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Education System in Nepal: Structure, Challenges and Solutions

Article 12 Feb 2023 19402 0

Education is a critical aspect of human development and progress, and it is no different in the case of Nepal. With a rich history and cultural heritage, Nepal is a fascinating country with a diverse population. The education system in Nepal has undergone significant changes and developments over the years, and this article aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the current state of education in Nepal.

Overview of the Education System in Nepal:

The education system in Nepal is governed by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, and it is structured into primary, secondary, and higher education. The education system in Nepal is free and compulsory for children aged 5 to 16 years. The Nepalese government has made significant efforts to improve access to education, particularly in rural and remote areas, and the results have been encouraging.

Historical Background and Evolution of Education in Nepal:

The history of education in Nepal can be traced back to ancient times when the Gurukula system was prevalent. This traditional system of education was based on apprenticeship, where students would live with their teachers and learn various subjects, including religion, philosophy, and practical skills. As Nepal opened to the influence of other countries, including Britain, the education system underwent significant changes, and modern schools were introduced. As the country has maintained its sovereignty throughout history.

During the Rana dynasty (1846-1951), the education system in Nepal was confined to the ruling class, and the majority of the population was illiterate. It wasn't until the 1950s, after the fall of the Rana dynasty and the introduction of democratic governance, that the education system in Nepal began to expand. During this period, the Nepalese government made efforts to improve access to education and to provide education to all sections of the population. The education system in Nepal was further expanded in the 1960s when the government introduced a policy of compulsory education, making primary education free and compulsory for all children.

Over the next few decades, the education system in Nepal continued to evolve and expand. In the 1980s, the government introduced a policy of extending free education to the secondary level, and in the 1990s, the government established a number of universities, which helped to expand access to higher education in Nepal.

Structure of the Education System in Nepal:

Primary Education: Primary education in Nepal is mandatory for children aged 5 to 11 years, and it lasts for six years. The primary education curriculum covers subjects such as Nepali, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Secondary Education: Secondary education in Nepal lasts for five years and is divided into two stages, lower secondary and upper secondary. The lower secondary stage lasts for three years, while the upper secondary stage lasts for two years. The curriculum at the secondary level includes subjects such as Nepali, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as elective subjects such as arts, music, and physical education.

Higher Education: Higher education in Nepal includes colleges and universities, and it is optional for students who have completed their secondary education. The higher education system in Nepal offers a wide range of programs, including bachelor's degrees in arts, science, and commerce, as well as master's and PhD programs.

Current State of Education in Nepal:

The current state of education in Nepal is a mixed picture, with both positive developments and ongoing challenges. On the one hand, there has been significant progress in increasing access to education and improving the quality of education in Nepal in recent years. On the other hand, there are still significant disparities in access to education and in the quality of education, particularly in rural areas and for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Enrollment and Literacy Rates: The enrollment rate in primary education in Nepal has increased in recent years, reaching 85% in 2019, according to the World Bank. Additionally, the literacy rate in Nepal has increased from 65% in 2015 to 72% in 2019.
• Access to Education: The Nepalese government has made significant efforts to increase access to education, particularly in rural areas. Programs such as the Community Schools Program have successfully enrolled over 50,000 students from underprivileged backgrounds.
• Quality of Education: Despite progress in increasing access to education, the quality of education remains a concern. Many schools lack basic infrastructure and qualified teachers, and the quality of education received by students in rural areas is often lower than that received by urban students.
• Teacher Training and Availability: The Nepalese government has made efforts to improve teacher training and increase the availability of qualified teachers, particularly in rural areas. However, there is still a shortage of qualified teachers in many areas, and many teachers remain inadequately trained.
• Gender Disparities: Despite progress in increasing access to education for girls in Nepal, significant disparities remain. Girls are still less likely to attend school and to complete their education than boys, particularly in rural areas.

Challenges Faced by the Education System in Nepal:

Despite the progress made in recent years, the education system in Nepal still faces several challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of resources, particularly in rural and remote areas, where infrastructure and facilities are limited. Another challenge is the quality of education, which is often poor, and teacher training and development are also lacking. Furthermore, there are significant disparities in access to education between urban and rural areas, and between different socio-economic groups.

