The important "School Education Bill" has been delayed again because Education Minister Raghuji Pant is not showing interest. This bill is necessary to improve Nepal’s school system. It has not been discussed since July 6, even though a meeting was supposed to happen within five days after that date.

The House of Representatives’ Education Committee has already postponed the meeting three times at the request of the government and ruling parties. The committee’s chairperson, Ammar Bahadur Thapa, said they cannot move forward without the minister’s presence. The committee now plans to discuss the *Media Council Bill* instead.

Dashrath Dhamala, the committee secretary, said the Education Ministry seems to be taking more time before resuming talks on the School Education Bill.

Meanwhile, the *Nepal Teachers’ Federation* is frustrated. They say the government has ignored previous promises and is not serious about solving the problems faced by teachers and school staff. The federation warned that if the bill is not passed by this week, they will start protests again.

Earlier this year, the federation had stopped a month-long protest after the government promised to pass the bill by June 29. But the deadline was missed, and there has been little progress since.

The federation says the government is not addressing key issues like:

-Job security for temporary teachers

-Promotions for permanent teachers

-Teacher transfers

-Management of school staff

-Rights of teachers affected by conflict

-Support for early childhood and institutional school teachers

A subcommittee led by lawmaker Chhabilal Bishwakarma worked hard to tackle over 1,700 suggested changes to the bill. They even agreed that teachers could be promoted after 10 to 12 years of service. However, disagreements remain, especially about the scoring system needed for promotion.

This bill is very important for fully implementing Nepal’s Constitution, which gives more power to local governments. But unless the government and the education minister take action soon, the future of this bill—and the education system—remains uncertain.