The meeting of the House of Representatives' Education, Health, and Technology Committee on Monday, called to pass the School Education Bill, has been postponed indefinitely.
Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Raghuji Panta proposed adjourning Monday's committee meeting, citing pending discussions with the Nepal Teachers' Federation (NTF). However, lawmakers opposed the minister's proposal.
The NTF has primarily expressed dissatisfaction with the provision for teacher recruitment in the bill. The bill stipulates 60 percent recruitment through internal competition and 40 percent through open competition for teacher positions. However, the NTF insists on filling 75 percent positions through internal competition and 25 percent through open competition.
The ruling Nepali Congress, on the other hand, stands against specifying percentages for internal and open competitions for teacher recruitments. NC Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire said that the party supports including a provision in the bill that teacher recruitment should be "as prescribed."
"Let’s just write 'as prescribed', otherwise, the Congress will not accept this bill," he said.
Most lawmakers who spoke at the meeting urged Minister Panta to pass the bill on Monday itself, even if it took until midnight.
Minister Panta responded that the government itself had instructed to halt the bill, which is why it had to be postponed.
