begun form submissions as early as October, making it challenging to change the policy mid-year. Examination Controller Krishna Prasad Sharma stated, “The decision on whether to collect fees is still pending, which has caused uncertainty.”
The Education Ministry has directed the NEB to ensure that no fees are collected for Grade 11 registration next year. Additionally, the ministry has instructed that students should not be required to submit registration forms twice, once in Grade 9 and again in Grade 11, since secondary education now extends up to Grade 12.
“Once a student registers in Grade 9, they should not have to register again in Grade 11. While fees have been collected this year, we’ve directed the NEB to waive them starting next year,” Minister Bhattarai explained.
Currently, students are required to complete registration forms twice: once in Grade 9 and again in Grade 11. While the Education Ministry argues that this is unnecessary under the compulsory and free education framework, the NEB insists on maintaining the current practice.
NEB Chairperson Mahashram Sharma assured that the board would soon make a decision regarding Grade 11. “The board will decide on the matter of Grade 11 registration forms shortly,” he said, noting that approximately 500,000 students register for Grade 11 each year.
The Compulsory and Free Education Act, introduced in 2018, mandates free education at the school level. However, differences of opinion between various departments within the Education Ministry have delayed its full implementation, putting students at a disadvantage as registration deadlines loom.
