Education System in NepalHence, until the recent past, Nepal followed the traditional three-tier sixteen-year education system, allocating ten years to school education, four years to college level studies - two years each for intermediate and bachelor program, and two to the Masters program at the university.[Views:3800 ][Comments:0]

Education in Nepal from the primary school to the university level has been modeled from the very inception on the Indian system, which is in turn the legacy of the old British Raj. Hence, until the recent past, Nepal followed the traditional three-tier sixteen-year education system, allocating ten years to school education, four years to college level studies - two years each for intermediate and bachelor program, and two to the Masters program at the university.

During the 1950s and in the subsequent decades, Nepali students started facing comparative disadvantage in their academic and professional career advancement not to mention in the regional or international fields even in their home country. Therefore, in order to make the nepali education system more competitive and compatible, policy and structural changes were made and gradually implemented, although for the lack of funds and resources only at a snail's speed during the last three five year plan periods. As a result, the present education system although still in the transition phase, stands as follows:

(i) Pre-School EducationThe pre-school learning, be it kindergarten, Montessori or any other form of pre-school education, does not yet form an integral part of the formal school education system. Nevertheless, the need for such facility is being increasingly felt by the society. And, a number of pre-school establishments have come into existence in

response to the demand particularly among the affluent, the educated and the working parents in the urban areas. These facilities range from simple day-care centers operated by semi skilled tutors and ayahs to sophisticated but informal playgroups run by trained teachers and nurses, and from formal pro-primary schools managed as junior wings of large school set-ups to advanced westernized kindergarten and Montessori pre-school establishments. Very different in their fees and infrastructure, they profess equally diverse professional objectives and educational goals, and practice divergent approaches to early education. His Majesty's Government of Nepal has recently formulated some guidelines for pre-primary curricula.

(ii) School Education   (a) Primary Level   (b) Middle School/Lower Secondary Level (S.L.C.)   (c) High School/ Secondary Level   (d) 10+2/ Higher Secondary Level

Formal school education in Nepal officially spans a period of 12 years, at the successful completion of which a student graduates with a certificate of Higher Secondary Education (10+2). However, since the majority of the schools in the country have not been upgraded for the lack of funds and resources to the 10+2 level, the old high school system with School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination at the end of 10 year still persists. Most of them are public schools funded by the government. However, they have not been able to reach and maintain the expected educational quality standards, nor have they been able to address the needs of the society. If the lack of adequate funds and resources is partly to be blamed, the lack of accountability and too much of politicization in the educational administration from the bottom to the top most hierarchy have had a crippling effect or the educational system. The S.L.C. examination results of the public schools, which have been getting bad to worse over the years, bear witness to this fact. Not surprisingly at all, in spite of tin provision of free education up to primary level and free distribution of books to girl-children and children of socially discriminated ethnic groups up to lower secondary level, parents prefer to send their children to comparatively more expensive private schools right from the beginning.

The private schools in general have better facilities, are better managed and have been showing a much better performance in the S.L.C. examinations. However, the quality standards of the private schools, too, are not consistent and vary considerably from school to school. There are, on the one hand 'A’ class private

school establishments managed and run by charity organizations, companies, trusts or? visionary individuals, and on the other, the so called private English boarding schools operated by business minded people in semi-furnished residential houses or even factory-like tin-shades, which are in fact nothing more than teaching-shops. They do, nevertheless, seem to be catering to the taste and the need of the different sections of the society. In addition, the capital also has a British and an American School, which, although initially started for the children of the foreign diplomats, have opened their doors to Nepali children, too.

In the recent years, some public schools have upgraded themselves to the 10+2 level will governmental support, and in the urban and semi-urban areas a number of private 10+2 institution; have sprung up without any lower school base. This sorry state of transition to 10+2 level has forced the universities to continue their intermediate or proficiency certificate level program! for the time being, at least until 2005 according to the latest revised phase-out schedule. Hence,| present, the 10+2 level school education in Nepal is being administered parallely and independent by the university as its intermediate program and as a higher secondary school education program by the Higher Education Board of the Ministry of Education, HMG/Nepal. Meanwhile, the S.L.C Examination continues to remain as the iron-gate to be crossed for an entry into either of the above programs.

The SLC Examination System.The SLC thus being the gate way to higher education commands full attention of all concerned-students and their parents, teachers and their institutions. The students are virtually groomed for the S.L.C. from s VIII onwards. They are taught the actual S.L.C. courses in class IX and X and are required to pass the qualifying examination, popularly called Sent-up Test, at the end of class X to be eligible to appear in the C. examination. The S.L.C. requires the students to take three-hour written examination of 100 marks in each subject for the entire syllabus covered in two years of class IX and X. 

The evaluation scheme follows the traditional marking system with division ratings as follows:             35%and above to below45% - Pass with 3nd division.          45% and above to below 60% - Pass with 2nd division.           60% and above to below 75% - Pass with 1st division.           75% and above - Pass with distinction. 

The S.L.C., however, as the policy makers claim, is now a matter of only a few

years because after the full, nation-wide implementation of the 10+2 system, the present S.L.C. examination will be replaced by a or regional level class X examination. The Higher Secondary Education Board only will t national level 10+2 annual examinations to certify students of having completed their secondary school education or what is popularly called school education in the west.  

LevelClass/Grade

Duration

Pupil's Age

Certifying exams

Core Subjects

Primary I to V 5 Yrs5(+)-10(+)

District level primary school examination at the end of class V

Nepali, English, Math, Social Studies, Science

Middle/Lower Secondary

VI to VIII 3 Yrs.10(+) -13(+)

Dist. level lower secondary exam at the end of class VII

Nepali, English, Math. Social Studies, Science, Health and Environment

High School/ Secondary

IX&X 2Yrs.13(+)-15(+)

School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exam at the end of class X

Nepali, English. Math, Social Studies, Science, Health and Environment

Higher Secondary 10+2

XI to XII 2Yrs. 15(+)-17(+)

HSEB exams at the end of

English. Nepali and 3 Core

both XI and XII

subjects of the chosen stream.