Some of the major challenges facing the education system in Nepal include:

• Low Enrollment and Attendance Rates: Despite the introduction of compulsory education, many children in Nepal, especially in rural areas, do not attend school. According to the latest data from the World Bank, the net enrollment rate in primary education in Nepal was only 85% in 2019. Additionally, many children who do enroll in school drop out before completing their education.
• Poor Quality of Education: The quality of education in Nepal remains a major concern. Many schools lack basic infrastructure, such as toilets and drinking water facilities, and the teacher-student ratio is often high, leading to overcrowded classrooms and inadequate attention for individual students. Additionally, many teachers in Nepal are poorly trained, and there is a shortage of qualified teachers in many rural areas.
• Lack of Resources: The Nepalese government faces significant challenges in providing sufficient resources for the education system. The government budget allocation for education remains low, and many schools lack adequate funding for basic supplies and infrastructure. This has a negative impact on the quality of education and student outcomes.
• Inequality: Despite the government's efforts to provide education to all sections of the population, significant disparities remain in access to education and in the quality of education. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from low-income families and from rural areas, face significant barriers to accessing education, and the quality of education they receive is often lower than that of their urban peers.
• Political Instability: Political instability and frequent changes in government have had a negative impact on the education system in Nepal. This has led to a lack of consistency in policy and has hindered the government's ability to effectively implement reforms and initiatives aimed at improving the education system.

Government Initiatives and Policies to Improve the Education System:

The Nepalese government has taken various initiatives and implemented policies to improve the education system in Nepal. One of the most successful government-led initiatives is the Community Schools Program, which has enrolled over 50,000 students from underprivileged backgrounds. The program provides free education, as well as other resources such as textbooks, uniforms, and meals to students in rural areas where access to education is limited. The program has been instrumental in increasing enrollment and reducing dropout rates, and it serves as a model for other initiatives aimed at improving access to education in Nepal.

Another initiative that has been introduced in recent years is the implementation of digital classrooms in some schools in Nepal. This has not only improved the quality of education by providing students with access to digital resources and educational technology, but it has also helped to reduce the burden on teachers, who are now able to use digital tools to enhance their teaching methods.

Despite these efforts, the education system in Nepal still faces a number of challenges. One of the major challenges is the shortage of trained and qualified teachers. Many schools in rural areas lack trained teachers, which leads to low-quality education and high dropout rates. In addition, the lack of adequate infrastructure and facilities in many schools is another challenge, as this makes it difficult for students to receive a proper education.

Another challenge facing the education system in Nepal is the lack of funding and resources. The government has limited resources to invest in education, and this has resulted in a lack of investment in infrastructure, teacher training, and other resources necessary to provide quality education to students. As a result, many schools in Nepal are under-resourced and are unable to provide students with the education they need to succeed.

Despite these challenges, the future prospects for the education system in Nepal are positive. The Nepalese government has demonstrated a commitment to improving the education system, and it has taken a number of important steps towards achieving this goal. Additionally, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have been providing support and resources to help the Nepalese government achieve its goals.

Recommendations

Given the challenges faced by the education system in Nepal, it is clear that a comprehensive approach is needed to address these issues and improve the quality of education in Nepal. Improving the education system in Nepal requires a multi-faceted approach, encompassing investment in education, teacher training and support, promoting gender equality, improving the quality of education, and encouraging private sector involvement. With the right investments and policies, it is possible to build a strong and effective education system in Nepal that will provide all children with access to quality education.

Here are a few recommendations that could help to achieve this goal:

• Increase investment in education: The Nepalese government should increase investment in the education sector, to provide better infrastructure, teacher training and support, and educational materials for students. This will improve the quality of education and increase access to education for all children, especially those in rural areas.
• Address teacher shortages: The Nepalese government should take steps to address the shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in rural areas, by providing teacher training and support programs and increasing incentives for teachers to work in rural areas.
• Promote gender equality: The Nepalese government should take steps to promote gender equality in education, by providing girls with equal access to education and by addressing the social and cultural barriers that prevent girls from attending school and completing their education.
• Improve quality of education: The Nepalese government should work to improve the quality of education by implementing national curriculum standards, ensuring that all schools have adequate resources and infrastructure, and providing regular teacher training and support programs.
• Emphasize early childhood education: The Nepalese government should place a strong emphasis on early childhood education, to provide children with the foundation they need for future academic success and to help break the cycle of poverty.
• Encourage private sector involvement: The Nepalese government should encourage private sector involvement in the education sector, through public-private partnerships and other initiatives, to help provide additional resources and support for education in Nepal.

In conclusion, the education system in Nepal has come a long way since its inception, and it has made significant progress in recent years. However, it still faces a number of challenges, including a shortage of trained teachers, lack of adequate infrastructure and facilities, and lack of funding and resources. The Nepalese government and international organizations have demonstrated a commitment to improving the education system, and with the right resources and support, the future prospects for education in Nepal are bright.

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Essay on importance of women education in Nepal in 300 words

IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN EDUCATION IN NEPAL  

What is education.

Education means knowledge and abilities required for the all round development of human beings. It is believed to be the light of knowledge that changes the dark world into the glistering bright one. It is considered the real foundation of personal, social, national, and international development. So it is essential to provide all women with education.

