Kathmandu, June 18: Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel has said the government has accorded high priority to the education and sports sectors in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with a focus on improving quality, expanding digital learning and strengthening technical education.
Responding to lawmakers during discussions on the Appropriation Bill, 2083, in the House of Representatives on Thursday, Minister Pokharel said Rs 218.30 billion has been allocated to the education and sports sector for the fiscal year 2026/27, accounting for 10.28 percent of the national budget.
Although the sector’s share has declined by 0.47 percentage points compared to the current fiscal year, the minister said the allocation has increased by Rs 7 billion in absolute terms.
According to the minister, 69.49 percent of the ministry’s budget has been earmarked for school education, 11.04 percent for higher education, 2.56 percent for technical and vocational education and training, 1.74 percent for sports and 15.17 percent for administrative and management expenses.
Of the Rs 151.69 billion allocated for school education, Rs 10.45 billion has been set aside for infrastructure development.
The minister said the budget includes provisions for market-oriented skills training for 7,660 people and Rs 350 million to conduct the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) at the provincial level.
Under the School Education Sector Plan, Rs 624 million has been allocated to provincial governments, including Rs 276 million for physical infrastructure and Rs 275 million for teacher training.
Pokharel said Rs 2.37 billion has been allocated for school infrastructure grants in partnership with local governments based on student enrolment, excluding 19 districts affected by major earthquakes, including Gorkha, Bajhang, Jajarkot, Rukum West, Manang and Mustang.
To accelerate digital learning, the government has allocated Rs 1.70 billion to install smartboards in all secondary-level community schools. The daytime meal programme for students from early childhood education through Grade 5 in community schools will also continue.
The minister said the budget prioritises research, enhancing the competitiveness of higher education, improving the quality of school education and expanding technical education through the efficient use of available resources. Funding has also been allocated for school buildings, libraries, laboratories, information technology and educational materials.
Pokharel said the government would pursue structural and institutional reforms in the coming fiscal year to ensure more effective and quality spending. He also noted that scholarship schemes at all levels would be reviewed to make them more equitable and targeted.
He said residential scholarships for children with disabilities, affordable digital textbooks, and integrated and special schools would continue under the new budget.
The government has also allocated Rs 590 million to expand market-oriented educational programmes, support entrepreneurship development, provide performance-based grants to higher education institutions and promote information technology-based educational initiatives.
The minister said universities should gradually become more self-reliant by developing sustainable investment models instead of relying heavily on government funding, while assuring that the government would continue to meet their essential operational expenses.
According to Pokharel, Nepal’s basic education enrolment rate has reached 97.7 percent, while the completion rate stands at 74 percent. He said the government has launched various initiatives to bring children who remain outside the formal education system into schools.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to sports development, the minister announced cash awards for winners of national sports competitions, medalists in the President Running Shield competition and athletes who set new national records. He added that provisions under the National Sports Development Regulations also ensure cash rewards for athletes who win international competitions and enhance Nepal’s global sporting reputation. #nepal
