KATHMANDU, June 21: The foundational pillar of school education—early childhood development (ECD) teaching—has been left unaddressed in the national budget, leaving thousands of teachers in financial distress, stakeholders say.
ECD centers, considered the core base of children’s learning, rely heavily on teachers—almost all of whom are women—who play a crucial role in shaping early education outcomes. Despite the government’s announcement in the budget for the fiscal year 2026/27 to increase remuneration for professionals including teachers, no specific decision has been made regarding salary increments for ECD facilitators or school staff, drawing criticism from education stakeholders.
Nepal Teachers’ Federation Chair Laxmikishor Subedi said the lack of provisions for ECD teachers—who have long been demanding better pay, job stability, and social security—does not reflect a positive policy direction.
He noted that the federation had earlier ended an 89-day protest in 2081 after reaching an agreement with the government, which included a commitment to convert ECD facilitators into primary-level third-class teacher positions with corresponding pay and benefits. However, Subedi said the current budget still fails to fully address the issue of institutional stability.
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There are more than 35,000 ECD facilitators working across Nepal. Although early childhood education is recognized as the foundation for learning and personality development, teachers in this sector continue to work under low pay and insecure conditions, he added.
On Monday, the federation reiterated its demands, calling for formal teacher positions for ECD facilitators with third-class primary teacher-level salaries, civil service-level pay for school support staff, and similar status for accounting staff equivalent to clerical positions.
“Although the upcoming budget mentions salary increases for teachers and professionals, it remains silent on ECD issues,” Subedi told Republica. “There has been a growing demand to allocate 20 percent of the total budget to education. However, the reduced allocation compared to previous years shows that education is not a priority for the government,” he said.
He further demanded clear policy direction on how salary increments would be implemented, how costs would be shared between federal and local governments, and what the implementation framework would look like. According to him, while wage increases are hinted at, structural reforms remain absent.
Education expert Bidyanath Koirala said investment in early childhood education has a direct impact on improving overall school education quality. However, he warned that weak service conditions make it difficult to retain skilled teachers. “Low morale among teachers can directly affect children’s learning outcomes,” he said, adding that in some countries, ECD teachers are paid more than those at higher levels.
The government has allocated Rs 218.3 billion for the education sector, which accounts for only 10.27 percent of the total budget—below the internationally recommended 15–20 percent. Experts say this indicates the need for greater investment in education.
Subedi also criticized a proposed five percent VAT on electricity consumption above 50 units, saying it would further burden financially struggling community schools and citizens.