IMPORTANCE AND CHALLENGES OF WOMEN EDUCATION

Education determines the fate of a person, a society or a country. It is the only medium that can lead a society or country to the top of success and progress. For this both men and women should be equally educated so that they can equally contribute to the well-being of nation. As they are considered to be the two wheels of the same cart, a society or country cannot progress in absence of any of them. Unfortunately, most of the women in Nepal are still far away from the light of education. Therefore, it is essentially important to highlight women education to build new Nepal. In our society, women have secondary roles to play. They have to give birth to the baby, look after them, cook food, wash dishes and clothes, and collect firewood and so on. They are treated as objects that are possessed by males. They are considered to be decorating things for a house. They are not allowed to go out of their houses. They are believed to be safe inside the houses. Parents do not like to send their daughters to schools or colleges. They think spending money in education is useless. Instead, they are trained to do household work. Due to poverty, social traditions, lack of education etc. most of the women are still uneducated in our country. Then, how can the new Nepal be fulfilled unless they are educated?

IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN EDUCATION IN FAMILY AND COUNTRY

Nepal just have been the loktantrik state with the aim of empowering all people ensuring their equal space in state affair. It is the prime duty of the government to develop access of all women to education.

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The Status of School Education in Nepal: Educating the Nation Through Schooling

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• Pramod Bhatta 3 &
• Archana Mehendale 4  

Part of the book series: Global Education Systems ((GES))

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Nepal, once seen as an “education virginland,” has made rapid progress over the years in establishing an education system. After Nepal emerged from the Rana rule in 1951, one of the first ambitions of the new, multiparty democratic regime was to institute a national, uniform, and universal system of education in the country. The establishment of the Ministry of Education with external assistance and the National Education Planning Commission laid the foundation of an education system that brought together diverse schools being run by local communities. The structure of school education and the policy frameworks governing them has been gradually evolving in tandem with the global norms and policy influence of development partners.

This chapter provides a critical-historical overview of the development and institutionalization of modern education in Nepal. The developments made with regards to improving access to education, equity, and quality of education are presented. The chapter also presents the constitutional and legal frameworks that make education a right of every citizen of Nepal and discusses the institutional evolution of the governance structures related to regulation and funding of school education. Critical issues related to education privatization and the role of donor agencies is highlighted.

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Bhatta, P., Mehendale, A. (2021). The Status of School Education in Nepal: Educating the Nation Through Schooling. In: Sarangapani, P.M., Pappu, R. (eds) Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia. Global Education Systems. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_16-2

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• v.7(9); 2021 Sep

Education system of Nepal: impacts and future perspectives of COVID-19 pandemic

Khadka bahadur pal.

a Department of Chemistry, Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

Buddha Bahadur Basnet

b Faculty of Sciences, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal

Ramesh Raj Pant

c Central Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Kiran Bishwakarma

d Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

e University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Kopila Kafle

Namraj dhami.

f Pokhara University, Pokhara 30, Gandaki 33700, Nepal

Motee Lal Sharma

g Central Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Lal B. Thapa

h Central Department of Botany, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Binod Bhattarai

i University Grants Commission, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal

Youb Raj Bhatta

Associated data.

All data are available described in the article.

The academic sectors are badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic globally. The studies regarding the implications of COVID-19 in education in Nepal were minimal, thus, this paper aims to highlight the impacts of the pandemic on the education sector of Nepal. It is revealed that the Nepalese academia has been facing problems due to lack of adequate and appropriate sustainable infrastructure for the online system, including skilled human resources. In addition, limited internet facilities in remote and rural areas were the other challenging tasks for virtual academic activities. Therefore, the concerned stakeholders should provide necessary services and appropriate strategies for virtual means of the education system to compensate the repercussion caused by the pandemic. This study could be helpful to identify the critical needs emerged due to the pandemic at present and in future and also contribute to adopt appropriate policy for the revival of educational institutions.

COVID-19; Pandemic; Virtual education; Online education, Nepal.

1. Introduction

The year 2020 was started with the terror of the COVID-19 and witnessed the indelible imprints of the pandemic on the global community ( WHO, 2020 ). The global health emergency due to COVID-19 was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 th January 2020. Subsequently, it was declared a pandemic after more than 118,000 infected population by COVID-19 from 114 countries with 4,291 deaths up to 11 th March 2020. Globally, up to 6 th August 2021, there have been over 200 million confirmed cases, including the deaths over 42 million ( WHO, 2021 ).

WHO recommended the countries across the world to take precautionary measures to break the transmission chain of the coronavirus ( Barkur and Vibha Kamath, 2020 ). Among the different prevention strategies, the lockdown was considered as one of the best approaches for interrupting transmission, which was widely adopted by the global community ( Flaxman et al., 2020 ). Therefore, many of the countries in the world imposed lockdown throughout the national and regional levels. In the same line, the Government of Nepal (GoN) also announced the first lockdown on 24 th March 2020 and continued for about six months ( Basnet et al., 2021a , 2021b ). Besides the lockdown, effective tracking, tracing, quarantine, social distancing, and hygienic behaviours of some countries such as China controlled the disease spread successfully ( Basnet et al., 2021c ). However, the lockdown has not been sufficient in many countries ( Zhu et al., 2020 ).

