Kathmandu, March 2

School Education Management Rules endorsed by Kathmandu Metropolitan City bars  registration of private schools under Company Act.

According to the rules passed by KMC, anyone who wishes to open a new private school will have to register the school as an educational trust or a cooperative.

According to Sitaram Koirala, head of the education department of KMC, they have endorsed the new rules in a bid to make private schools non-profitable organisations. He also said that the new rules would discourage private sectors to invest in schools for making profit.

Koirala said KMC was working to convert all private schools into a private trust or co-operative within a decade.

Spokesperson for KMC Ishwor Man Dangol said the new rule was introduced to bring uniformity in education in the metropolis.

The rule, however, has not barred opening schools under government funding. Similarly, the rule also allows opening gurukuls, aashrams, madrasas, gumbas or gonpasas non-profitable organisations.

Meanwhile, Rituraj Sapkota president of National Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal said local levels should not be given the authority to bar opening of new schools,  it should be decided by the federal government.

Sapkota further said since the government had not yet finalised the draft of the new education act, no local levels have the power to bar opening of new schools.

Currently 641 private schools and 91 community schools are in operation inside KMC.