AvailableNepali translation awaiting review

Education and healthcare

The Constitution promises free basic schooling and free basic health services. Most children now enrol in school, but many do not learn what the curriculum expects, and families still pay more than half of all health spending out of their own pockets. The open questions are who should provide these services, who should pay, which level of government should run them, and how to raise quality.

Long-term goalFree, good-quality basic education and basic health care for everyone

The Constitution makes compulsory and free basic education, free education up to secondary level and free basic health services fundamental rights. The 16th Plan sets targets to 2085/86, such as every child completing Grades 1–8 and neonatal mortality falling from 21 to 13 per 1,000 live births. Reaching these is a multi-year task that depends on money, staff and institutions at all three levels of government.86

Contested choiceHow far to rely on public, private and insurance-based provision, and who pays

About two in five students in Grades 1–8 attend private (institutional) schools, and, according to a June 2025 Kathmandu Post report, the then education minister's proposal to keep conversion of private schools into trusts voluntary ran against dozens of amendment proposals to make it mandatory. In health, the Constitution promises free basic services while the government is also expanding contribution-based health insurance, which the 2026/27 budget plans to restructure into a single payer and expects to cover 90 per cent of Nepalis within three years. How to balance tax-funded public services, regulated private providers and insurance is a real policy choice.2226820

Contested choiceWhich level of government should run schools and manage teachers

The Constitution lists basic and secondary education as a local government power but also lists education as a power shared by all three levels. More than ten years after the Constitution, there is still no federal School Education Act. Kantipur reported in August 2026 that a bill passed by a House committee had lapsed when the House was dissolved, and that the education ministry had begun fresh consultations. Reported disputes have included federal district education offices, teacher management and the authority of local governments up to Grade 12.10282627

Urgent problemChildren are in school but many are not learning the basics

In the 2023 national assessment, 60 per cent of Grade 10 students were at or below the 'proficient 1' level in mathematics, which the report says means they do not meet the curriculum's minimum expected goals. Official data reported for 2025/26 (from a 2024 measurement) show fewer than half of Grade 3 students reaching minimum proficiency in reading. Each year these students move on without the skills later learning depends on.21

Urgent problemFamilies pay most health costs themselves, and the health insurance scheme is under strain

Out-of-pocket spending was 54.2 per cent of total health spending according to the 16th Plan and the Department of Health Services. In 2022, 35 per cent of women aged 15–49 said getting money for advice or treatment was a big problem when seeking care. Only about one in five people were active members of the health insurance scheme in 2082/83, and in the last quarter of that year the Health Insurance Board reported suspending non-emergency services at contracted private health institutions to reduce the scheme's rising financial burden. Only 37.9 per cent of sanctioned physician or general practitioner posts in the health ministry were filled.672923

Updated 2026-10-10 · Version 2 · Sources · Corrections & right of reply

Question 1

What is the issue, and why does it matter?

Schooling now reaches almost every child, but many leave before finishing. In 2025/26 the net enrolment rate for Grades 1–8 was 97.7 per cent, yet only 77.1 per cent of children completed basic level (Grades 1–8) and the net enrolment rate for Grades 9–12 was 51.2 per cent, below the School Education Sector Plan target of 61.6 per cent for that year.1

Learning is the weak point. The Education Review Office's 2023 assessment found 60 per cent of Grade 10 students at or below the 'proficient 1' level in mathematics, meaning, in the report's words, that they do not meet the minimum expected goals of the curriculum, with students in Karnali, Sudurpaschim, rural municipalities and from Dalit families scoring lower on average. The 16th Plan itself says that although enrolment is high, dropout and learning achievement are not satisfactory.23

Health outcomes have improved but progress has stalled in places, and costs fall heavily on households. According to the 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, under-five mortality fell from 118 to 33 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1996 and 2022, but neonatal mortality has stayed at 21 since 2016. Only 12 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men aged 15–49 had any health insurance. Out-of-pocket spending makes up 54.2 per cent of total health spending (the 16th Plan's figure for 2079/80, repeated in the Department of Health Services' 2081/82 report).4567

Education and health together touch almost every household, take a large share of public spending and much of the basic service is delivered by local governments under federal laws and with federal grants. Choices about them shape both fairness today and the skills and health of Nepal's future workforce.

Question 2

What do current law and policy say?