  (iii) Higher Education     (a) Bachelor's/Undergraduate Level     (b) Master's Level/Graduate/Degree Level     (c) Post Graduate, M. Phil. Level     (d) Ph.D. Doctoral Level

Higher education in Nepal, like elsewhere in the world, is the sole responsibility of and administered by universities and institutions of higher learning. At present, the country has six universities; five of these - two public (state), two again public (community) and one private - offer western model academic program and technical education while the remaining one, again a public university, is dedicated to the study of Sanskrit and related subjects. There are two more universities in the offing-an international Buddhist university at Lumbini and another a general university with concentration on BuddhisH at Banepa. But since they have not yet received the character, they can be classified only as proposed universities.

Entry into the public institutions of higher learning, except to the technical programs such as medicine, engineering, forestry and agriculture, remained and still remains to a considerable extent almost unrestricted. This has created a tremendous pressure on institutions, draining their physical and human resources and leading, in turn, to a progressive deterioration in the quality of education they impart. As a result, during the last decade of the last century, the government has granted affiliation to a number of private i.e, proprietary colleges and many of them are now fully operational. They offer their programs with the same curricula, but being smaller in size and restrictive in enrolment, they are better equipped and better facilitated. However, such colleges are comparatively very expensive and are almost beyond the reach of the common people. Similar is the case with the only private university of the country as its programs, too, are accessible only to the family well-off.   The following table* presents a glimpse of the overall infrastructure framework of higher education in Nepal. 

Institute Estd Type Number Major Field Degrees

Dateof Campus

of study offered

Tribhuvan University

1959

Public (State) Residential cum Affiliating

61 owninstitutes + 191 affiliated campuses

Humanities and Social Sciences, Management, Education,Health and Medicine, Agriculture and Animal Science, Forestry, Engineering, Law and Science & Technology

Intermediate Bachelor's Master's M. Phil. Ph.D.

Kathmandu University

1991

Private (UGC grants)residential cum Affiliating

Central Campus + 8 Affiliated Campuses

Management, Science, Arts, Education, Engineering and Medical Sciences.

Intermediate Bachelor's Master's M. Phil. Ph. D.**

PurbanchalUniversity

1995

Public(Community and UGC grants) Residential cum Affiliating

2 Univ.Campuses + 72 affiliated campuses

Sciences Technology, Management, Humanities, Law and Education

Bachelor's Master's M. Phil.** Ph. D.**

Pokhara University

1995

Public(Community and UGC grants) Residential cum Affiliating

CentralCampus + 29 Affiliated Campuses

Management, Science & Technology, and Humanities & Social Science

Bachelor's Master's M. Phil. Ph. D.**

MahendraSanskritUniversity

1986

Public (states) Residential cum Affiliating

CentralCampus +13 Affiliated Campuses

Sanskrit, Ayurved and Related subjects

Intermediate Bachelor's Master's Ph. D.

B,P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences

1991

Public (state and donor grants') Residential

Central Campus

Medicine and Health Sciences

Diploma Bachelor's Master's Doctoral

 source: Nepal Educational Directory

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Education System in NepalNeither modern nor traditional

-Jaga Bhandary-

In 1951 the right for every citizen to get education was adopted in Nepal. Before this constitution was settled only the Royal Family and the ruling classes had

access to education. The rulers feared that, if poor and lower cast people would get free education, they would be critical and dissatisfied. The people should therefore be kept ignorant, which was for the better. After 1951 "the dissemination of modern education concepts was slow. The education system was not formally centralised until 1971. At that time, a uniform curriculum was developed (ibid). This was Nepal's first national plan for educational development. The government also made a first attempt to look at education as an "investment in human resource development”. 

The next educational revolution occurred in 1990. It was connected to the new constitution in the society which was based upon democratic principles, a multiparty system. For a long time there were no political parties operating freely in Nepal, and there were no public debate on education. At the World Conference on Education, held in Jomtien (Thailand) in 1990, Nepal decided to endorse the Jomtien Declaration. The main goal for education was agreed to be "Education for All". 

In the past two decades, there has been a dramatic expansion of education facilities in the country. A number of new schools, colleges (public as well as community) have been opened. As a result, adult literacy (age 15+) of the country was reported to be 48.2% (female: 34.6%, male: 62.2%) in the Population Census, 2001, up from about 5% in 1990–91. Beginning from about 300 schools and two colleges with about 10,000 students in 1951, there now are 26,000 schools (including higher secondary), 415 colleges, five universities, and two academies of higher studies. Altogether 5.5 million students are enrolled in those schools and colleges who are served by more than 150,000 teachers.

Despite such examples of success, there are problems and challenges. Education management, quality, relevance, access are some of the critical issues of education in Nepal. Societal disparities based on gender, ethnicity, location, economic class, etc. are yet to be eliminated. Resource crunch has always been a problem in education. These problems have made the goal of education for all a challenge for the country. The historical monopoly of educational opportunity by members of the wealthier and higher caste groups gradually is still increasing. After the post movement of 1990-91, Schools and colleges were open to all. As a result enrollment figures are rising rapidly. The long-standing prejudice against the education of women seems to be very slowly breaking down, as attested to by increasing enrollments of girls in schools and colleges. Yet two distinct biases--social class and geography--remains pronounced in educational attainment. Despite general accessibility, education still nonetheless primarily served children of

landlords, businessmen, government leaders, or other elite members of the society, for they are the only ones who could easily afford to continue beyond primary school. They also are far more able to afford, and likely to continue, education beyond the high school level. Many students in the general population drop out before they took the School Leaving Certificate examination. There is an even more important ingredient for success after leaving school: if the quality of available higher education is considered inadequate or inferior, higher caste families can afford to send their children overseas to obtain necessary degrees. Foreign educational degrees, especially those obtain from American and West European institutions, carry greater prestige than degrees from Nepal. Higher caste families also have the necessary connections to receive government scholorships to study abroad. 

Further, education still remains largely urban-biased. The majority of education institutions, particularly better quality institutions, have been found in urban areas. In rural areas where schools are set up, the quality of instruction is inferior, facilities are very poor, and educational materials are either difficult to find or virtually unavailable. Consequently, if rural families are serious about the education of their children, they are forced to send them to urban areas, a very expensive proposition that the vast majority of rural households could not afford. Although there has been a remarkable numerical growth in the literacy rates, as well as the number of education institutions over the years, the quality of education has not necessarily improved. For example, at higher educational level, the research focus or tradition is virtually absent, largely because there are few research facilities available for professors. There are some excellent private schools, mostly located in the Kathmandu Valley, but many have appeared to be merely money-making ventures rather than serious, devoted educational enterprises. The large majority of schools and colleges are run by poorly prepared and poorly trained teachers and professors. Schools and colleges frequently are closed because of strikes. Students have little respect for teachers and professors and are concerned with obtaining a certificate rather than a quality education. Cheating is rampant during examinations at all levels.

