Nepal's School Education Bill and the Future of Early Childhood Development: A Critical Analysis of the Two-Year ECD Policy

Introduction: A Personal Journey Through Nepal's Educational Evolution

When I think back to my childhood in rural Nepal, the concept of kindergarten seemed as foreign as a distant star. Like most children of my generation, my educational journey began abruptly in Grade 1, thrust into a world of letters and numbers without any gentle introduction or foundational preparation. We sat on hard wooden benches, clutching pencils we barely knew how to hold, trying to make sense of symbols that seemed to dance mockingly on our slate boards.

Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation. Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers now fill the landscape of both urban and rural Nepal, providing young minds with the nurturing environment that my generation never experienced. Children laugh as they learn through play, develop social skills in structured yet joyful settings, and build the cognitive foundations that will support them throughout their educational journey.

However, as Nepal prepares for educational reform with the School Education Bill 2080, a contentious proposal risks undoing years of progress in early childhood education. The government's focus on restricting Early Childhood Development to only two years before Grade 1 enrollment is not merely a policy mistake but also a fundamental misjudgment of how children learn and grow.

This isn't merely an academic debate confined to policy circles—it's a decision that will shape the minds and futures of millions of Nepali children for generations to come.

The Historical Context: From Educational Void to ECD Revolution

The Dark Ages of Early Education

To understand the gravity of the current policy debate, we must first acknowledge our origins. Nepal's formal education system, established under the Education Act of 1971, was built on a Western model that assumed children would arrive at Grade 1 with specific foundational skills. This assumption proved catastrophic in the Nepali context, where extended families traditionally provided informal early learning, but formal pre-school education was virtually non-existent.

I vividly recall my first day of school—the confusion and uncertainty. Growing up, many of us did not attend kindergarten, leaving us unprepared for formal education and struggling with fundamental literacy and numeracy skills. This pattern has persisted across Nepal for decades.

Rural children, in particular, faced additional challenges, including irregular school schedules due to agricultural demands, long distances to school, and teachers who often lacked basic training in child development and pedagogy. The result was a generation of learners who struggled with foundational literacy and numeracy, creating a domino effect that persisted throughout their educational careers.

The ECD Awakening

The recognition of the importance of early childhood education in Nepal has developed gradually, influenced by international research and the advocacy of organizations such as UNICEF and Save the Children. The 1990s marked the beginning of systematic efforts to establish Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs, although progress was uneven and primarily focused on urban areas.

The real breakthrough came with Nepal's adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4, which explicitly emphasizes inclusive and equitable quality education for all children. This global commitment, combined with growing awareness among Nepali educators and policymakers, led to the expansion of ECD services across the country.

Today, Nepal boasts over 35,000 ECD centers serving approximately 800,000 children—a remarkable achievement for a country that had virtually no formal early childhood education three decades ago. These centers, ranging from community-run facilities in remote villages to well-equipped private institutions in Kathmandu, represent hope for millions of families who want their children to have better educational foundations than they had.

The School Education Bill 2080: Promise and Peril

A Legislative Marathon

Nepal's path toward a new School Education Bill has been like an educational journey. For more than ten years, stakeholders have urged the adoption of a comprehensive law to replace the fragmented laws governing the country's schools. The shift to federalism in the 2015 Constitution heightened this urgency, as education duties were divided among federal, provincial, and local governments.

The bill under review stems from extensive discussions and intense debates among stakeholders. After multiple unsuccessful attempts and ongoing advocacy from groups like the Nepal Teachers’ Federation, a 29-day teachers’ strike beginning on April 30, 2025, played a crucial role in advancing the bill. The strike concluded with a nine-point agreement that addressed key issues, including improved salaries and working conditions. This agreement has paved the way for the bill's scheduled approval by July 15, 2025, marking a significant milestone in Nepal’s educational development. The Nepal Teachers' Federation, representing over 200,000 educators, also demanded meaningful input into education policy, and their persistent efforts have contributed to this historic progress.

The Two-Year ECD Controversy

However, amid this largely progressive legislation, a provision has generated significant controversy among educators, child development specialists, and parents: the mandate that children must complete exactly two years of Early Childhood Development (ECD), usually at ages 4 and 5, before starting Grade 1.

