Nepal has ordered private schools to stop double-charging fees, repay illegally collected ones and clearly publish their pricing structures, reopening a debate about education costs that runs across South Asia.

From Dhaka to Delhi, parents have long complained that private schools charge too much and operate with too little oversight, inviting questions about whether governments should try to rein them in, improve state schools, or do both.

Nepal’s Ministry of Education issued directives this month barring private schools from charging admission fees more than once for the same student or enrolling pupils before the start of the next academic year, which begins on April 28.

Schools found to have charged advance fees, demanded more than approved amounts or invented unauthorised fee categories must issue immediate refunds, the ministry said, citing existing regulations and a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Going forward, fees may only be levied under 14 specific categories, including monthly tuition and standard admission charges. First-time violators face fines of up to 25,000 rupees (US$170), while repeat offenders risk losing their licences altogether. Local governments have been tasked with enforcement.

The push has stirred debate over whether such rules should be adopted more widely across South Asia, where the private education sector is often accused of chasing profit, or whether they amount to regulatory overreach.