Formal schooling in modern times is still constrained by the economy and culture. Children are generally needed to work in the fields and at home. Many students begin school late (at ages nine or ten); more than half leave school after completing only one year. Educating females are viewed as unnecessary; as a consequence, their enrollment levels are far lower than those of males. Regional variations often hindered the effectiveness of uniform text materials and teacher training. Although the government was relatively successful in establishing new schools, the quality

of education still remains low, particularly in remote regions where the majority of the population lives. Terrain further inhibited management and supervision of schools. The total number of schools, both public and private, has reached 28,131, at the primary level. Likewise, the net enrolment rate of students has reached 87.4 percent. The percentage of girl students has increased more as compared to that of boys in primary schools. The participation of girl students has increased from 43 percent to 48 percent. Of the children of school going age, 38 percent of the children of Adibasi Janajatis have participated, whereas 18 percent of Dalits and only one percent of children with disability have participated. Against the target of 0.8 for literacy gender equity index, it has reached 0.61. At the primary level, the proportion of female teachers has reached to 30.6 percent, that of Dalits to 2.5 percent and Adibasi Janajatis to 17.8 percent.

Although there has been progress in the development of primary education, even now, nearly 12.6 percent of the children are deprived of primary education. Of this, the poor, Dalits, Madhesis, and Adibasi Janajatis are the most deprived and excluded. There has not been equal access to school and higher education for all genders, groups and regions. The class repetition rate and drop out rates are high and the passing out rate is also not satisfactory. So, the Government of Nepal should address some major issues raised in education sector.

Issues:Access • Access is limited with the gross enrolment ratio of about 6%.Equity • The bottom two quintiles’ share in all level education is very less. Currently overall enrolment is expanding primarily in the private sector. This is likely to restrict even more the access to education for poor segments of the population.Quality • Barring a few private and public institutions, the quality of education is poor. The quality assurance and accreditation system is not is place except for a rudimentary system in place in professional education like engineering and medicine.Relevance • Collaboration between employers and academic institutions is weak, and so is the R&D in these institutions. As result, barring few premiere institutions the relevance of education to the job market needs is poor.Financing • Barring a few, public institutions are not sustainable financially. Governmentspending in education specially in higher education is low – about 7% of public expenditures in education.Governance • Although Nepal has initiated the process of decentralization as a

means ofimproving governance, overall the governance of public education is still weak.

In course of development of education sector, we have so many problems and challenges to be addressed as well as so many opportunities to be grabbed. 

Some major Problems, Challenges and Opportunities are as follows.

Problems:Following problems have appeared in the education sector:• Basic physical infrastructure not developed for quality education.• Supply of teachers in relation with the number of children not made.• A wide disparity between community and private schools in passing out rates.• Increasing number of educated unemployment.• Exclusion of women, Dalits, persons with disability, backward groups, Adibasi Janjatigroups, Madhesis, conflict affected, and displaced from the mainstream of education.

Challenges:Of the major challenges existing, the following are critical:• Inability to implement decentralization in a practical way.• Inability to enhance the competence for work performance of the stakeholders andeducational managers at the local level as expected.• Inability to adjust the teacher student ratio to decrease the number of illiterate.• Inability to make institutional reforms in the educational structure.• Inability to implement the principle of cost sharing.• Inability to make adjustments of the certificate level education of universities with higher secondary education.• Inability to link education with the national and international markets.• Inability to make effective monitoring of educational programs.

Opportunities:The following opportunities have appeared in the education sector:• Starting of the use of information and communication technology in education.• Reforms made in Education Management Information System (EMIS).• Increase in donor assistance in the implementation of the commitments made by Nepal in the international forum.• Increase in interests/concerns among the schools and local communities on

transparency, accountability, and responsibility.• Increase in community participation in school management.• Increase in partnership and collaboration between NGOs and the private sector.• Notable participation of Nepal in the international forum on sports and success achieved as expected.• National consensus and government’s policy commitment to make basic education available free of cost.

Now, we are trying to move ahead in line with Education for All as well as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 100 percent enrollment by 2015. We are only debating on modern education system and global education. Our curriculum is greatly influenced by United States models, and it is developed with assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. In other hand, our educational background and facts are quite different in comparison with United State education system or European Education Model. Our education system is neither modern nor traditional. Our views are modern but resources and infrastructure facilities still remain traditional. However, modern education is not only our need but also compulsion to compete in international job market and minimize educated unemployment rate. So, it is necessary to make adjustment between modern education system and our ground reality. Modern education system has to be adopted keeping due respect to local fact. So many biases- social class, geography, economic class, gender, ethnicity, culture and religion have to be eliminated.Posted by Jaga Bhandary   at 20:10

Labels: articles, Education

The landlocked country of Nepal rests in the Himalayas and borders China, India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. Nepal has a population of 22.4 million, 44 percent of

whom are under the age of 15 years. As the country continues to grow at a rate of 2.4 percent per year, the percentage of youth under 15 in Nepal will most likely increase. With a gross national product of $220-$250 per capita and 35 - 45 percent of its population living below the poverty line, Nepal is classified as one of the world’s least developed and poorest countries. Problems for children and women are greater in the midwestern and far western regions and in the mountains, where poverty is most acute, services least accessible, and gender discrimination most manifest. These regions are also at the center of political turmoil and violence, which has exacerbated poverty and hampered the delivery of basic social services.

Despite this bleak statistical picture, Nepal is also one of the world’s greatest tourist sites for mountain climbing and hiking. Eight of the world’s ten highest peaks, including Mt. Everest, sit in Nepal and attract westerners on a regular basis. The United States established official relations with Nepal in 1947 and has kept friendly relations with the country since that time.