Constitution: every citizen has the right to compulsory and free education up to basic level and free education up to secondary level from the State; citizens with disabilities and indigent citizens have the right to free higher education in accordance with law; and every Nepali community may receive education in its mother tongue (Article 31). Every citizen has the right to free basic health services from the State, no one may be denied emergency health services, and every citizen has equal access to health services (Article 35). Under the state policies, the State is to increase investment in education and public health, and to make private investment in both sectors 'service-oriented' by regulating and managing it (Article 51(h)). Article 47 required the State to make laws, as required, to implement these rights within three years of the Constitution's commencement.89

Who holds which power: central universities and university standards, and health policy, standards, quality, national or specialised hospitals and communicable disease control are federal (Schedule 5). Provincial universities, higher education and health services are provincial (Schedule 6). Drugs, family planning and the medical professions are shared by the federation and provinces (Schedule 7). Basic and secondary education and basic health and sanitation are local government powers (Schedule 8). Education and health are also listed as concurrent powers of all three levels (Schedule 9).10

Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075 (2018): basic education means Grades 1–8 and secondary education Grades 9–12; 'free education' means no fee under any heading. The State must provide compulsory basic education, through every local level, to every child who has completed four but not thirteen years of age, plus at least one year of early childhood education (section 6). Every citizen has the right to free education up to secondary level (section 20). Schools may not refuse admission except in set cases or expel a basic-level child (sections 9–10). Private and public-educational-trust schools must reserve free seats for at least 10, 12 or 15 per cent of students depending on school size (section 27). The federal government must give local levels annual education grants based on the number of schools and students and on student results, provinces must also give grants, and local levels must budget for basic and secondary education (section 30). From 1 Baishakh 2085, people who have not completed basic education will be barred from government jobs and from founding companies, with exceptions (section 19).11121314

Public Health Service Act, 2075 (2018): every citizen has the right to free basic health services in listed areas, including vaccination, maternal, newborn and child health, family planning, communicable and non-communicable disease, mental health, elderly care, general emergencies and health promotion; provinces and local levels may add services at their own cost (section 3). Every health institution must provide emergency treatment, with basic services free and other costs met by health insurance or the patient (section 4). Governments at all three levels may partner with private and non-governmental health institutions, and private institutions need a licence (sections 21–22). Government hospitals must run their own pharmacies, and doctors must prescribe by generic name (section 29). The federal government sets health workforce policy and standards (section 26).1516

Health Insurance Act, 2074 (2017), as amended: every Nepali citizen must join the health insurance programme, with the family as the unit; public servants and families of migrant workers must join (section 3). Contributions are set partly by annual income, and federal, provincial and local governments pay contributions for the poor and other target groups (section 7). The Health Insurance Board contracts health facilities, and must contract at least one first-contact provider in every local level (section 9). The Board pays providers by capitation, case rate, fee for service or other set methods (section 11), from a Health Insurance Fund financed by government grants and members' contributions (section 27).17

Local Government Operation Act, 2074 (2017): municipalities and rural municipalities make policy, plans and rules for early childhood, basic, non-formal and special education; approve, run and regulate community, institutional, trust and cooperative schools; adjust teacher and staff positions in community schools; run the basic level (Grade 8) examination; test learning; manage free education and scholarships; and regulate tuition and coaching (section 11(2)(j)). In health they set policy for basic health, sanitation and nutrition, run basic, reproductive and nutrition services, establish and run hospitals and health institutions, and license and regulate pharmacies (section 11(2)(jh)).18

Current government priorities: the 16th Plan (2081/82–2085/86) aims to provide basic health services free from the state treasury, fund basic health per person based on population, geography and disease burden, raise the health share of the national budget, restructure health insurance to cover the formal and informal sectors and merge overlapping social health protection schemes. For schools it calls for an umbrella education law, implementing the School Education Sector Plan (2022–32), a minimum number of subject teachers in every school and merging schools with student numbers and distance in mind. The FY 2026/27 budget speech announces teacher competency testing, national school mapping and infrastructure audits, a single-payer health insurance system aiming to cover 90 per cent of Nepalis within three years, a National Health Accreditation Authority, a Food and Drug Administration, a review of the basic health service package and completion of 336 primary hospitals within three years.192021

Question 3

What is known, uncertain or disputed?

Known

Who provides schooling: in 2025/26 there were 27,010 community and 8,941 institutional (private) school units (religious schools are counted as community schools). Of 5,374,272 students in Grades 1–8, 3,258,446 were in community schools and 2,115,826 in institutional schools; in Grades 9–12 the figures were 1,125,209 and 541,344. In early childhood education, 54 per cent of the 1.2 million children enrolled were in privately operated centres. Community schools had a student–teacher ratio of 19:1 in Grades 1–5 and 50:1 in Grades 11–12.22

Learning levels: official data for 2025/26 report that 44.9 per cent of Grade 3 students reached minimum proficiency in reading and 50.1 per cent in numeracy (2024 measurement), and that 40.0 per cent of Grade 10 students reached minimum proficiency in mathematics (the table does not name the source of the Grade 10 figures). Only 68 per cent of basic schools had a full set of mathematics, science and English teachers for Grades 6–8, though this was above the plan target of 45 per cent.1

Health workforce: registration data show 9.04 doctors and 21.08 nurses per 10,000 people, but only 73.4 per cent of the health ministry's sanctioned posts are filled, including 53.9 per cent of medical officer posts and 37.9 per cent of physician or general practitioner posts. The Department of Health Services reports that Karnali Province had no consultants, physicians or general practitioners in sanctioned positions, and points to low pay, reliance on contract staff and emigration.7