At first glance, this might seem like progress—after all, the previous system often allowed children to enter Grade 1 with no formal pre-school experience at all. The government's decision to mandate two years of Early Childhood Development (ECD) acknowledges the importance of early childhood education and represents a significant policy shift.

But the devil, as they say, is in the details. By capping ECD at two years, the policy ignores mounting evidence that three to four years of quality early childhood education provides optimal developmental outcomes. More troubling, it prioritizes administrative convenience and budgetary constraints over the developmental needs of children.

Ground-Level Reality: Lessons from Rapti Municipality

The Seeds of Change Initiative

As Director of Creating Possibilities Nepal, I have witnessed the transformative impact of quality early childhood development (ECD) programs. Our efforts to improve Early Childhood Development (ECD) classrooms in government schools of Rapti, Gadhawa, and Rajpur municipalities in Dang District, as well as our recent "Seeds of Change" project in Rapti Municipality, have yielded valuable insights. Supported by a $1,000 grant from the World Forum Foundation, this initiative has shed light on both the opportunities and challenges of delivering Early Childhood Development (ECD) in rural Nepal.

Our strategy was intentionally community-focused, understanding that lasting change must originate from within the community rather than be externally imposed. We established Child Development Funds at local schools, including Gyanodaya Secondary School (NPR 71,000) and Janajyoti Basic School (NPR 65,000), providing ongoing financial support for improvements in Early Childhood Development (ECD).

The funding model reflects a strong sense of collaboration. The Ward Chair contributed NPR 5,000, showcasing local government support. Parents contributed NPR 27,000, reflecting their commitment to their children's future. The school management added NPR 33,000, demonstrating institutional dedication. This was not charity; it was community ownership of educational progress.

Teacher Training: The Heart of Quality ECD

Our two-day teacher training program in January 2024 brought together 23 early childhood development (ECD) teachers from across the municipality. These educators, mostly women with limited formal training in early childhood development, were eager to acquire knowledge and skills that would enable them to support their young students better.

The training, led by Anita Sharma, focused on practical, immediately useful techniques: child-centered teaching, classroom management strategies, and activity-based learning methods. We highlighted the use of local materials—stones for counting, leaves for art projects, traditional games for motor skill development—understanding that rural ECD centers couldn't depend on costly imported educational toys.

The transformation was remarkable. Teachers who had previously relied on rote memorization and rigid instruction began incorporating songs, games, and hands-on activities into their daily routines. Children's attendance improved as school became a place of joy rather than drudgery. Parents, seeing their children's enthusiasm for learning, became more engaged in the educational process.

Perhaps most importantly, we documented clear improvements in children's school readiness. Those who participated in our enhanced Early Childhood Development (ECD) programming demonstrated improved letter recognition, enhanced fine motor skills, and stronger social-emotional development compared to their peers in traditional settings.

Extended Early Childhood Development: The Importance of a Longer Duration

The proposed two-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) policy could compromise important developmental outcomes for young children. Extensive global research indicates that a duration of three to four years of pre-primary education is most beneficial for supporting a child's holistic development, covering cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. In many developed countries, children typically start preschool at the ages of 2 or 3, during which they acquire essential skills in language, social interaction, and problem-solving that lay the foundation for successful primary education (UNESCO, 2025).

Meanwhile, in Nepal, private institutions have long offered three- to four-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs, and there is no evidence to suggest that these extended programs have any adverse effects on children's development. The current government’s decision to restrict Early Childhood Development (ECD) to just two years appears to be primarily influenced by budgetary limitations rather than sound educational or developmental considerations.

The Science of Early Development: Why Two Years Isn't Enough

Critical Periods in Brain Development

The human brain undergoes its most rapid development during the first five years of life, with neural connections forming at an astonishing rate of 1,000 per second during peak periods. This biological reality makes early childhood a critical window for learning and development that cannot be replicated later in life.

Research consistently shows that quality early childhood education during ages 3-5 produces the highest return on educational investment. Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman's research demonstrates that every dollar invested in quality early childhood programs for disadvantaged children returns $7 to $ 12 to society through reduced remedial education costs, lower crime rates, and increased lifetime earnings.

In the Nepali context, this research takes on particular significance. Many of our children come from families where parents have limited formal education themselves. Without quality early childhood development (ECD), these children enter Grade 1 at a significant disadvantage compared to their peers from more educated families. Three to four years of Early Childhood Development (ECD) helps level the playing field, providing all children with the foundational skills they need to succeed.