            The country of Nepal has only recently experienced democracy. For years, the country was under the rule of the Rana family, which feared an educated public. Before World War II, several new English middle and high schools were founded in some villages, and a girls’ high school was opened in the capital, Kathmandu. In the villages, public respect for education was increasing, largely as a result of the influence of returning Gurkha soldiers, many of whom had learned to read and write while serving in the British army. Some members of the high-caste families began sending their children to universities in Nepal or India, and it was some of these students who realized how oppressive the policies of Rana rule were; they initiated anti-Rana movements, which eventually led to the overthrow of the Rana in 1951.

            After the 1951 revolution, efforts were made to establish a national education system. Formal schooling in modern times was still constrained by the economy and culture. Children were generally needed to work in the field and at home, and educating females was viewed as unnecessary. In 1975, primary education was made free, and the government became responsible for providing school facilities, teachers, and educational materials. The curriculum in Nepal has been greatly influenced by United States models and was developed with assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Primary schooling was compulsory; it began at age six and lasted for five years. 

            Despite these efforts to improve education for all, caste differentiation still influences access to education and especially to quality of education. Also, education remains largely urban-biased; the majority of education institutions are found in urban areas. Consequently, if families want their children to advance, they have to send them away to urban areas. Because sending children away is so expensive, this practice further increases the educational divide between the elite and others. As a result, 58% of Nepalis are illiterate, including 72% of women. That despite a remarkable growth in literacy rates and educational institutions in Nepal over the past ten years.

In addition, education has been hampered recently by the violent conflict between the Nepalese government and Maoist rebels who have been waging a campaign against the constitutional monarchy since 1996.  More than 10,000 people have died in the fighting, with many civilians caught in the crossfire. The increasing defense budget has left education a casualty.

            Today, the country continues to work diligently to urge its leaders to do more to provide education for all. During the 2004 World Bank Global Education Week, 20,000 letters were written by children from all over the country and sent to the Prime Minister. Also during this week, maps were prepared to show the number of children, by gender, who were missing education in Nepal. As this dedication to education continues to spread throughout the country, it is hoped that quality education for all children will continue to improve.

Top

Primary Education:

The Ministry of Education (MOE) coordinates education activities throughout Nepal. The Ministry is responsible for educational planning and management as well as in improving service delivery systems across the country. According to the Department of Secondary Education (which includes the department for primary education), the aims of education in Nepal are to produce healthy citizens who are: familiar with the national tradition, culture, and social environment in daily life; aware of scientific issues; creative, cooperative, and industrious; and able to contribute to economic development. The National Education Goals are to: nurture and develop the personalities and inherent talents in each person; instill respect for human values, and the will to safeguard national and social beliefs so as to help

develop a healthy social unity; help the individual to socialize, enhancing social unity; help the individual keep his or her identity in the national and international context and to help him or her lead a socially harmonious life in the modern world; assist the modernization of the country by creating individuals able to manpower for its development; teach the thoughtful protection and wise use of Nepal’s national resources; and to bring those who are underprivileged into the mainstream of the nation.

           

Detailed Review of the Education System in Nepal

Pre-higher education:

Academic Year: Classes from July to June

Structure of school system:

Primaryo Type of school providing this education: Primary Schoolo Length of Program: 5 yearso Age Level: 6-11

Technical Elementaryo Type of school providing this education: Technical Schoolo Length of Program: 4 yearso Age Level: 11-14o Certificate/Diploma awarded: Training Level Certificate

Lower Secondaryo Type of school providing this education: Lower Secondary School

(Grades 6-7)o Length of Program: 2 yearso Age Level: 11-13

Technical Secondaryo Type of school providing this education: Middle Level Technical

Schoolo Length of Program: 4 yearso Age Level: 14-18o Certificate/Diploma awarded: Craftsman Certificate

Upper Secondaryo Type of school providing this education: General Secondary School,

Sanskrit Secondary School (Grades 8-10)

o Length of Program: 3 yearso Age Level: 13-16o Certificate/Diploma awarded: School Leaving Certificate, Uttar

Madhyama Certificate Examination Higher Secondary

o Type of school providing this education: Higher Secondary Schoolo Length of Program: 2 yearso Age Level: 16-18o Certificate/Diploma awarded: Higher Secondary Certificate,

Proficiency Certificate (in universities) Technical

o Type of school providing this education: Higher Technical Schoolo Length of Program: 2 yearso Age Level: 16-18o Certificate/Diploma awarded: Technical School Leaving Certificate,

Technician Certificate (after 3 years) Top

School Education:

Primary education in Nepal lasts for five years (Grades 1-5). Secondary education then comprises three cycles: three years lower secondary (Grades 6-8), two years upper secondary (Grades 9-10), and two years of higher secondary education (Grades 11-12).  On completion of upper secondary school, students sit for the School Leaving Certificate (SLC). Sanskrit secondary level students sit for the Uttar Madhyama Certificate Examination. Higher secondary level education has four streams: Humanities, Science, Commerce, and Education. At the end of these studies, students sit for the Higher Secondary Certificate. The same level of education is also being provided by the Tribhuvan University (all four streams), Kathmandu University (science stream) and Mahendra Sanskrit University (a separate Sanskrit stream). Students enrolled in Tribhuvan University sit for the Proficiency Certificate, those enrolled in Kathmandu University sit for the intermediate examinations, and those enrolled in Mahendra Sanskrit University sit for the Uttar Madhyama examinations. Technical education may start after Grade 5 when pupils can study at Basic Technical Schools for three years to obtain a Training Level Certificate.

Higher secondary education has recently been introduced as an upward extension of secondary education and will be implemented in a phased manner. This will lead to the phasing out of the Proficiency Certificate level courses at

university level, shifting the responsibility to the Higher Secondary Education Board. Tribhuvan University has already initiated the process of phasing out this level to higher secondary education.

 Teacher Education:

Higher secondary schools offer a two-year secondary program after the School Leaving Certificate leading to a Certificate of Education. This is the formal program for the training of primary school teachers. The Ministry of Education also organizes primary teacher training programs, and the Faculty of Education on behalf of the Ministry conducts some programs. There is also a radio education teacher-training program. The minimum qualification required for these programs is a School Leaving Certificate.

