Chapter-1 Preliminary
- Short title and commencement: (1) This Act may be cited as the “Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education, 2075 (2018).”
(2) This Act shall commence at once.
- Definitions: Unless the subject or context otherwise requires, in this Act,
(a) “Compulsory education” means a mandatory provision to regularly study and complete basic level of study by the children of the age prescribed by the Government of Nepal, upon getting admitted to schools or other alternative educational institutions.
(b) “Guardian” means the father, mother of a child or the person whose name is registered at the school as the guardian, and this term also includes his or her guardian or curator.
(c) “Economically destitute” means the condition of having annual income that is less than the prescribed limit.
(d) “Basic education” means the school education from grade one to grade eight.
(e) “Prescribed” or “as prescribed” means prescribed or as prescribed in the rules framed under this Act.
(f) “School with private investment” means a school that is established or operated with private investment, and this terms also includes any institutional school existing at the time of the commencement of this Act.
(g) “Free education” means education to be provided by the school or educational institution without receiving any fee under any heading from the student or guardian.
(h) “Head teacher” means the executive chief of a school who fulfils managerial and administrative responsibilities by taking up leadership of the school, and this also includes the principal or other person who exercises the executive authority, who has major responsibility of the management of the school or teaching institute.
(i) “Early childhood development and education” means childhood development and education of the period of one year focusing on overall development of the children, which is provided for the children who have completed the age of four years before stepping into grade one.
(j) “Secondary education” means education from grade nine to grade twelve or equivalent thereto.
(k) “Mother tongue education” means education provided through any mother tongue of the Nepali community, which is spoken in Nepal, and this terms also includes to multi-lingual education based on mother tongue.
(l) “School” means a school with public or private investment, that is operated upon being established pursuant to the prevailing law, and this term also refers to any community or institutional school existing under the prevailing law at the time of the commencement of this Act.
(m) “Student” means a student studying at the school upon being admitted, and this term also includes a person acquiring education from the programs, including non-formal, open, alternative education programs.
(n) “Special education” means education provided in special way and with certain means for the children who have visual impairment, are deaf, have autism, intellectual disability, hard of hearing or extreme physical disability or who are in other condition of similar nature, by placing them at separate groups.
(o) “Teacher” means any teacher of a school, and this term also includes the head teacher.
(p) “Teaching institute” means a school or institute that provides higher education, and this term also includes an institute that provides non-formal, alternative or open education.
(q) “Public school” means a school operated with the investment or grant of the Government of Nepal, Provincial Government or Local Level, and this term also includes a school operated as a community school pursuant to the prevailing law.
(r) “Public educational trust school” means a welfare school established or operated under the public educational trust, with non-profit motive.