Health insurance finances: in FY 2082/83 the Health Insurance Board received Rs 21,193,137,000 from the government as insurance contributions and Rs 3,883,778,365 in premiums from members, and reported about Rs 4.30 billion in claims paid from internal sources. Its payments to service providers that year were about Rs 17.67 billion to government, Rs 1.68 billion to community and Rs 6.14 billion to private facilities, plus Rs 4.37 billion in settled advances. It had 501 contracted health facilities: 441 government, 36 private and 24 community. In the fourth quarter (2083 Baishakh–Asar) the Board reported suspending non-emergency services at contracted private health institutions to reduce the scheme's rising financial burden.23

Uncertain

Health insurance coverage figures differ by source, year and measure, so they should not be compared directly. The 16th Plan gives 21 per cent of the population enrolled and a 69 per cent renewal rate for 2079/80. The Department of Health Services reports 20 per cent active coverage, 33 per cent cumulative enrolment and a 79 per cent renewal rate for 2081/82. The Health Insurance Board reports 36 per cent cumulative enrolment, 19 per cent active members and 70 per cent renewal for 2082/83. The 2022 household survey found 12 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men aged 15–49 insured.624235

How much of the gap between private and community schools is due to the schools themselves is not established. The 2023 assessment found institutional schools scoring higher in every subject, but the same report found that scores were also significantly associated with parental education, parental occupation, home language, home facilities and tuition support. The reviewed sources compare averages and do not show how much of the difference remains once family background is taken into account.2

Some official education figures are hard to interpret. The 16th Plan gives a basic-level completion rate of 77.1 per cent for 2079/80, while the School Education Sector Plan indicators give 76.2 per cent for 2021/22 and 77.1 per cent again for 2025/26, so it is unclear whether completion has improved. Gross enrolment rates above 100 per cent (for example 120.7 per cent in early childhood education in 2025/26) reflect enrolment of children older or younger than the official age group, and the Flash report gives no Grade 8 learning result for 2025/26.61

The budget speech gives sector totals of Rs 218.30 billion for education and Rs 101.95 billion for health in FY 2026/27, out of total planned spending of Rs 2,124.34 billion. The sources reviewed do not show how much of these totals is passed to provinces and local governments as grants, or how much provinces and local governments add from their own budgets, so total public spending on schools and health care is not known from this page's sources.2125

Disputed

How schools and teachers should be governed under federalism is disputed. The Kathmandu Post reported in June 2025 that a House committee panel had agreed not to keep federal education offices at district level, citing the constitutional provision that school-level authority lies with local governments, while the education minister at the time proposed reviving District Education Offices, arguing that education is a concurrent power of all three levels; the report said the Nepal Teachers' Federation and ministry officials supported the minister's proposal. In August 2026, Kantipur reported that stakeholders consulted on the new bill stressed private school operation, teacher management and local government jurisdiction up to Grade 12, and that the Teachers' Federation had announced protests in Bhadra if the process to issue the Act was not taken forward promptly.26272810

Whether private schools should be required to convert into non-profit trusts is disputed. According to a June 2025 Kathmandu Post report on the committee process, dozens of amendment proposals sought to convert existing private schools into trusts, with suggested deadlines ranging from five to 20 years; the education minister at the time favoured making conversion voluntary, and umbrella bodies of private schools lobbied against conversion. The Constitution itself asks the state to make private investment in education 'service-oriented' through regulation, without saying how.269

Questions 4–5

What are the options, and what do they cost and achieve?

Options are listed in no particular order. Policy Nepal does not recommend one; real policies often combine them.

Strengthen tax-funded public schools and health facilities8192172

Put more public money into community schools and government health facilities so that the constitutional promise of free basic education and free basic health services is met mainly through public provision, as the 16th Plan's aim of funding basic health services from the state treasury suggests.

Benefits
  • Directly delivers the free services the Constitution and the 2075 Acts promise, without fees at the point of use.
  • Public facilities can reach rural and remote areas, where official data show lower learning and fewer doctors.
Costs
  • Requires sustained increases in public spending and staff, competing with other budget priorities.
  • More money alone may not raise quality if teacher and health worker posts stay unfilled or poorly managed.
Trade-offs
  • Relying mainly on public provision gives the state more control over equity, but families who already use private schools and hospitals would see little direct benefit unless public quality improves enough to attract them back.
What implementation needs
  • Follow through on the 16th Plan programmes: per-person funding of basic health by population, geography and disease burden; a rising health share of the national budget; and minimum subject-teacher positions in every school.
  • Complete the 336 primary hospitals the 2026/27 budget says are under construction, and use the Rs 1 billion infrastructure-needs mapping of community schools it funds to decide where to build or merge.