Lower Secondary teachers follow a two-year course after the School Leaving Certificate. Tribhuvan University offers a two year Bachelor’s degree program and a two year Master of Education and Postgraduate Diploma. The University of Kathmandu offers a three to four year Bachelor’s degree program in education Source: MOE.

Education in Nepal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Education in Nepal1

Ministry of Education

Minister of Education Dinanath Sharma

National education budget (2006)

Budget $98.64 million

General details

Primary languages Nepalese

System type Central

EstablishmentEnactedLast amended

Education ActAugust 9, 1971January 28, 2004

Literacy (2001)

Total 53.7

Male 56.3

Female 54.7

Enrollment

Total 6,373,003

Primary 4,030,045

Secondary 2,195,8352

Post secondary 147,123

Attainment

Secondary diploma 46.2%

Post-secondary diploma unavailable

1Source of information: Ministry of Education website2Includes, "Lower secondary", "secondary", and "higher

secondary"

Modern education in Nepal began with the establishment of the first school in 1853; this school was only for the members of the ruling families and their courtiers. Schooling for the general people began only after 1951 when a popular movement ended the autocratic Rana family regime and initiated a democratic system. In the past 50 years, there has been a dramatic expansion of education facilities in the country. As a result, adult literacy (age 15+) of the country was reported to be 48.2% (female: 34.6%, male: 62.2%) in the Population Census, 2001, up from about 5% in 1952–54. Beginning from about 300 schools and two colleges with about 10,000 students in 1951, there now are 49,000 schools (including higher secondary), 415 colleges, five universities, and two academies of higher studies. Altogether 7.2 million students are enrolled in those schools and colleges who are served by more than 222,000 teachers.

Despite such examples of success, there are problems and challenges. Education management, quality, relevance, and access are some of the critical issues of education in Nepal. Societal disparities based on gender, ethnicity, location, economic class, etc. are yet to be eliminated. Resource crunch has always been a problem in education. These problems have made the goal of education for all a challenge for the country.

Contents

  [hide] 

1   Administration 2   Structure 3   Years in schools, colleges and universities 4   Medical Colleges in Nepal 5   List of Medical Colleges [1] 6   Ranking of medical colleges of Nepal 7   Engineering Colleges in Nepal 8   List of Engineering Colleges 9   List of universities in Nepal 10   Nepal Ranks 11th Among the Leading Countries of Origin for International

Student in the United States of America11   External links 12   References

[edit]Administration

School children in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Ministry of Education is the apex body responsible for initiating and managing education activities in the country. The Minister of Education, assisted by the State/Assistant Minister, provides political leadership to the Ministry. The Ministry, as a part of the government bureaucracy, is headed by the Secretary of Education and consists of the central office, various functional offices, and offices located at the regional and district levels. The Central Office or the Ministry is mainly responsible for policy development, planning and monitoring, and evaluation regarding different aspects of education.

With a purpose of bringing education administration nearer to the people, the Ministry has established five Regional Directorates and 75 District Education Offices in five development regions and 75 districts respectively. These decentralized offices are responsible for overseeing nonformal and school-level education activities in their respective areas. Regional Directorates are mainly responsible for coordinating and monitoring and evaluation of education activities and the District Education Offices are the main implementing agencies.

NCED[citation needed] is an apex body for teacher training in Nepal. There are 34 Educational Training Centers (ETCs) under NCED to support the teachers in pedagogical areas. ETC Sunsari, ETC Dhulikhel and ETC Tanahun/Educational Training Center Damauli are the leading training centers under NCED. NCED was

established in B. S. 2050 but it could not take speed much until Arjun Bahadur Bhandari was appointed as an Executive Director. Now it is running full-fledged and implementing "Teacher Education Project" to train the pre-service and in-service teachers throughout the country.[unreliable source?]

[edit]Structure

Nepalese teacher and schoolchildren in Pokhara

Education in Nepal is structured as school education and higher education. School education includes primary level of grades 1–5, lower secondary and secondary levels of grades 6–8 and 9–10 respectively. Pre-primary level of education is available in some areas. Six years old is the prescribed age for admission into grade one. A national levelSchool Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination is conducted at the end of grade 10.

Grades 11 and 12 are considered as higher secondary level. Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) supervises higher secondary schools which are mostly under private management. Previously these grades were under the university system and were run as proficiency certificate level. Though some universities still offer these programs, the policy now is to integrate these grades into the school system.

Higher education consists of bachelor, masters, and PhD levels. Depending upon the stream and subject, bachelors level may be of three to five years' duration. The duration of masters level is generally two years. Some universities offer programs like M Phil and post-graduate diplomas.

Legally, there are two types of school in the country: community and institutional. Community schools receive regular government grants whereas institutional

schools are funded by school's own or other non-governmental sources. Institutional schools are organized either as a non-profit trust or as a company. However, in practical terms, schools are mainly of two types: public (community) and private (institutional).

A third type of school is the kind run by the local people enthusiastic toward having a school in their locality. They do not receive regular government grants and most of them do not have any other sustainable financial source. Supported and managed by the local people, they can be thus identified as the real community schools.

Except one, all universities/academies are publicly managed and are supported by public source fund. However, public universities also provide affiliation to private colleges. Two academies of higher education are single college institutes whereas other universities have constituent and affiliated colleges across the country.*

[edit]Years in schools, colleges and universities

Students of Janata Primary School, northern Tistung

1. Nursery2. Lower Kindergarten (LKG)3. Upper Kindergarten (UKG)4. First Grade5. Second Grade

6. Third Grade7. Fourth Grade8. Fifth Grade9. Sixth Grade10.Seventh Grade11.Eighth Grade12.Ninth Grade13.Tenth Grade - SLC (School Leaving Certificate) (A test based on Tenth

Grade study. To appear in SLC exam the student must complete pre-test exam of Tenth Grade based on SLC exam pattern.)

14.10+2 (Intermediate Level) (Two years)15.Bachelors (three or four years)16.Masters (two years)17.Ph.D.