The lockdown imposed noxious impacts affecting the psycho-sociological and livelihoods of people. On one side, the new cases of the virus around the globe are increasing and on the other side, the commencement of lockdown has affected a more significant number of sectors, including academia ( Dawadi et al., 2020 ). Importantly, the academia victimized severely from the lockdowns owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most academic institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities remained closed during the lockdown period. Still, the academic activities have not been resumed fully as usual with face-to-face instructions.

The pandemic challenges in the education systems have been the greatest ever faced by the world community ( Azzi-Huck and Shmis, 2020 ). According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the closures of academic institutions have impacted more than 1.5 billion students and youth across the globe directly/indirectly ( UNESCO, 2020 ). The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, creating the need for new actions from society, including universities and academia ( Alvarez-Risco et al., 2021 ). Cease of the physical presence of students and teachers in the classroom for teaching and learning have switched the academic institutions to online teaching and virtual education. The educational institutions faced an economic crisis due to less number enrollment of students, delay in fee collection, and the management of alternate methods for teaching and learning. The institutions tried to adopt the alternate methods for teaching and learning such as online or virtual methods which are not likely to provide the quality of education as delivered in the classroom ( Panthee et al., 2020 ; Viner et al., 2020 ). Such challenges of the COVID-19 to the education sector especially in the developing countries like Nepal are the severer than the developed countries as the former countries have limited facilities of online systems (e.g., internet, devices, and skilled human resources) ( Poudel and Subedi, 2020 ). In the case of Nepal, the academic institutions remained closed for a long time during the lockdown, and some of them started to manage alternate ways of teaching with the prolongation of lockdown. The government institutions were affected mainly in two ways: firstly, they were turned into quarantine stations, and secondly, there were limited facilities including internet access, computer devices, and a skilled workforce. After the lockdown, the government of Nepal has given authority to the local governments to decide on resuming the academic institutions as usual, and many of the institutions are partially or fully reopened, but the health experts have warned that this decision has increased the risk of the virus transmission ( Poudel and Subedi, 2020 ).

The number of darks sides of the COVID-19 pandemic has given opportunities to the researchers to explore new avenues of cure and treatments and other several facts related to the disease. Many of the researchers have engaged in analyzing the consequences of this pandemic, focusing on different sectors such as environment, agriculture, business, tourism, economy, and education, etc ( Pant et al., 2021 ; Azzi-Huck and Shmis, 2020 ; Barkur and Vibha Kamath, 2020 ; Flaxman et al., 2020 ; IAU, 2020 ). Such analysis, findings, and recommendations have contributed to the nations making policies and strategies to combat future pandemics. However, it has been felt that the studies regarding the implications of COVID-19 in the education sector are minimal. In the context of Nepal, the publications related to the facts are almost naught. Thus, this paper aims to highlight the impacts of COVID-19 on the education sector of Nepal.

This study is based on both primary and secondary data. The electronic databases through Google Scholar, Science Direct, and published reports of national and international organizations were the secondary sources of information on COVID-19. A manual search was conducted to search related articles to gather relevant literature ( Kapasia et al., 2020 ). A survey was also conducted by preparing a short questionnaire (open-ended) to collect primary data. The questionnaire was formatted to collect information on the impacts of COVID-19 in academic institutions. Altogether 35 academic institution heads [10 government schools, 10 private boarding schools, 5 Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) institutions, 5 university constituent campuses, and 5 university-affiliated campuses] were requested to respond to the questionnaire. Authorities of the Federal GoN, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, provincial and local governments, and universities were consulted as the key informants. The questionnaire was validated with the help of a review by two experts from medical sciences and two experts from the education sector in Nepal. In addition, before the review, the questionnaire was subjected to purposive sampling of 10 respondents from the Kathmandu valley for the pilot test.

3. Education system in Nepal

In Nepal, the school-level education comprises the primary level (1–8) and secondary level (9–12). There are a total of 35,055 schools in Nepal, of which 27,728 are public schools (community schools), 6,206 private schools, and 1,121 religious schools (Muslim religious schools, Gumbas/Vihar , and Hindu A shrams schools) ( DoE 2018 , Figure 1 ). Thus, there are 7,214,525 students enrolled in school level (grade 1–12) in the year 2018/19. Out of the total enrolment, 77% of students are at the primary level and 23% at the secondary level. Meanwhile, 4,124,478; 1,368,620; and 62,281 students were enrolled in public, private, and religious schools at the primary level, respectively. Similarly, 1,152,674; 294,732; and 610 students were enrolled in public, private, and religious schools at the secondary level, respectively ( DoE 2018 ).