Use private and community providers, under stronger regulation2291314162126

Accept that private and community schools and hospitals are a large part of the system, and focus on regulating their fees, quality and access, for example through the free-seat quota in private schools, licensing and accreditation, and contracting them where public services are thin.

Benefits
  • Builds on capacity that already exists: institutional schools teach about two in five Grade 1–8 students.
  • Regulation and accreditation can protect families who use private services, as the Constitution's call to make private investment 'service-oriented' intends.
Costs
  • Effective regulation needs inspectors, data systems and enforcement at local, provincial and federal levels.
  • Families still pay fees, so the option does little on its own for households that cannot afford them.
Trade-offs
  • Tighter rules, such as mandatory conversion of private schools into trusts, may improve accountability but could reduce private investment; lighter rules keep supply but leave more to families' ability to pay.
What implementation needs
  • Enforce the 10–15 per cent free-seat requirement in private schools (section 27 of the Compulsory and Free Education Act), which can be challenged before the local Judicial Committee.
  • Set up the National Health Accreditation Authority announced in the 2026/27 budget, and apply the licensing and minimum standards in the Public Health Service Act to all hospitals.

Pay through insurance and targeted support to families1723242919620211315

Fund services by paying for what people use: expand and restructure health insurance into a single payer, as the 2026/27 budget plans, and use scholarships, meals and other targeted support so that poorer families can use schools and health services.

Benefits
  • Pooling money through insurance can protect households from treatment costs; in 2022, 35 per cent of women aged 15–49 said getting money for advice or treatment was a big problem when seeking care.
  • Lets patients use contracted government, community and private facilities, and ties money to services actually delivered.
Costs
  • In 2082/83 the Board received about Rs 21.19 billion from the government against about Rs 3.88 billion in member premiums, and it reported suspending non-emergency services at contracted private facilities to reduce a rising financial burden; wider coverage would need more public money or higher contributions.
  • Insurance needs claims processing, fraud control and enough providers; the Department of Health Services reports drug and diagnostic shortages and claim payment delays.
Trade-offs
  • Insurance relies on people enrolling and renewing, and only about one in five people are active members; the Constitution also guarantees basic services free regardless of insurance, so the two systems must be kept from overlapping or leaving gaps.
What implementation needs
  • Integrate scattered social health protection schemes into a single payer, as both the 16th Plan and the 2026/27 budget propose, and track the targets of 70 per cent coverage by 2085/86 (16th Plan) and 90 per cent within three years (budget).
  • Use the Rs 8.60 billion the 2026/27 budget allocates for scholarships to targeted students, together with the Compulsory and Free Education Act's provisions for scholarships and day meals for children from areas below set Human Development Index levels, economically destitute families and families of citizens with disabilities.

Let local governments lead, with formula funding and clear accountability1018142628

Give municipalities and rural municipalities clear control of schools and basic health services, as Schedule 8 and the Local Government Operation Act provide, backed by predictable federal and provincial grants tied to need and results, and annual public reporting.

Benefits
  • Decisions are made closer to families, who can hold local officials to account through ward offices and municipal assemblies.
  • Matches the constitutional division of powers and the duties the 2075 Act already gives local levels, such as annual reports on enrolment, dropout and education spending.
Costs
  • Many local governments may lack the technical staff to manage teachers, hospitals and quality assurance.
  • Differences between rich and poor municipalities could widen without equalising grants.
Trade-offs
  • Local control fits the Constitution's Schedule 8, but in 2025 the Nepal Teachers' Federation was reported to support keeping federal district education offices; such offices offer uniform standards but may duplicate or weaken local authority.
What implementation needs
  • Pass a federal School Education Act that settles teacher management and district-level offices, following the consultations the education ministry began in 2083, as reported by Kantipur.
  • Apply section 30 of the Compulsory and Free Education Act, under which federal grants to local levels depend on the number of schools, students and results.

Focus on teachers, health workers and measured learning201962716

Concentrate effort on the people who deliver services and on measured results: teacher competency testing and subject teachers, filling health posts in underserved areas, and setting and tracking learning targets.

Benefits
  • Targets the problems official data highlight most: low learning results and unfilled doctor posts.
  • Regular national assessments already exist, so progress can be measured.
Costs
  • Incentives for remote postings, training and higher pay add recurring costs.
  • Competency testing and performance measures can face resistance from staff and their organisations.
Trade-offs
  • A quality focus may slow expansion of buildings and enrolment, and test-based targets can narrow teaching if used alone.
What implementation needs
  • Carry out the teacher competency testing announced in the 2026/27 budget and the 16th Plan target of raising Grade 8 mathematics minimum proficiency from 32 to 55 per cent.
  • Apply the 16th Plan's special incentive scheme for health workers in remote and less attractive areas and its target of raising health worker production from 1.94 to 4.64 per 1,000 people.