[edit]Medical Colleges in Nepal

Medical colleges in Nepal are spread over various parts of the country. Most of these medical colleges in Nepal are in the private sector, although there are some government medical colleges too. Admission of local students to these medical colleges in Nepal is done generally through an entrance test. However foreign students are admitted on the basis of their performance in a personal interview. In order to be eligible for admission to the MBBS courses of Nepal’s medical colleges, one needs to pass the higher secondary examination in science or its equivalent. Medical education in Nepal is regulated by the Medical Council of Nepal. Apart from giving recognition to the medical colleges in Nepal, it also conducts the licensing examination for providing registration to the new doctors. It is also responsible for making policies related to curriculum, admission, term and examination system of teaching institute of medical education and to make recommendation for cancellation of registration and approved by renewing and evaluating such system/procedure.

[edit]List of Medical Colleges[1]

Manamohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, mmihs.edu.np

B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, bpkihs.edu

Chitwan Medical College, cmc.edu.np

Gandaki Medical College, gmc.edu.np

Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj iom.edu.np

National Academy of Medical Sciences, nams.org.np

Manipal College of Medical Sciences, manipal.edu/mcoms

Janaki Medical College, jmcedu.com.np

Kathmandu Medical College, kmc.edu.np

KIST Medical College kistmcth.edu.np

Kathmandu University Medical School, kmc.edu.np/KUSMS

Lumbini Medical College

Nepal Medical College (NMC), nmcth.edu

National Medical College, nmcbir.edu.np

Nepalgunj Medical College, ngmc.edu.np

Nobel Medical College, nobelmedicalcollege.com.np

Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), pahs.edu.np

Universal College of Medical Sciences, ucmsnepal.com,

[edit]Ranking of medical colleges of Nepal

On the basis of patient flow in the hospital, infrastructure, clinical exposures to the students, popularity among students, international reputation and various other criteria, following is the ranking of medical colleges of Nepal:

1. Institute of Medicine (IOM), Kathmandu2. B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan3. Kathmandu Medical College (KMC), Kathmandu4. Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS), Dhulikhel5. Manipal College of Medical Science and Technology, Pokhara6. Patan Academy of Health Science (PAHS), Lalitpur7. Nepal Medical College (NMC), Kathmandu8. College of Medical Sciences (CoMS), Chitwan9. Universal College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Bhairawa10.KIST Medical College, Kathmandu

[edit]Engineering Colleges in Nepal

There are quite a good number of engineering colleges in Nepal that provide engineering courses in various parts of the country. Most of these engineering Colleges in Nepal admit the local students through an entrance test. However foreign students are admitted on the basis of their performance in a personal interview. Candidates, to be eligible for admission to the engineering colleges in Nepal, should at least pass the Intermediate in Science or diploma in engineering or its equivalent.

Architecture, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Communication, Electrical and Electronics, Energy Engineering, Civil and Rural Engineering are some of the popular engineering courses in Nepal. While the B.E. Architecture courses are of 5 years duration, other bachelor degree courses are of 4 years duration. Some engineering colleges in Nepal also offer Masters degree courses. The Nepal Engineering College, for example, offers Master’s degree courses in Construction Management and Natural Resource Management.

On this page, we would be providing a list of engineering colleges in Nepal. This list would include both the private engineering colleges and government engineering colleges of Nepal. So far as we are concerned, the list is correct and updated. But if you come across any discrepancy, please do inform us. We would appreciate any such move that would improve the quality of the site.

[edit]List of Engineering Colleges

Acme Engineering College, Website : www.acme.edu.np

Advanced College of Engineering and Management, Website : www.acem.edu.np

Asian College of Engineering & Management,

Himalaya College of Engineering, Website : www.hcoe.edu.np

Himalayan Institute of Science & Technology (HIST), Website : www.hist.edu.np

Lumbini Engineering College,

Nepal Engineering College, Website : www.nec.edu.np

Pokhara Engineering College,

National Engineering College,

Everest Engineering and Management College, Website : www.eemc.edu.np

Institute of Engineering (IOE), Website : www.ioe.edu.np

Dhangadhi Engineering College,

Janakpur Engineering College,

Kantipur Engineering College, Website : www.kec.edu.np

Kathmandu Institute of Technology,

Kathmandu Engineering College, Website : www.keckist.edu.np

Eastern College of Engineering,

Paschimanchal Engineering Campus, Website : www.wrc.edu.np

College of Software Engineering,

Janakpur Engineering College,

Khwopa Engineering College, Website : www.khec.edu.np

[edit]List of universities in Nepal

This is a list of universities in Nepal. Prior to the establishment of the first college in the country, Tri-Chandra College in 1918, higher education in Nepal was nonexistent. Until 1985, Tribhuvan University had remained the one and the only university in Nepal. In the early 80s, His Majesty's Government developed the concept of a multi-university system for the country. One important assumption behind the concept was that each new university should have a distinctive nature, content and function of its own.

The first new university that was established was Mahendra Sanskrit University. The inception of this university was soon followed by Kathmandu University in 1990, Purbanchal and Pokhara Universities in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Many schools and colleges are run by private initiatives but none of the universities in Nepal are private.

B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences is the first and foremost Health and Medical University of Nepal, established in 1994 and upgraded to university in 1999.

Currently there are six universities in Nepal, and two institutions recognised as universities:

Tribhuvan University

Kathmandu University

Pokhara University

Purbanchal University

Mahendra Sanskrit University

Lumbini Bouddha University

Mid-Western University Birendranagar

Far-Western University Kanchanpur

Nepal Agriculture and Forestry University Rampur, Bharatpur

At present there are only five accredited universities operating in Nepal. Other four universities have been proposed for establishment but the government has not allocated the funds for universities and the issue has not been decided yet. Along with the four new universities, one more are supposed to be established in Nepalgunj.

[edit]Nepal Ranks 11th Among the Leading Countries of Origin for International Student in the United States of America

The number of Nepali students enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education increased from 8,936 to 11,581 in 2008/09 a 29.6% increase over the 2007/08 academic year, according to Open Doors 2009, the annual report on international academic mobility published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. Nepal ranks 11th among the leading countries of origin of international students, as it did the last year. In the academic year 2006/2007, Nepal ranked 13th among the countries of origin of international students. India tops the list with 15.4% followed by China with 14.7%.

This year's Open Doors report shows that the total number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008/09 academic year, and the total number now exceeds for the second year in a row what had been the prior peak enrollment year (2002/03), and is 14.5% higher than the number of international students in United States' higher education that year. Open Doors data show an even stronger increase in the

number of new international students, those enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university in Fall 2008. New international student enrollments rose by 15%, following on 10% increases in each of the previous two years.