Students enrollment in public, private and religious schools in Nepal ( DoE 2018 ).

The education imparted after the secondary level is considered higher education (tertiary education) in Nepal. According to a report of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Nepal, there are 11 universities and six autonomous medical academies that offer higher education in Nepal ( UGC, 2020 , Table 1 ). Higher education is offered at the universities, of which the Tribhuvan University (TU) is the oldest and largest one. The universities in Nepal currently provide courses on sciences and technology; education; management; social sciences and humanities; law; engineering; forestry; medicine; agriculture and animal sciences; Ayurved; Sanskrit, etc. These academic programs run based on annual and semester systems at bachelor, master, MPhil, and PhD levels. Depending upon the nature of the courses, the time duration allocated to accomplish the programs varies with universities. For example, the bachelors, masters, MPhil, and PhD courses require 3–4, 2, 1.5, and 3 years, respectively, in most of the academic institutions in Nepal. The academic, research, and administrative activities are governed by the rules and regulations of the concerned institutions.

Table 1

Status of students and Universities in Nepal (2017) ( UGC, 2020 ).

Under the umbrella of Higher education in Nepal, 1,425 campuses and 423,996 students enrolled in different academic programs ( UGC, 2020 ). According to the office of planning directorate (TU), it has 1,124 campuses (62 constituents and 1,062 affiliated campuses). Open and distance learning programs have been adopted by the National Open University (NOU). The NOU programs are designed for e-based learning for interested students. The relevance and need for such open and distance learning programs markedly increased under the context of pandemic situations. Regarding the enrollment percentage, the TU has the highest i.e., 79.04 % while Pokhara University, Purbanchal University, and Kathmandu University have the enrollment 6.94 %, 6.16 %, and 4.23% students, respectively ( UGC, 2020 ). Among the enrolled students, 78.6% and 21.4% were enrolled in general and technical programs, respectively. The students in management; education; and humanities and social sciences were 46.78%, 17.88%, and 13.20%, respectively. There are 7.11% of students in science and technology, and only 6.08% and 6.55% of students are in medicine and engineering, respectively ( Figure 2 ).

Current scenario of students distributions in different faculties at higher education level ( UGC, 2020 ).

The provincial-level distribution of students in tertiary education revealed that >50% of students are concentrated in the Bagmati Province only while the least number of students (3.31%) are studying in the Karnali Province. The dominancy order of number of students is Bagmati Province > Lumbini Province > Province no. 1 > Gandaki Province > Province no. 2 > Sudurpaschim Province > Province no. 1 > Karnali Province ( Figure 3 ). The share of student enrollment in the community campuses is 30.29%, whereas constituent campuses and private campuses have received 32.41% and 37.30%, respectively ( UGC, 2020 ). The data shows that private campuses have relatively higher number of students enrolled in Nepal.

Provincial status of students at higher education level ( UGC, 2020 ).

Regarding the academic institutions' student evaluation and monitoring system, schools and universities have different provisions in Nepal. There is an annual examination system with midterm and internal evaluations for the basic level students under the direct supervision of respective schools and local governments. Furthermore, students are evaluated by annual examinations for the school level, including internal and midterm evaluations by the respective schools and the local government. However, the final examination of grade XII is provisioned to be examined by the National Education Board (NEB). In tertiary education, both the internal evaluations and final examinations are held at the end of each semester or year. Tribhuvan University has reintroduced the semester systems from 2012 onwards, and students are evaluated internally (40%) by the respective campuses/departments and externally (60%) by the concerned office of the dean under the Office of the Controller of the Examinations ( TU, 2012 ). The Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) has adopted semester systems from the beginning of all programs ( DoE, 2018 ). Notably, most of the school and tertiary level examinations are held in a conventional system with physical presence and there was no application of virtual means of teaching and learning.

4. Appraisal of COVID-19 impacts in Nepalese education system

Regarding the recent gloom and doom scenario created by the COVID-19 pandemic in academia, many countries have tried to adopt various virtual media for learning and teaching activities. The COVID-19 lockdown was implemented at the end of the academic session (March, 2020), which directly hindered both school and university academic calendars in Nepal. The nationwide lockdown immediately impacted the pre-scheduled examinations of the grade 10 to 12. In addition, the scheduled semester examinations of many universities had been postponed. As the lockdown prolonged, almost all the academic activities, including examinations halted. It has directly affected the teaching-learning activities of nearly 8,796,624 students belonging to pre-primary (11%), primary (28%), secondary (39%), and tertiary (5%) levels nationwide, as estimated by UNESCO ( Dawadi et al., 2020 ). The questionnaire survey and key informant interviews in this study have highlighted the several aspects of impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on academia in Nepal.