Combining options

These options overlap, and current plans already mix them. The 16th Plan and the 2026/27 budget combine more public investment (primary hospitals, school infrastructure), tighter regulation (an accreditation authority, a food and drug administration), insurance reform (a single payer) and quality measures (teacher competency testing). The real choices are about balance and sequence: how much new money goes to public facilities versus insurance purchasing, how strictly private providers are regulated, and which level of government is responsible for teachers and hospitals. A federal School Education Act would settle several of these questions for schools at once.

Question 6

Who is responsible?

Federal
Federal ministry responsible for education, and the Centre for Education and Human Resource Development

Leads and coordinates school education nationally, sets standards and monitoring indicators under the Compulsory and Free Education Act, provides textbook funds and grants to local levels, and publishes the annual Flash reports on schools, enrolment and teachers.11131422

Federal
Education Review Office

Runs the National Assessment of Student Achievement and performance audits of schools under the education ministry.2

Federal
Federal ministry responsible for health, and the Department of Health Services

Sets health policy, standards and quality rules, runs national and specialised hospitals and communicable disease control, sets health workforce policy, and reports annually on health services and staffing.10167

Federal
Health Insurance Board

Autonomous body that enrols members, collects contributions, contracts health facilities and pays claims from the Health Insurance Fund.1723

Federal
National Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance

Set the five-year targets for education and health (16th Plan) and the annual federal allocations and grants (budget speech).621

Provincial
Provincial governments

Run provincial universities, higher education and health services (including specialist services to federal standards), share powers over drugs, family planning and medical professions with the federation, may license health institutions, and must give annual education grants to local levels.10151614

Local
Local governments (rural municipalities and municipalities)

Hold the constitutional power over basic and secondary education and basic health; approve and regulate schools, adjust community school teacher positions, run the Grade 8 examination, provide compulsory basic education, run basic health services and local hospitals, and report each year to the municipal assembly on enrolment, dropout and education spending.10181114

Local
Local Judicial Committees

Hear complaints, filed by guardians within 15 days, that a school refused admission, expelled a basic-level child or breached the private school free-seat rule, and can fine the head teacher, with appeal to the District Court.14

Question 7

What have parties and leaders said and done?

What was said or promised is shown apart from what was recorded as done. Every entry needs a dated source. A missing entry means the position is not established, not that someone opposes or is neutral.

Party positions on education and health are still being researched. To keep coverage fair, they will be added for every party with seats in the House of Representatives at the same time, each from that party's own documents. The records above are government actions (budget, programme data and consultations) and do not represent any party.

Said or promised

Position not established in reviewed sources.

Recorded actions and outcomes

Funding decision · 2026 (budget speech for FY 2026/27)

Government of Nepal (Ministry of Finance)

The FY 2026/27 budget allocates Rs 218.30 billion to the education sector and Rs 101.95 billion to the health sector, of which Rs 15 billion is for the Health Insurance Program; it also allocates Rs 13.15 billion for health-related social security programmes and Rs 8.60 billion for targeted scholarships.21

Implementation · FY 2082/83 (fourth-quarter report, 2083 Baishakh–Asar)

Health Insurance Board

Reported 10,765,786 people enrolled to date (36 per cent of the population), 5,687,552 active members (19 per cent), 4,193,143 annual renewals (70 per cent) and 3,135,800 members using services (55 per cent) in FY 2082/83.23

Implementation · 2083 Shrawan 31 (16 August 2026), as reported

Federal education ministry

As reported by Kantipur, began province-by-province consultations with teachers, students, head teachers and parents on a School Education Bill, starting in Biratnagar, after the bill passed by the previous House committee lapsed with the dissolution of the House.28

Question 8

What would progress look like, and when do we check again?

IndicatorLatest official figureOfficial targetRevisit
Share of the population enrolled in health insurance623 21 per cent (latest Board figure: 19 per cent active members in FY 2082/83; measures differ) (FY 2079/80)623 70 per cent by FY 2085/86 (16th Plan); the 2026/27 budget separately aims for 90 per cent within three years (FY 2085/86)620 2027-08
Out-of-pocket spending as a share of total health spending67 54.2 per cent (FY 2079/80 (as given in the 16th Plan))6 38 per cent (FY 2085/86)6 2027-08
Grade 8 students reaching minimum learning proficiency in mathematics6 32 per cent (FY 2079/80 (16th Plan); the School Education Sector Plan gives 32.1 per cent for 2021/22)61 55 per cent (FY 2085/86)6 next national assessment of Grade 8
Basic level (Grades 1–8) completion rate16 77.1 per cent (below the School Education Sector Plan target of 84.6 per cent for that year) (Academic year 2082 (2025/26))1 100 per cent (FY 2085/86)6 next Flash I report (academic year 2083)
Neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)64 21 (FY 2079/80 (16th Plan); also 21 in the 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey)64 13 (FY 2085/86)6 next Nepal Demographic and Health Survey

Sources

Grouped by type of evidence. Government plans show what government intends; they are not proof of results. Party material shows what a party says.