According to U.S. Embassy Kathmandu's Counselor for Public Affairs Terry J. White, "America's nearly 3,000 accredited schools of higher education continue to attract new students in what is becoming a highly competitive international "market" around the world." The U.S. remains the preferred destination for students from Nepal who want to study abroad because of the quality and prestige associated with an American degree.

Another contributing factor is greater access to comprehensive and accurate information about study in the U.S. through EducationUSA advising offices in Nepal and an increased level of activity by United States colleges and universities to attract students from Nepal. Together with the U.S. Education Foundation in Nepal, we work to let Nepali students and their parents know that, with a little effort at guided research, an American education can be within their reach.”

Nepalese Education Situation

The population of Nepal is about 237,00,000. 40% of the population living below the poverty group,

and the average length of life is 60 years. The child mortality rate is (one years old or less) said 76

children per 1,000 births (The statistical data of 1998).

The adult literacy rate is about 30%, and is said to be only 15% among women. In the education

system, the government provides teachers and textbooks; however, the community residents must

pay for the construction of school. Therefore it is nearly impossible for poorer communities to build

their own schools due to their economic situation. In addition, there is an overall shortage of the

number of schools and the number of teachers, and the numbers of children enrolled in the

elementary education (elementary school) is only 60% of all boys, and 25% of all girls.

Reference material

Population: 236,988,421 people(1998 data)

GDP per person US$270

Compared to Japan, Gross National Income is 780:1, Exports are 820:1, Imports are 240:1, Tourism

revenue is 35:1, Energy consumption is 110:1

Population Structure (The data of 1998)Age 0-14 42%

Women 4,779,941 people

Men 5,087,855 people

Age 15-64 55%

Women 6,387,255 people

Men 6,655,865 people

Over Age 65 2%

Women 395,364 people

Men 392,141 people

Population Growth Rate: 2.52% (1998)

Birth rate: 35.66 births per 1000 persons (1998 data)

Death rate: 10.44 deaths per 1000 persons (1998 data)

Children's death rate (Less than one year old): 75.98 deaths per 1,000 births (1998 data)

Average Life Expectancy (The data of 1998)Total Population: 57.89 years

Men: 58.04 years

Women: 57.74 years

Literacy Rate (over age 15) (1995 data)Total Population: 27.5%

Men: 40.9%

Women: 14%

OccupationsWorkforce: Approximately 100,000,000 (1996 data)

Agriculture: 81%

Service Industries: 16%

Manufacturing: 3%

Ethnic StructureNewar, Tibetan/Burmese hilltribes, Northern Indian tribes, divided into Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa,

Chhettri and many other tribes.

ReligionHindu: 90%, Buddhist: 5%, Islam: 3%, Other 2% (1981 data)

LanguageNepali (Official language), 20 other languages and numerous dialects

Source: Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Since 1951, the country established an education system with free primary education to all children. In 2000, while the education was not compulsory throughout Nepal, the country was committed to providing free universal education from grades 1-10. Under the Ninth Five-Year Plan, compulsory primary education was implemented in five districts of Chitwan, Ilam, Surkhet, Syangja, and Kanchanpur with the policy of extending free compulsory primary education all over the country gradually.

Despite these strong commitments, in 2000, various estimates of literacy in Nepal placed the rates between 23 and 41 percent of the adult population with a large gap between male and female rates. The Central Bureau of Statistics has been collecting literacy statistics since the first census in 1952-1954. For the censuses in 1952-1954, 1961, and 1971, literacy was defined as the ability to read and write in any language. For the census in 1981, the definition was expanded as the ability to read and write in any language with understanding. For the census in 1991, the definition was further expanded to add performance of simple arithmetic calculations. However, no functional testing was done in collecting the data that is estimated to be inflated by 10 to 25 percent. In 1996, the literacy rates in the eastern development region were 54.20 percent for males and 29.57 percent for females; in the central region, 50.19 percent for males and 20.75 percent for females; in the western region, 58.24 percent for males and 32.82 percent for females; in the mid-west region, 46.94 percent for males and 17.60 percent for females; and in the far west region, 48.98 percent for males and 14.85 percent for females. These statistics point at the dismal situation of female literacy rates in Nepal, which are among the lowest in the world. The literacy rates also vary according to ethnic grouping. The economically advantaged high caste ethnic groups like Marwari, Kayastha, Brahmin, Thakali, and Newari have literacy rates between 60 and 95 percent. While lower castes such as Dhobhi, Dusadh, and Chamar have rates below 25 percent.

Primary education (grades one to five) typically begins at the age of 6 years and lasts until the age of 10 years. The second official level of education is the lower secondary level, which comprises grades 6-8 (three years). The secondary level is comprised of grades 9 and 10 (two years). The School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations

are held nationally at the end of grade 10. Since 1992, the higher secondary level of grades 11 and 12 has also been initiated primarily through private schools. The academic year typically starts in Srawan (July-August) when the government's financial year starts. The Nepali calendar year is based on Bikrami Samwat (BS), which is different from the English calendar. For example the year 2001 A.D. was 2057 BS until March 2001 and then changed to 2058 BS in mid March. There is some pressure to start the school year in Baisakh (April-May) to allow the tenth grade students to have one complete year before their SLC examinations. Education in grades 1-10 is free in Nepal and available to all. In 1996, the school system in Nepal had an overall enrollmentof over 4 million students of which 77 percent were primary students, 17 percent were lower secondary students, and 6 percent were secondary students. The language of instruction in public schools is in Nepali, which is the mother tongue of slightly over one-half of the population.

Nepal has a dualistic system of schools with both public and private schools. Education in private schools is expensive and typically affordable only by the elite. Most private schools have English as the language of instruction, and many also utilize computers in the curricula. In 1995, there were 3,077 private primary schools, 2,417 private lower secondary schools, 1,370 private secondary schools, 332 private higher secondary schools, and 132 private tertiary schools. At the lower secondary and secondary levels the numbers were proportional to the public schools.