The impacts of COVID-19 on academia has directly affected the students, teachers, and parents. The challenges and impacts of the pandemic highlighted by the respondents were cancellation of board exams, irregularity in learning and skills development, assessments, restriction to study abroad, disrupted the enrollment cycle, inequality in access to education, anxiety to start schools and universities, etc. In higher education, laboratory-based research and field works are greatly hindered. In addition, there may also be decreased funding to continue or undertake new research and innovative activities in the universities in Nepal ( Michael and Murphy, 2020 ).

The lockdown has reduced the enrollment of students and increased the risk of dropout rate. In addition, it has created the obligation for the academic institutions to switch on the virtual media to maintain the pre-announced academic calendars. A transition phase of the traditionaleducational system to the digital system appeared and the Nepalese academia started partially or fully digital system with prolongation of the lockdown. The academic institutions became engagged on transformations in policy formulation, infrastructure development, searching appropriate online methods of teaching, and conducting assessments. As there was a lack of proper planning and educational guidelines previously for online teaching and learning, most of the universities and schools could not run any online models of pedagogical approaches in the initial phase ( MWU, 2020 ).

A handful number of colleges and schools launched online classes in urban areas. The majority of the respondents highlighted that comparing to the physical classes, the online methods are relatively less effective due to more absenteeism and irregularities of the students. It has been estimated that only 9% of the total students from Nepal are getting online classes, and >90% of the students from rural and urban areas are still out of such virtual courses. Currently, 12% of schools and 56% of households have internet facilities, while 51% of students are using media such as radio and TV ( Dawadi et al., 2020 ). It shows that the remaining 44% of students are unlikely to regularly access online or other media, which could be one of the serious concerns for the policymakers of the academic sectors ( Marahatta et al., 2020 ).

Meanwhile, the greatly impacted sector by the COVID-19 pandemic is the research activities in higher education, according to the respondents. The research activities such as field researches had been postponed, and the laboratory research activities remained suspended by the universities. According to the informants, the numbers of chemical reagents and enzymes prepared for upcoming experiments basically in the laboratory based research were worthless due to the closer of the laboratories for an extended period. Master and PhD level dissertations were delayed, and the time-bound research grants and scholarships were cancelled. In such a situation, academia and the policymakers were in dilemmas to design a clear roadmap about the commencement of academic activities. Limited internet facilities, computer devices, and lack of skilled human resources hindered running virtual classes and other activities. It was a challenging to connect the studnets from the rural and remote areas of Nepal in the online classes. The virtual courses are even more challenging for those learners who are differently able students which is consistent around the globe ( Manzoor, 2020 ; Chalise and Dhungana, 2020 ). Notably, the closures of academic institutions have resulted in multi-faceted implications such as disrupting completion of the syllabus on time, the regular cycle of academic intakes, semester end examinations required for graduation.

Despite the pandemic situation, there were some positive impacts on academia at the same time. It had allowed reshaping the of pedagogical strategies and adapt to innovative e-learning techniques. Schools and universities decided to introduce a digital education system. Several platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Social Media including Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook, were given priority by the academia to run the academic activities online. For instance, with the help of Microsoft Teams, TU initiated its virtual academic activities with 500,000 users (teachers and students) ( TU, 2020 ). In the history of Nepalese academia, this was one of the most outstanding achievements for the paradigm shift of the conventional pedagogical approaches. The learners and education provider institutions used media such as television, radio networks, YouTube, and other social media. Interestingly, the literacy and expertise on computers, apps, and virtual platforms have improved at the grass-root level. The universities conducted training for teachers and students for the online system of joining in academic activities.

The schools and higher education institutions expanded ICT infrastructures to support ICT associated teaching/learning. Most of the institutions have also prepared their guideline for facilitating online classes and assessment systems under the direction of the GoN and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Academic institutions have also initiated collaborations with local to national media such as Radios, FMs, and TVs. The virtual media have significant positive impacts on providing educational content and lives call with teachers in support of students ( Hiltz and Wellman, 1997 ). As the cases of COVID-19 are still increasing globally, the public policies significantly, the academic policies should be revised and strictly follow with the epidemiological alerts ( Yáñez et al., 2020 ). Precisely, the COVID-19 situation compelled all the academic institutions and stakeholders for redesigning and reconsidering their teaching-learning and research approaches.

5. Future perspectives and conclusion

The schools and HEIs in Nepal have limited digital services, including electronic libraries, relevant online scientific publications, and other resources. The major challenge for the institutions was conducting assessments and exams online. In the context of Nepal, many children from low-income families and disadvantaged groups do not afford even the necessities of learning, such as textbooks, notebooks, and other required stationaries. Modern digital devices, including smartphones, iPad, iPods, laptops, computers, the internet, etc., are far from their expectations ( UNESCO and IESALC, 2020 ). On the other side, the people in the remote and rural areas are deprived of online access due to limited internet facilities. In this context, providing equal opportunity for virtual learning to all groups of people and all parts of the country has become challenging. Therefore, the federal, provincial, and local governments are urged to switch their strategies and programs towards modern virtual education systems. For this purpose, different programs for enhancing the capacities of human resources, students, institution authorities, management, and parents are recommended. It is essential to understand the behaviour of learners about online and face-to-face academic activities to ensure the best academic outcomes ( Alvarez-Risco et al., 2020b ).

