The Learning Crisis in Nepal's Schools

Nepal has for many years been celebrating the achievements of soaring school enrolment, better access to education, and the burgeoning participation of pupils in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE). These milestones are worthy of praise. However, the 2023 National Assessment of Student Achievement (NASA), which was recently published, reveals a sobering reality: although more children are going to school, a large number of them are leaving school without the necessary knowledge and skills for further education, employment, and life. The assessment presents a grim picture of the education scenario in Nepal. It reveals that mathematics is the least engaging subject for students, as close to 60 percent of Grade 10 students did not even manage to demonstrate the minimum expected level of competency. Large proportions of students were also found to be performing below the required level in science, Nepali, and English. Such findings indicate that learning, rather than enrolment, has become the biggest educational challenge for Nepal. Moreover, the consequences are not limited to paper-and-pencil results. Nowadays, employers are not only looking for the qualifications listed on a résumé; they want the people they hire to be able to think analytically, communicate effectively, solve problems creatively, and be digitally literate.