Read more: Nepal - Educational System—overview - Percent, Schools, Secondary, and Private - StateUniversity.com http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1056/Nepal-EDUCATIONAL-SYSTEM-OVERVIEW.html#ixzz27ZEwA4ib

English in Nepali education system

 

  MAHABIR PAUDYAL

English in Nepali public school education system has traveled in fluctuating paradigms since it got formally imported in 1853. Its birth, growth and prescription has gone in parallel with the rise and fall of British imperialism in the South and the changing political parameters of home. There are interesting facts, politics of exclusion and nationalism embedded in its history. Although my concern to delve critically into the history of English education has often been marred by lack of documentation and accessibility of reliable resources, I have been able to establish the following sketch.

Though 1853 is generally considered the year when English education started in Nepal, English and its influence was trying to find an outlet here from much earlier. According to historian Baburam Acharya, “the Christian missionaries who entered Nepal in the early 17th century had made efforts to translate even the sacred Hindu scriptures and scripts (in English).” There were foreigners living in the Kathmandu valley before it was subjugated by the Prithvi Narayan Shah who was a strong anti-firangi king. After the triumph over Kathmandu valley, he is said to have expelled all foreigners from here. But this did not hold long. With the beginning of the colonial grip in the south, English had already arrived next door. But Bhimsen Thapa, another anti-English statesman, resisted it. With his power in decline, after the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, Britishers were allowed permanent residency in Kathmandu. A change now. Kathmandu denizens lived among English people but English education was yet 37 years away.

Though 1853 is generally considered the year when English education started in Nepal, English and its influence was trying to find an outlet here from much earlier.

This long resisted English education seeped in amidst very strange and complex political circumstances of the 1850s. Colonial power in India was enjoying its heyday. It had only been four years since Jang Bahadur Rana had annihilated the courtiers and assumed power in his hands. He had yet to tackle intrigues and voices of dissents from the durbar. In such a situation, it is interesting, how he succumbed to the fancy of making a visit to Britain. This visit, made in 1850, marks the importation of English. What struck Rana about English language is mystifying. There in London, he had

declined to eat from the hands of the English. He had observed strict Hindu codes and treated his English counterparts virtually as untouchables. It is strange that he who had thus “othered” the English people, should come back home impressed by their language. But he did not begin English education outright. He must have deliberated long over the consequences of introducing English education, for only in 1853, after two years of his arrival from Britain (1851), he arranged for two of the English teachers, Rose and Lord Canning from Britain, and had them teach his brothers and nephews on the ground floor of Thapathali Durbar. Like any other precious import, he kept English education confined to the clique of his family and relatives. For decades, hence, English education remained confined to the Ranas.

However, not all the royalties – the sole-intended beneficiaries – fared well. There is an interesting anecdote. In the entrance exam of 1880 held in Calcutta, Khadga Shamsher, Dhir Shamsher’s second son, had failed miserably. But those were the days! He was awarded medal by the-then viceroy Lord Rippon. That was the time when you would be awarded even for failure if you were a royalty.

Little can be said with certainty about curriculum and syllabus design of English as a subject since, until 1971, Nepal did not have an official body to administer and monitor school curriculum. The first SLC graduates of 1934 had to take examination of two English papers. In 1956, nine years after the Britishers had been made to quit India, National Education Planning Commission blighted English off from the school curriculum. 1956 Commission berated English as good for nothing. It wrote “The English schools have been described as a third-hand version of a system never designed for Nepal. The successful graduates are likely to find clerical employment with the government by virtue of their ability to read and write Nepali and English but much of the curriculum has no vocational value.” Again in 1963, the Panchayat government-funded National Education Committee prescribed English; one paper for lower secondary and two papers for SLC as compulsory subjects.

In what may sound strange, National Education system plan of 1971 again deleted English as a “compulsory subject” from the primary school curriculum (class I to III) and relegated its status to “one of the UN languages” as a compulsory subject in lower secondary and SLC curriculum. This time it was a single paper with 100 marks. And it did not necessarily have to be English. Call it coincidence or politics, 1971 is one of the

years of Panchayat heydays, which defined Nepali nationalism in opposition to everything foreign. From 1981 onwards, however, English has been kept as a compulsory subject in high-school curriculum.

Time has transfigured this history. The country that had less than 300 college graduates in 1950 now populates thousands of university graduates, unemployed though, with years of exposure to English education. English, which was once the language of rulers and elites, has now reached the mass from the urban locations to schools in the hills. It has become an indicator of “educatedness.” The English that once eluded, excluded and estranged Nepali people is one of my means to taunt and tame its origin. I have tried to own it and make it a part of my language game. This, for me, is more relishing than anything.

The education within Nepal has just recently been rising and continues to develop. With the help of several

international organizations, education system is being assisted. It is essential for the educational progress and

development to decrease the scarcity rate as well as to promote community improvement. Because of the damages

that the previous administration management imposed in their education system, Nepal’s government tries to undo

and make a superior proposition for education to be better. Before the modern education started in the country,

schooling had been restricted and only elite classes are privileged, while the rest of the people stayed mainly illiterate

and untaught. Then, when the new era was introduced, education was offered only to sons of the upper classes. Girls

infrequently received proper education.

At present, regardless of the establishment of an education structure in Nepal way back, government offered a

community school in which students receive regular government grants. There is also the presence of a school

managed by local people who are enthusiastic of having school on their vicinities. Though they do not receive any

grants from the government regularly, people are helping one another to support and manage so that their schools

will be identified as a real community schools.

Nepal’s education scheme is based on the outline of United States. The country served as a guide in forming Nepal’s

education curriculum. Grades 1-5 are considered primary education. Their main objective of teaching is for children to

read, write and do arithmetic. The secondary education, 6-8, stresses personality development and trains the

students for higher learning. For 9-10, upper secondary, serves as the stepping stone for the higher secondary level.

The classes 11 and 12 are both regarded as higher secondary. Education, science, humanities, and commerce are

the main courses for higher secondary. The Ministry of Education is in charge for the management and the direction

of school-rank education in the country. They recently formed the Department of Education, which begun its

operations in 2000, with its significant function of giving fair access to education, creating excellencies, internal and

external effectiveness improvement and making a growth-pleasant venture education.

The commitment for education broadens throughout the country. More improvement in all aspects of education as

well as for the encouragement of a knowledgeable and well-performance nation is what people are hoping and

looking forward to.