Kathmandu-Private education associations in Nepal have opposed key provisions in the School Education Bill, warning of nationwide protests if their demands are ignored by August 13.

The Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON) and the Higher Institutions and Secondary Schools’ Association Nepal (HISSAN) object to clauses aimed at making private schools non-profit, and demand removal of the “full scholarship” requirement—preferring the current rule of providing scholarships to 10% of students, covering only tuition and basic fees.

The parliamentary committee recently decided that both existing and new private schools can operate as companies, scrapping earlier proposals to convert them into trusts. The bill also mandates publishing fee structures two months before the school year, regulating fees, and distributing scholarships equally between disadvantaged and meritorious students.

Private school operators say some provisions, including full scholarships and limits on fees, are impractical and discriminatory. They have vowed to launch protests from August 14 if changes are not made.