Constitution & law

  1. The Constitution of Nepal (English translation, incl. first and second amendments) — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Gazette publication 20 September 2015; amended 2016 and 2020. Part 3, Article 31 (right relating to education) and Article 35 (right relating to health), pp. 16–17. Checked 2026-10-09
  2. The Constitution of Nepal (English translation, incl. first and second amendments) — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Gazette publication 20 September 2015; amended 2016 and 2020. Article 47 (implementation of fundamental rights within three years), p. 20; Article 51(h) [Nepali: ५१ (ज)] policies relating to basic needs, clauses (1)–(3) and (5)–(10), pp. 28–29. Checked 2026-10-09
  3. The Constitution of Nepal (English translation, incl. first and second amendments) — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Gazette publication 20 September 2015; amended 2016 and 2020. Schedule 5 items 15–16, p. 194; Schedule 6 items 8–9, p. 196; Schedule 7 items 9, 10 and 12, p. 198; Schedule 8 items 8–9, p. 200; Schedule 9 items 2–3, p. 202. Checked 2026-10-09
  4. The Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075 (2018) — English translation — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Nepal Gazette 2075.6.2 (18 September 2018); Act No. 16 of 2075. Section 2 (definitions incl. basic, secondary and free education), pp. 1–3; sections 3–6 (rights, state liability, compulsory education age 4–13 through every local level), pp. 3–4. Checked 2026-10-09
  5. The Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075 (2018) — English translation — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Nepal Gazette 2075.6.2 (18 September 2018). Sections 7–13 (admission, convenient school, no refusal or expulsion), pp. 5–8; section 19 (disqualification after 1 Baishakh 2085), pp. 9–10; section 20 (free education to secondary level), p. 10. Checked 2026-10-09
  6. The Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075 (2018) — English translation — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Nepal Gazette 2075.6.2 (18 September 2018). Sections 21–25 (textbooks, materials, scholarships, health treatment, day meal), pp. 10–11; section 27 (private schools: free seats of at least 10/12/15 per cent), pp. 11–12; sections 28–29 (mother-tongue education), p. 13. Checked 2026-10-09
  7. The Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075 (2018) — English translation — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Nepal Gazette 2075.6.2 (18 September 2018). Section 30 (budget and grants by federal, provincial and local governments), pp. 13–14; section 32 (offences, Judicial Committee, fines, appeal), pp. 14–15; sections 35–37 (monitoring indicators, annual local reports, data), pp. 16–17; section 41 (ministry standards), p. 17. Checked 2026-10-09
  8. The Public Health Service Act, 2075 (2018) — English translation — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Authenticated 2075/6/2 (18 September 2018); Act No. 11 of 2075. Section 3 (free basic health services, list (a)–(j), provincial/local additions), p. 3; sections 4–7 (emergency treatment, specialist and referral services, quality), pp. 4–5. Checked 2026-10-09
  9. The Public Health Service Act, 2075 (2018) — English translation — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Authenticated 2075/6/2 (18 September 2018). Sections 21–22 (operation, partnership, licensing of health institutions), pp. 9–10; sections 26–27 (human resources; inspection), p. 11; sections 28–32 (health fund, generic prescribing and hospital pharmacies, extended hospital service), pp. 12–13. Checked 2026-10-09
  10. स्वास्थ्य बीमा ऐन, २०७४ (Health Insurance Act, 2074) — consolidated Nepali text — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Authenticated 2074/07/01; amended 2075/11/19 and 2081/12/18. Sections 3–7 (mandatory enrolment, family unit, services, exclusions, contributions and government payment for the poor), pp. 3–4; sections 9–11 (contracts, first service point in each local level, payment methods), pp. 5–6; sections 13–14 (Board; autonomous body), pp. 6–7; section 27 (Fund), p. 13. Checked 2026-10-09
  11. स्थानीय सरकार सञ्चालन ऐन, २०७४ (Local Government Operation Act, 2074) — consolidated Nepali text — Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal, Act No. 26 of 2074; amended 2075, 2077 and 2081. Section 11(2)(ja) [ज] basic and secondary education, items (1)–(23), pp. 15–16; section 11(2)(jha) [झ] basic health and sanitation, p. 17. Checked 2026-10-09

