Education Ministry Announces Free School-Level Registration for Students in Grades 9 and 11

In a significant move towards making school-level education truly free, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has announced that secondary-level students will no longer be required to pay registration fees. Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Bidya Bhattarai, shared the update during an interaction with the Education Journalists Network Nepal (EJON) in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Minister Bhattarai revealed that students in grades 9 and 11 will no longer face the financial burden of registration fees, a change that marks a step forward in the government’s efforts to implement free education. Currently, students have been paying registration fees twice—once in grade 9 and again in grade 11. These fees were deposited into the government’s account as revenue and collected by the National Examination Board.

“This decision addresses the challenge of the government’s commitment to free education,” said Minister Bhattarai. “We have decided that registration fees will no longer be collected for grade 9, making it free for students at the school level. This initiative will be further expanded in the upcoming budget.”

Additionally, she noted that while registration will be free in grade 9, the provincial examination for grade 10 and the national examination for grade 12 will still be overseen by the National Examination Board.

Minister Bhattarai also highlighted that the ministry is preparing to revise the school curriculum to better familiarize students with their country’s history and environmental resources. Key revisions will include updating history and environmental studies to reflect national priorities.