Nepal’s
Ministry of Education and
Sports was established in 1951 and oversees all aspects of education
in the Kingdom of Nepal. There are other government agencies responsible for
administering and supervising education at the different levels, but all report
to the ministry.
Prior
to 1951, schooling in Nepal was reserved primarily for elite groups and the
royal family in Kathmandu and other urban areas, and served just 250 students.
Political reforms in 1951 opened access to schooling and participation rates
have risen exponentially since then, but still remain low relative to other
countries in the region and globally.
The
government has committed to achieving the goals
of UNESCO’s Education for All initiatives that would see all
students of primary age accessing good quality primary education by 2015. There
are now over 34,000 primary and secondary schools in the country, nine
university-level institutions with over a 1,000 colleges and affiliated
campuses.
Internationally
Mobile Students
Considering
that Nepal is a country of just 26.5 million people (Census: 2011) with about
one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line, it is somewhat
surprising how many Nepali nationals travel abroad for higher studies. According
to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, there were over 24,000 Nepali students
studying overseas in 2010 (Global Education Digest: 2012), up from approximately
17,700 in 2008.
The
major contributing factors to the outflow of students to foreign countries are
a perceived lack of quality in domestic institutions, a shortage of places at
the best institutions, political instability and the politicization of
university campuses, and a lack of merit-based job opportunities for university
graduates. Many Nepali traveling abroad to study are influenced in their choice
of destination by host country immigration and workplace laws, as often they
need supplemental income to help fund their education and, due to a lack of
jobs in Nepal, are looking for post-graduation employment opportunities as
routes to future careers.
Recent
changes to student visa regulations in major destination countries, in
combination with the global economic downturn, has led to a reduction in the
number of Nepali students heading abroad – especially to countries in the West
– in recent years, according to indicators from the Ministry of Education. Anecdotal
evidence from Nepali-based recruiting agencies suggests that students are
increasingly looking at study options in neighboring India and China as cheaper
alternatives.
In
the United States, Nepal ranks as the 11th largest source of international
students with close to 10,000 students enrolled in a program of higher
education in the 2011/12 academic year, according to the Institute of
International Education’s most recent Open
Doors report. However, this does represent a significant drop from a high
of over 11,500 students in the 2008/09 academic year, with current numbers being
propped up to a certain degree by those engaged in a year (or more in STEM
fields) of Optional Practical Training (OPT).
Among
the Nepali student body in the United States, the top fields of study over the
last three years have been business and management, physical and life sciences,
and engineering. Historically, graduate students have made up less than 30
percent of the U.S.-based Nepali student body, although overall graduate
numbers have held steady over the last four years while undergraduate numbers
have dropped.
Structure
of School Education in Nepal
The
school system in Nepal consists of primary, lower secondary, secondary and
higher secondary education, lasting a total of 12 years (5+3+2+2). Basic
education lasts eight years, with a five-year primary cycle and a three-year
lower secondary cycle. Students take a further two years of schooling at the
secondary level, which concludes with the School Leaving Certificate
(SLC) Examination, required for admission to the upper secondary level. Upper
secondary schooling is a further two years, which is undertaken within the
school system or through a similar certificate program offered at universities.
From
2009, the government of Nepal has been implementing a School Sector
Reform Program (SSRP: 2009-15), which aims to restructure school
education by better integrating the various levels into basic education (grades
1-8) and secondary education (grades 9-12), in hopes of boosting school
retention rates and overall enrollments. A vocational stream at the secondary
level (from grade 9) is also being introduced under the new system, which will
enable students on a vocational track to enter tertiary education after
completing an additional one-year bridge course. The SSR program has resulted
in significant improvements in access to primary education, with knock-on
effects in participation rates at the secondary and upper secondary levels.
Types
of School
There
are three main types of secondary schools in Nepal: community schools,
institutional schools, and higher secondary schools. Community schools are
usually run by the government or a community. Institutional schools are often
referred to as ‘private’ schools. Both community schools and institutional
schools cater to primary and lower secondary students, whereas only higher
secondary schools provide education at the higher secondary level.