Language Development and Multilingual Reality

Nepal's linguistic diversity presents unique challenges and opportunities for early childhood education. Most Nepali children grow up speaking their mother tongue at home—whether Maithili, Tamang, Newari, or one of the country's 123 recognized languages—but must transition to Nepali as the medium of instruction in formal schooling.

This linguistic transition requires time and support. Two years of ECD provide an insufficient opportunity for children to develop strong oral language skills in both their mother tongue and Nepali. Three years allow for a more gradual, supportive transition that preserves cultural identity while building academic language skills.

Our experience in Dang, where many children speak Tharu at home, illustrates this challenge. Children who entered our ECD program at the age of 3 had sufficient time to develop confidence in both languages, becoming truly bilingual by the time they reached Grade 1. Those who started formal schooling at age four often struggled with the linguistic demands of the curriculum.

Social-Emotional Development

Even more critical than academic skills is social-emotional development. Young children need time to learn how to interact with peers, regulate their emotions, follow routines, and develop the self-confidence necessary for learning. These skills don't develop overnight—they require patient nurturing over several years.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a stark illustration of this reality. Children who missed ECD during lockdowns—now referred to as the "COVID batch"—are struggling in Grades 1-3, not primarily because of academic gaps but because of missed opportunities for social development. They have difficulty sharing, taking turns, following group instructions, and managing separation anxiety.

Two years of Early Childhood Development (ECD), beginning at age 4, cannot fully address these developmental needs. Children need the gradual, supported transition that three to four years of quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) provides.

Socioeconomic Realities: The Changing Face of Nepali Families

From Joint to Nuclear: The Childcare Crisis

Nepal's social fabric has undergone dramatic changes over the past two decades. The traditional joint family system, where grandparents and extended family members provided childcare and informal early learning, has given way to nuclear families where both parents often work outside the home.

In urban areas like Kathmandu and Pokhara, this change is particularly pronounced. Young parents, often educated professionals, face the challenge of providing quality childcare for children as young as 2 or 3 while pursuing their careers. The two-year ECD policy assumes these children can remain at home until age 4, but this assumption ignores the reality of modern Nepali family life.

Munmaya, a worker at an NGO in Kathmandu, embodies the struggles of thousands of working mothers facing similar choices. After her maternity leave ended, she needed quality childcare for her 2-year-old daughter. Private nurseries offered this service, but under the new policy, her daughter wouldn't qualify for government-supported Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs until age 4. This situation forces families to choose between costly private care and career sacrifices, which often have a greater impact on women.

Rural Realities: Migration and Fragmented Families

The situation is equally complex in rural areas, though for different reasons. Labor migration has created a generation of children being raised by grandparents or single mothers while fathers work in Gulf countries or India. These caregivers, often with limited formal education themselves, rely on ECD centers not just for childcare but for structured learning opportunities they cannot provide at home.

In Rapti Municipality, we encountered numerous families where the father had migrated for work, leaving mothers to manage both childcare and agricultural responsibilities. ECD centers provided these mothers with crucial support, allowing them to contribute to family income while ensuring their children received quality early education.

The two-year policy overlooks these realities, assuming ideal family structures that no longer accurately reflect the lived experiences of many Nepali families.

Global Standards vs. Local Constraints

International Best Practices

The global tendency to expand early childhood education is evident. Countries with strong education systems, such as Finland, Singapore, and South Korea, typically offer 3 to 4 years of pre-primary education. Even developing nations, such as Nepal, are progressing toward this goal.

India's National Education Policy 2020 recognizes the importance of early childhood education by restructuring its system to include foundational years covering ages 3-8. Bangladesh has committed to universalizing pre-primary education for 4-5-year-olds as a step toward broader early childhood coverage. Sri Lanka offers nursery education starting at the age of 3.

Nepal's two-year policy places it behind regional peers and global best practices, potentially disadvantaging Nepali children in an increasingly competitive world.

The Fiscal Reality

Despite this, we cannot overlook the fiscal limitations influencing policy choices. Although Nepal's education budget is increasing, it faces competing priorities across all educational levels. The government's hesitation to commit to three or four years of Early Childhood Development (ECD) likely stems from concerns over ongoing expenses for teacher salaries, infrastructure, and materials.

