Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel announced a plan to establish at least 100 world-class schools in Madhesh Province on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, stating that Prime Minister Balen Shah also suggested opening such schools in the region. The announcement was made at a high-level dialogue in Simara, Bara.
Minister Pokharel emphasized the need for model schools, inspired by the historic Darbar High School, Nepal’s first formal school, equipped with modern facilities and quality infrastructure. Such schools are expected to improve educational outcomes and reduce gender disparity in the province, addressing its lowest literacy rate of 63% according to the National Census 2078 report. Districts like Rautahat (57%), Mahottari (59%), and Sarlahi (60%) fall significantly below the national average, and the province also faces a notable gender literacy gap, with 72.5% for males and 54.45% for females.
Ministry’s Efforts and Progress
The Ministry of Education and Sports, a federal ministry of the Government of Nepal established by the Balen Shah-led government on May 13, 2026, has prioritized educational reforms. Its annual progress report for fiscal year 2082/83, released on October 5, 2026, showed that approximately 61.97% (Rs 440 million) of the total Rs 460 million outstanding arrears from fiscal years 2076/77 to 2079/80 had been settled or audited. The ministry has also issued the ‘Directive on Approval for Foreign Study, 2083’ and drafted the ‘Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Related to Teachers, 2083’. Minister Pokharel previously led education reform initiatives in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, including ‘Smart Classroom Programs’ and ‘Book Free Friday’ in community schools.
Implementation Challenges and Next Steps
Minister Pokharel stated that policy and structural reforms for higher education are progressing rapidly, with the ministry actively working on new legislation, curriculum framework revisions, and university acts. The ministry is also collecting suggestions from students, teachers, and parents in Madhesh Province for educational improvement. However, detailed information regarding the budget allocation, resources, and implementation timeline for the 100 world-class schools remains unclear. The modalities for transforming existing schools or establishing new ones, and the specific criteria for “world-class” standards, are yet to be fully defined. Questions also remain on how the plan will address systemic issues like political interference, teacher quality, curriculum relevance, and socio-economic barriers in Madhesh’s education system.
This announcement follows earlier high-level dialogues on Madhesh education reform, which emphasized policy changes and skill-based education. For more details, refer to our earlier story.