Government plans & policy

  1. सोह्रौँ योजना (आ.व. २०८१/८२–२०८५/८६) (The Sixteenth Plan) — National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal, 2081 BS. Chapter 5, sections 5.2 (current situation) and 5.3 (main issues and challenges, incl. (6) health insurance and (7) high personal cost), pp. 104–106. Checked 2026-10-09
  2. सोह्रौँ योजना (आ.व. २०८१/८२–२०८५/८६) (The Sixteenth Plan) — National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal, 2081 BS. Chapter 5, section 5.6 quantitative targets table, rows 1–21 (health; education and skills), pp. 122–123. Checked 2026-10-09
  3. सोह्रौँ योजना (आ.व. २०८१/८२–२०८५/८६) (The Sixteenth Plan) — National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal, 2081 BS. Chapter 5, section 5.4 strategies (1)–(3), p. 107, and (12), p. 109; section 5.5 programmes (1)–(5), pp. 112–113, and (24) school education reform, pp. 117–118. Checked 2026-10-09
  4. Budget Speech for Fiscal Year 2026/27 (2083/84) — English (unofficial translation) — Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, 2026. Paragraphs 30 (education restructuring, teacher competency testing), 31 (primary health care goal) and 32 (health insurance restructuring, 90 per cent coverage), pp. 14–15 (printed page numbers). Checked 2026-10-09
  5. Budget Speech for Fiscal Year 2026/27 (2083/84) — English (unofficial translation) — Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, 2026. Paragraph 47 'Quality Education' (a)–(j) and allocation line (Rs 218.30 billion), p. 26; paragraph 48 'Accessible Healthcare Service' (a)–(r) incl. Rs 101.95 billion and Rs 15 billion for health insurance, pp. 27–28. Checked 2026-10-09
  6. Budget Speech for Fiscal Year 2026/27 (2083/84) — English (unofficial translation) — Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, 2026. Paragraph 64 (total expenditure allocation Rs 2,124.34 billion), p. 42. Checked 2026-10-09

Official data

  1. Flash I Report 2082 (2025/26) — Centre for Education and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2082 BS. 'KPI and PRF of School Education Sector Plan' tables: indicators 1.1.2, 2.1.10, 2.1.14, 2.3.1–2.3.3, 2.3.9, 3.1.5, 3.3.1 (base year 2021/22, target and achievement 2025/26), pp. 4–8. Checked 2026-10-09
  2. National Assessment of Student Achievement 2023: Main Report — Mathematics, Science, English and Nepali for Grade 10 — Education Review Office, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Not dated on the pages read (assessment conducted 2023). Executive Summary, pp. xiv–xvii (national, province, local level, school type and background findings; recommendations). Checked 2026-10-09
  3. Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 — Ministry of Health and Population, New ERA and ICF, June 2023. Chapter 8 'Infant and Child Mortality', Key Findings, p. 169. Checked 2026-10-09
  4. Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 — Ministry of Health and Population, New ERA and ICF, June 2023. Section 3.6 'Health Insurance Coverage', p. 44. Checked 2026-10-09
  5. Annual Health Report 2081/82 — Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population, 2082/83 (PDF file dated 7 June 2026). Executive Summary, 'Human Resources for Health and Health Finance Management', p. XI (PDF p. 47). Checked 2026-10-09
  6. Flash I Report 2082 (2025/26) — Centre for Education and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2082 BS. 'The Key Findings, 2025-26' and Key findings 1–4 (schools, students, teachers, student–teacher ratio), pp. 1–3. Checked 2026-10-09
  7. सूचनाको हक सम्बन्धी ऐन २०६४ को दफा ५(३) बमोजिम स्वतः प्रकाशन: २०८२/८३ को चौथो त्रैमासिक प्रतिवेदन (Proactive disclosure, fourth-quarter report FY 2082/83) — Health Insurance Board, Government of Nepal, 2083 BS (covers Baishakh–Asar 2083). Section 3.1 (policy decisions, 2083 Baishakh–Asar, incl. suspension of non-emergency services at contracted private institutions), p. 3; section 3.4 (501 contracted facilities by province and type), p. 4; section 3.7 'प्रमुख सूचकको अवस्था' (enrolment, active, renewal, utilisation) and 3.8.1 (income and expenditure FY 2082/83), p. 6; section 3.8.2 (payments to providers by type), p. 7 (printed page numbers). Checked 2026-10-09
  8. Annual Health Report 2081/82 — Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population, 2082/83 (PDF file dated 7 June 2026). Executive Summary, 'Health Insurance Programs', p. XII (PDF p. 48). Checked 2026-10-09
  9. Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 — Ministry of Health and Population, New ERA and ICF, June 2023. Section 9.9 'Problems in Accessing Health Care', p. 195. Checked 2026-10-09

News reports

  1. Teachers warn of fresh protest over school bill (Binod Ghimire) — The Kathmandu Post, 23 June 2025. Full article. Checked 2026-10-09
  2. School Education Bill: Suggestions ranging from free education to improved teacher benefits (Sudeep Kaini) — Kantipur (ekantipur.com), English AI-translated edition, 23 August 2026 (2083 Bhadra 7). Standfirst (lead) only. Checked 2026-10-09
  3. शिक्षा विधेयकका लागि शिक्षा मन्त्रालयले थाल्यो सातै प्रदेशमा सुझाव संकलन (Sudeep Kaini) — Kantipur (ekantipur.com), 16 August 2026 (2083 Shrawan 31). Full article (Nepali). Checked 2026-10-09