The reduction in international aid, especially the cut in USAID education funding, has worsened these financial pressures. Programs previously supported externally now need to secure local funding or risk shutting down.

However, this fiscal perspective treats ECD as a cost rather than an investment. Extensive evidence indicates that quality early childhood education reduces long-term costs by lowering grade repetition, dropout rates, and the need for remedial programs. Countries like South Korea and Finland, which have heavily invested in Early Childhood Development (ECD), now experience lower costs per pupil at the primary and secondary levels because children enter school better prepared to learn.

The Rural-Urban Divide: Exacerbating Inequality

Resource Disparities

The two-year ECD policy risks widening the already significant gap between rural and urban educational opportunities. Urban private schools will continue to offer 3-4 year Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs for families who can afford them. At the same time, rural communities will be limited to government-mandated two-year programs.

Our work in Dang highlights these disparities vividly. Government funding covers only ECD teacher salaries—NPR 19,000 per month compared to NPR 32,000 for primary teachers, leaving no budget for learning materials, infrastructure improvements, or professional development. Rural ECD centers often lack basic supplies, such as crayons, paper, and age-appropriate books.

Meanwhile, private ECD centers in Kathmandu boast well-equipped classrooms, trained teachers, and comprehensive curricula. This disparity means that a child born in rural Dang faces systematically different educational opportunities than one born in urban Kathmandu—an inequality that the two-year policy will perpetuate and potentially worsen.

Infrastructure Challenges

Rural ECD centers face unique infrastructure challenges that the policy fails to address. Many operate in repurposed buildings without child-friendly facilities, such as appropriately sized furniture, safe outdoor play areas, or adequate toilet facilities. The short duration of the two-year policy provides insufficient time to develop the relationships with communities and local governments necessary to address these infrastructure needs.

In contrast, the Seeds of Change model allowed time to build community ownership and gradually improve facilities. Parents and local leaders who initially viewed ECD as a government program began to see it as an investment in their children's future, leading to voluntary contributions for infrastructure improvements.

Policy Alternatives: Learning from Innovation

The Child Development Fund Model

Our experience in Rapti Municipality suggests alternative approaches that could address fiscal constraints while maintaining educational quality. The Child Development Fund model distributes costs among multiple stakeholders—local governments, parents, schools, and community organizations—making Early Childhood Development (ECD) more sustainable without requiring massive increases in government spending.

This approach recognizes that ECD benefits the entire community, not just individual families. When children are better prepared for school, teachers can focus on advancing learning rather than remedial instruction. When parents have access to quality childcare, they can contribute more effectively to local economic development. When communities invest in Early Childhood Development (ECD), they foster social cohesion and a shared sense of purpose.

The fund model can be expanded to support three-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs without straining government budgets. A typical rural ECD center serving 30 children might need NPR 100,000 annually beyond teacher salaries. When divided among stakeholders, this amount becomes manageable: NPR 25,000 from local government, NPR 30,000 from parent contributions (NPR 1,000 per family), and NPR 15,000 from the school's teachers, plus NPR 20,000 from community fundraising and NGO support.

Flexible, Context-Sensitive Implementation

Rather than mandating uniform two-year programming, policy could establish minimum standards while allowing communities to tailor Early Childhood Development (ECD) programming to local needs and resources. Urban areas with greater fiscal capacity could offer four-year programs, while rural areas might start with three years and expand as resources allow.

This approach recognizes Nepal's diversity—what works in Kathmandu may not be suitable for Humla, and what succeeds in the Terai may fail in the mountains. Flexible policy frameworks that establish quality standards while allowing for local adaptation have proven successful in other sectors and could also be effective for Early Childhood Development (ECD).

Public-Private Partnerships

The current policy debate often views public and private early childhood development (ECD) services as mutually exclusive options. A more effective approach is to see them as complementary, each addressing different needs and serving various communities.

Private ECD centers, especially in cities, could be regulated to ensure quality while being encouraged to serve a diverse range of populations through scholarship initiatives or sliding fee scales. Public centers may prioritize reaching underserved rural and urban areas by incorporating innovative practices from the private sector.