Due to the lack of adequate and appropriate sustainable infrastructure in Nepalese academia for the online system, developing such infrastructure is indispensable. The infrastructures for virtual education (internet facilities and digital devices) should be affordable to institutions of remote and rural areas. Especially the poor and disadvantaged groups should be prioritized, clustered, and trained in low/no cost by the government. The international and national organizations anduniversity graduates could be mobilized as volunteers to teach in rural areas. The school education boards and universities should prioritize to revise their curricula including internship or community services for their students to share the knowledge and expertise to the needy people in rural and remote areas in Nepal. The institutions should consider adjustments in terms of accessibility, infrastructure, and equipment from a long term perspective.

Additionally, within traditional pedagogical approaches, the blended modes of education system could be implemented to improve the quality of education at an affordable cost with limited trained human resources. The activities such as homework assignments, open-book exams, home take exams, quizzes, or small projects can be considered as the options of conventional paper-based examinations. Moreover, some modes of communication such as chat channels and discussion groups in social media could also benefit to the learners. There is limited preparedness to cope with such pandemic in Nepal, thus, there must be cooperation and coordination among the different sectors to combat the impacts of COVID-19. There could be a multifactorial fight during the pandemic to increase health literacy, develop better detection tools, and enable action by local, provincial and federal governments ( Alvarez-Risco et al., 2020c ). Continuous awareness and sensitization about the risks of COVID-19 also play a vital role to reduce the havoc created by the pandemic ( Quispe-Cañari et al., 2021 ).

Overall, this study comprises the education system in Nepal and COVID-19 imprints in the school and university education in Nepal. Also, we have tried to highlight the pros and cons of the pandemic on academia during the lockdown and suggested the possible way forwards. In this context, the concerned stakeholders should provide necessary services and develop appropriate strategies for virtual means of the education system to compensate for the repercussion caused by COVID-19 lockdown. Sustainable solutions are essential to manage the crisis and build a resilient education system in the long run. Thus, the insights from this study could be helpful to cope with the problem due to the pandemic and contribute to adopting an appropriate policy for the revival of educational institutions. Also, the present work contributes to the necessary way forward to tackle the crisis in academia in Nepal in the future.

Declarations

Author contribution statement.

All authors listed have significantly contributed to the development and the writing of this article.

Funding statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency.

Data availability statement

Declaration of interests statement.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Not applicable.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Department of Education (DoE), GoN and University Grants Commission (UGC), Nepal for supporting data in this research.

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Education system in Nepal – Research Essay

Introduction

In my research essay, I explore the education system in Nepal. I am already aware that the education system in Nepal was based on home schooling and Gurukula, but since they become a democracy in 1951, they have made many improvements. It is my intention to find out what those improvements are.

Methodology

My main methodology will include reading written research on the subject from local libraries, University libraries, and trusted online resources. I will also research and read records and websites relating to trusted statistics. They have school and higher education, where a student has to apply for higher education as people have to in other countries.

A student gets a school-leaving certificate for completing school and getting their education. Grades 11 and 12 are considered higher secondary education, for which a student gets a certificate for completing by the HSEB, which is the Higher Secondary Education Board.

If you opt for higher education, then you may earn your bachelor degree, masters and PhD in a Nepal college. There is also vocational education that starts in lower school and allows a person to work towards a trade and get a “Technical School leaving Certificate”. Research

The first school in Nepal was made only for elite learners and was opened in 1853. More have come about since democracy broke out in Nepal, and again in 1971 when the country built its education department and started allowing and funding schools in Nepal.

In 1971, there was a literacy rate of 5%. There were also a total of 10,000 students spread across 300 schools. Now much of the population receives some sort of education and the number of schools, big and small, is 49,000. The adult literacy rate has jumped from just 5% to 60.3%.

Nepal has done a good job to come so far in such as short space of time, but there is still a long way to go. Poverty and social exclusion are two very big restraints on people and their ability to get a good (or usable) education. There are also more males getting an education than females. There are 46.3% of females getting an education, whereas there are 73% of males getting an education. These are very good figures and show that the government in Nepal has been working towards improving the education system in Nepal. Conclusion

The education system in Nepal is not as bad as it was, but there are still massive holes in their education system. They really need to up the pace if they want to get anywhere near to the quality levels of many other countries.

