Global Action Week for Education Begins, Raising Concerns Over Investment Increase and Budget Cuts

The ‘Global Action Week for Education’ has commenced in Nepal to ensure adequate investment in the education sector. The National Campaign for Education Nepal (NCE) has highlighted ongoing budget cuts in education and expressed concerns that rising operational expenses are adversely affecting infrastructure development. The campaign demands the government allocate 15–20 percent of the total education budget along with increased grants.

This week is being observed worldwide, and in Nepal, it is running under the slogan “Keep the Campaign Flame Alive for Education Financing.” NCE is conducting a series of awareness programs from today until April 27 to promote the campaign. Although Nepal’s constitution mandates free and compulsory basic and secondary education, it has been pointed out that sufficient budget allocation for effective implementation is lacking.

There are concerns regarding the continuous budget reductions in education in recent years. In the fiscal year 2010/11 (2067/68 BS), more than 17 percent of the total national budget was allocated to education, but currently, this has been limited to approximately 10.75 percent. Data also indicate that expected investments in education at provincial and local levels have not been met.

Labaraj Oli, President of NCE, noted that foreign aid is decreasing while debt is rising, which will pose further challenges to the education sector in the future. The campaign activities include interactions, discussions, public gatherings, radio messages, and social media awareness programs at central, provincial, and local levels.