Our experience suggests that the most effective Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs integrate public funding with private sector innovation, community involvement with professional management, and global best practices with local cultural values.

The Way Forward: Recommendations for Policy Reform

Immediate Actions:

1. Extend the Minimum to Three Years: The School Education Bill should mandate at least three years of Early Childhood Development (ECD) (ages 3-5), while allowing communities to offer additional years based on local capacity and demand.

2. Differentiated Funding Models: Develop funding formulas that account for varying costs and capacities across Nepal's diverse geography. Urban areas with higher costs but greater fiscal capacity might receive different support than remote rural communities.

3. Teacher Development Investment: Scale up professional development programs, such as our two-day training, with longer-term goals of 5-7 day intensive programs, as recommended by our trainers. Quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) depends entirely on teacher capacity.

4. Infrastructure Standards: Establish and fund minimum infrastructure standards for Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers, recognizing that children's physical environment profoundly affects their learning and development.

5. Community Mobilization: Institutionalize community engagement approaches like our Child Development Fund model, making local ownership a requirement for government ECD support.

Medium-Term Reforms:

1. Curriculum Integration: Develop a seamless curriculum progression from Early Childhood Development (ECD) through Grade 3, ensuring that early childhood programming truly prepares children for formal schooling rather than operating in isolation.

2. Data Systems: Establish comprehensive data collection on ECD participation, quality, and outcomes to enable evidence-based policy adjustments.

3. Regional Adaptation: Enable provinces and local governments to tailor ECD policies to local contexts while upholding national quality standards.

4. Gender and Inclusion: Ensure ECD programming specifically addresses the needs of girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized communities who face additional barriers to educational access.

Long-Term Vision

Nepal's ECD system should strive to provide universal access to quality early childhood education from the age of 3, with additional support for younger children in families with specific needs. This vision aligns with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while recognizing Nepal's unique cultural and economic context.

The ultimate goal isn't just school readiness but the development of confident, capable, culturally grounded young people who can contribute to Nepal's social and economic development. This requires sustained investment, community ownership, and policy frameworks that prioritize children's developmental needs over administrative convenience.

International Cooperation and Learning

Regional Networks and Knowledge Sharing

As I prepare to present our Seeds of Change model at the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) conference in Manila this July, I'm reminded of the importance of international cooperation in ECD development. Nepal can learn from successful Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs in countries like Vietnam, which has achieved near-universal pre-primary enrollment, and the Philippines, which has integrated ECD into its fundamental education reform.

These international networks offer not only learning opportunities but also advocacy. When Nepal's policymakers see that regional peers are expanding rather than restricting ECD access, it strengthens arguments for more ambitious domestic policies.

Conclusion: Seeds of Sustainable Change

As I reflect on the journey from my kindergarten-less childhood to today's Early Childhood Development (ECD) revolution, I'm struck by both how far we've come and how far we still need to go. The School Education Bill 2080 represents a historic opportunity to build an education system that serves all Nepali children, but only if we dare to prioritize children's developmental needs over short-term fiscal constraints.

The two-year ECD policy, while an improvement over previous practice, falls short of what Nepali children deserve and what the nation needs for its future development. By limiting early childhood education to two years, we risk creating a generation of children who are less prepared for learning, less confident in their abilities, and less equipped to contribute to Nepal's social and economic progress.

The alternative path—expanding Early Childhood Development (ECD) to a minimum of three years while building community ownership and sustainable financing—is not just possible, but essential. Our Seeds of Change initiative in Rapti Municipality demonstrates that, with community commitment, professional support, and modest investment, rural Nepal can deliver quality early childhood education that rivals urban private programs.

The children laughing and learning in our ECD centers today will be Nepal's leaders, innovators, and change-makers tomorrow. They deserve educational foundations that prepare them not just for Grade 1 but for lives of purpose, productivity, and contribution to their communities and nation.

The seeds we plant in early childhood policy today will grow into the forest of Nepal's future. Let us make sure we're planting seeds of opportunity, not limitation; of inclusion, not exclusion; of hope, not constraint.

The choice is ours. The time is now. The future is in our hands.

Dinesh Raj Sapkota is the Director of Creating Possibilities Nepal and has over 18 years of experience in education development, with a focus on early childhood education and rural community development. He can be reached at dinesh@creatingpnepal.com