Shikhar Municipality Urges Federal Government Not to Close Schools on Sundays

April 14, Kathmandu – Shikhar Municipality in Doti has formally requested the federal government not to mandate school closures on Sundays. On Wednesday, Mayor Dirghabahadur Balayar sent a letter to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, emphasizing that declaring Sundays as holidays would reduce the available school days to just 138 per year.

Mayor Balayar’s letter highlights the difficulty municipalities and schools face in preparing academic work plans and schedules if Sundays are observed as holidays as directed by the federal government.

Holiday Calculations – The municipality’s letter presents a detailed analysis showing that out of 365 days in a year, 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays would be non-working days. Adding 32 public holidays declared by the province brings the total days off to 136. According to Rule 85(2) of the Education Regulations 2059, there are provisions for five days off from Gaura Festival (Ghatasthapana) to Purnima, 45 days for winter or rainy season breaks, and an additional five days for local holidays, amounting to 55 days of legally mandated leave.

“This leaves only 174 days when schools would be open,” the letter states. Mayor Balayar cautions that this scenario risks violating Rule 84(5) of the Education Regulations, which mandates a minimum of 220 school operational days annually. “Under Nepal’s current school curriculum, at least 180-190 days of teaching are compulsory,” the letter adds. Out of the 174 potential school days, 21 days are allocated for exams conducted three times a year. Furthermore, at least 15 days before April 28 and after the end of Chaitra are not available for teaching.

With Sundays as holidays, only 138 days remain for actual teaching, the municipality argues. The letter further states, “Considering time taken for extracurricular activities, exam preparation leaves, result publication, teacher leaves, and student absenteeism, the effective time for education within the academic session becomes critically limited.” This raises concerns about the feasibility of effectively managing and conducting the academic session.

The decision to send feedback to the federal government was approved during a municipal executive meeting, as reported by Mayor Balayar.

In light of these scheduling pressures, the municipality has urged the Ministry of Education to find an immediate solution. Mayor Balayar noted the municipality is prepared to independently decide to keep schools open on Sundays if no resolution is reached, even if that contradicts federal directives. “We are concerned about our schools and children and want to ensure adequate schooling throughout the year,” he said. “We hope the federal government addresses this issue, but if not, we have the constitutional authority to decide independently.” The letter has also been shared with the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office, the Small Thimi Education and Human Resource Development Center, and the Education Development Coordination Unit in Doti.