Corrections & right of reply

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Change history
  1. 2026-10-09 — First researched draft of the education and health issue page (status: review). (New topic page for the National Agenda; all figures taken from sources opened on 2026-10-09. Party positions intentionally not included pending all-party research.)
  2. 2026-10-09 — Removed the statement that the Health Insurance Board's claims paid from the government contribution equalled the whole contribution (classification, evidence.known, insurance option costs). (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: the HIB disclosure (s. 3.8.1, p. 6) shows equal income and claims lines but does not explain why; the page does not draw conclusions the source does not explain. Replaced with figures the source states directly: member premiums, provider payments by type (s. 3.8.2, p. 7) and the Board's reported suspension of non-emergency services at contracted private facilities to reduce its rising financial burden (s. 3.1, p. 3).)
  3. 2026-10-09 — Nepali text: replaced 'आ.व. २०८२/८३' and '२०७८/७९' with 'शैक्षिक सत्र २०८२ (सन् २०२५/२६)' and 'शैक्षिक सत्र २०७८ (सन् २०२१/२२)' wherever Flash I report data are described. (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: the Flash report covers academic year 2082 BS (base year 2078 BS), not fiscal years; 'आ.व.' (fiscal year) was inaccurate and did not match the English.)
  4. 2026-10-09 — NASA 2023 mathematics finding reworded to '60 per cent at or below the proficient 1 level, which the report says means they do not meet the minimum expected goals'; 'strong links' with family background changed to 'significantly associated'. (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: matches ERO NASA 2023 Executive Summary pp. xv–xvi; the report gives 60% (not 'about') and uses 'significant'/'positive correlation', not 'strong'.)
  5. 2026-10-09 — NDHS access item corrected to '35 per cent of women aged 15–49 said getting money for advice or treatment was a big problem'; insurance option benefit no longer describes this as 'large medical bills'. (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: NDHS 2022 section 9.9 (p. 195) asks about getting money for advice or treatment, among women aged 15–49 only.)
  6. 2026-10-09 — 'General practitioner posts' changed to 'physician or general practitioner posts'. (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: DoHS Annual Health Report 2081/82, Executive Summary p. XI, reports 'physicians or general practitioners at 37.9 percent'.)
  7. 2026-10-09 — News-based items on the School Education Bill (classification, disputed, local-led option, ministry consultations record) now say 'as reported by' the Kathmandu Post or Kantipur; Teachers' Federation protest threat stated as reported (protest in Bhadra if the process was not advanced). (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: no official Ministry or Parliament source confirming the bill's status was found; the House of Representatives registered-bills page checked on 2026-10-09 did not list a School Education Bill on its first page, which neither confirms nor rules out any status. News is used only to establish what was reported.)
  8. 2026-10-09 — Local-led option trade-off reworded from 'resisted by teachers who want to remain under federal management' to the reported 2025 Teachers' Federation support for federal district education offices. (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: the original wording attributed a motive to teachers that the cited Kathmandu Post report does not state; neutrality.)
  9. 2026-10-09 — Removed 'and possibly data issues' from the gross enrolment rate explanation; replaced 'merging small schools' with the 16th Plan's wording (merging schools considering student numbers and distance); budget 'national school mapping it funds' changed to the Rs 1 billion infrastructure-needs mapping of community schools (para 47(a)). (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: the Flash report does not attribute high GER to data issues; 16th Plan programme (24) p. 117 and Budget para 47(a) p. 26 say what is now stated.)
  10. 2026-10-09 — Smaller precision fixes: Article 35(3) 'every citizen' (not 'everyone'); Article 47 'as required'; section 27 free seats apply to private and public-educational-trust schools; Flash counts note that religious schools are counted as community schools; Grade 10 Flash figures note that the table does not name their source; out-of-pocket figure dated to 2079/80; scholarship implementation tied to the Act's actual target groups (ss. 23, 25); explanation item softened from 'delivered mostly by local governments'. (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: aligns text with Constitution pp. 16–20, CFE Act ss. 23, 25, 27, Flash I 2082 pp. 2, 8 and the 16th Plan targets table p. 123.)
  11. 2026-10-09 — Locators corrected: 16th Plan strategies (1)–(3) are on p. 107; DoHS executive summary pages are printed XI and XII; HIB locator adds s. 3.1 (p. 3) and s. 3.8.2 (p. 7); Health Insurance Act adds s. 14 (p. 7); CFE Act adds s. 41 (p. 17). (Independent verification, 2026-10-09: checked against freshly downloaded PDFs.)
  12. 2026-10-10 — Published after independent source-by-source verification. Party positions not yet included (to be added for all House parties together). Nepali text awaiting native review. (Editorial decisions: News-sourced school-bill items kept, labelled as reported, until an official bill record is available. Health-insurance figures that conflict across official sources are shown side by side, not reconciled. Ministry names left generic pending confirmation after restructuring.)