There are clearly more opportunities for students in Nepal these days than there was, and they have certainly created a good structure on which to build a good education system, but it needs a lot of work. Too many people are excluded from school because of poverty or social exclusion, and females are not getting as good of an education than male students are (especially since fewer females attend school).

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• What we do in Nepal

Quality education in Nepal

The literacy rate in Nepal is 67% but in Dolpa, a remote district in Karnali Province, it’s only 54.1%.

Many structural factors have contributed to Dolpa’s low literacy rate, including sociocultural, economic, geographic, and infrastructural issues.

Through the Showing Talent, Equality and Ambition of Marginalised Children (STEAM Ahead) project, we’re working with the local government, communities, schools and children to increase access to quality education. The project, aimed at improving the educational system in Dolpa, is funded by the European Union.

Barriers affecting girls’ education in Nepal

A 2019 baseline survey on inclusive, quality education in Karnali Province by Plan International Nepal identified key challenges that prevent children from accessing quality education, including:

• Insufficient learning materials
• Lack of female leadership and role models
• Low representation of marginalised groups
• Lack of quality teaching.

In addition, the survey found that 42% of girls do not feel encouraged to take part in leadership roles in schools, and 44% of girls and 59% of boys do not perceive that teachers support them in their education.

These issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19-enforced school closures which left nearly 7 million children out of school. This showed how little resilience the education system in Nepal has to disasters.

Building a quality education system

• We support civil society to positively change the education system so policies are informed, responsive and meet the needs of girls, children with disabilities and other marginalised groups.
• We are changing the way basic education is delivered so it is efficient in meeting children’s needs in a fast-changing world, and in a way that reduces the widening inequalities in access to education.

STEAM ahead

The STEAM Ahead project improves students’ learning environments so they can achieve their lifelong dreams. The project focuses on creating tech-friendly and inclusive schools to make learning engaging for all students.

Our project partners include Open Learning Exchange who develop inclusive sign language and local language content, and Women in STEM who provide expertise in science, tech, engineering and mathematics.

STEAM Ahead works directly with district government officials, local organisations and school administrative staff to improve policies.

To address one of the biggest barriers preventing girls from attending school, we improved access to sanitation and health services in schools to support girls to manage their periods. We have also improved school buildings and trained teachers to use the latest digital products.

With stronger, inclusive education systems that promote equality, the students of Dolpa and Karnali Province have access to a quality education that will equip them with skills and knowledge for the future.

Related pages

For our futures: youth voices on climate justice and education, embracing diversity through inclusive education.

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Best School in Chitwan, Madi valley

[email protected], importance of education in nepal.

Apekshya Tiwari Class : 9

Education is the light of life. It is a continuous and lifelong process. It is the most important and precious property of a person. It always provides positive changes in life. It makes our life really successful land meaningful. Everybody needs to be well-educated to fulfill their all needs and wants. Education also plays a vital role in the development of any nation. As we know, our country Nepal is a developing country and most of the people here are not much educated. The literacy rate of our country is very low i.e maybe just 66%. There are many rural villages in Nepal where nobody is educated. In such conditions, the development of a country becomes difficult. The development of any nation depends on its citizens. Like how much educated they are & how can they contribute to their country but if they are uneducated then they can do nothing for their country & the status of the country remains weak. Education is known as the foundation of development. It provides various technical knowledge & manpower. Unless the country has required educated manpower, it cannot develop its condition smoothly. A country needs pilots, doctors, teachers, mechanics, etc. & without education, it is impossible to have them. Our country Nepal is an agricultural country. It can produce a lot of agricultural products. But Nepal has been buying vegetables & rice is from other countries. There are many farmers and many people who do farming but our condition in farming is very bad. It’s all because of lack of technical knowledge & education farmer are doing farming traditionally. They are not using modern technology because they have no education & knowledge. Due to this our country is behind than other countries. Even our country is a rich country in water resources. It is in the second position according to its capacity. It is in the first position in generating electricity. Nepal has the capacity to generate 83000-megawatt electricity but till now it has not been generated even 1000 megawatt electricity due to a lack of educated human resources. Our country would have earned a lot of money by selling electricity too. But due to the illiteracy of citizens, our country is not going as it can. So for the development of the Nation, education is very much important. If Nepal had managed educated manpower then it would have become the most developed country because it really has that capacity. As it is rich in water resources, it can generate 83000 megawatt electricity & irrigate almost every part of the land that has good fertility power for agriculture. So, education is very important in Nepal for its development. When compared to the present time with previous one, there is a huge importance of education. People’s mind is being broadened day by day. The development of education in Nepal is essential. It is said that education is key to success. So if all Nepalese citizens become educated then Nepal will not be far from its success. It’s a success in its development. Nepal can become a developed country if its citizen becomes educated. So, we should know the importance of education in Nepal & spread the light of education all over the country.

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