Diploma
courses of three years, equivalent to higher secondary education, are also offered
by colleges under the Council
for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT). Colleges also
offer SLC-level certificate programs of between one and two years. CTEVT
curriculum details are available here.
Improving
School Participation Rates
Since
the 2008-09 academic year, the net enrollment rate (NER) in primary education
(ratio of relevant age group in primary education) has increased from 91.9
percent to 95.1 percent (2011). Overall, primary enrollments increased from
4,030,000 to 4,782,000 between 2004 and 2011, while lower secondary enrollments
increased from 1,444,997 to 1,812,690 over the same timeframe. The NER at the
lower secondary level has increased from 57.3 percent to 70 percent since 2008.
At
the secondary level (grades 9-10), total enrollment in 2011 was 848,569, up
significantly from 587,566 in 2004, while at the upper secondary level (grade
11-12) enrollments grew from 280,447 in 2009 to 353,338 in 2011. The NER
between 2009 and 2011 has increased from 40.8 percent to 52.1 percent at the
secondary level and from just 6.8 percent to 9.4 percent at the upper secondary
level. However, it should be noted that the gross enrollment ratio (ratio of
enrolled students of all ages as a percentage of total relevant age group) for
students at both secondary levels is significantly higher, which suggests a
large enrollment of over-age students at those levels.
Higher
Secondary Curriculum
The
higher secondary curriculum consists of 10 compulsory and optional
subjects, each worth 100 marks. Students take five subjects each year,
generally studying the same three optional subjects over the two
years and one additional optional subject for one year. Results from
grade 11 and 12 studies are combined to obtain a final mark out of 1000.
There
are three compulsory subjects, which generally include English and Nepali, with
just one of these being studied for the full two years. Students can choose
their remaining seven subjects from a list of approximately 40 optional
subjects in four streams: Science, Management, Humanities, and Education.
The
Higher Secondary Education Board Certificate is awarded in one of
these four streams. The Science and Management streams are the most popular,
and the Education stream is the training program for lower
secondary school teachers. The Higher Secondary Education Board is the supervising and
awarding body.
Access
to Higher Studies
The
Higher Secondary Education Board Certificate provides access to university
studies, in addition to a range of vocational training programs.
A pass
in the Higher Secondary School Certificate is the minimum academic requirement
for admission to degree programs. Many programs require a minimum overall
mark of 50 percent, as well as 50 percent or better in specified subjects.
Entrance to most programs is competitive, and may also include an interview.
Tertiary
Enrollment Patterns
According
to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics’ Global Education Digest, there were
377,000 students enrolled at the tertiary level in 2010, an increase of 88,000
students versus 2009 (289,000), and an increase of 122,000 students versus 2008
(255,000). Nonetheless, the gross enrollment ratio at the higher education
level remains well below the South and West Asia average of 17 percent (GED:
2010) at approximately 10 percent (UGC estimate: 2011). Of the total tertiary
student body in 2010, 59 percent were attending private institutions.
Ministry
of Education figures for pass rates in the SLC, taken at the end of grade 10,
also show steadily increasing numbers of students qualifying for higher
secondary studies, which in turn suggests an increasing pipeline of university-ready
students. In 2006, 113,020 students passed the SLC (out of 294,216 – 38 percent
pass rate) and this jumped to 259,916 successful candidates in 2010 (out of
427,051 – 62 percent pass rate).
Types
of Institutions
Universities
Established
in 1959, Tribhuvan University is the oldest institution in Nepal and enrolls
nearly 90 percent of the total student population through its five institutes,
four faculties, four research centers, and 878 constituent and affiliated
colleges spread out across the country.
Four
other universities were established in the 1980s and 1990s: Nepal Sanskrit
University, Kathmandu University, Purbanchal University, Pokhara University.
Three other universities – Far-Western, Mid-Western, and Agriculture and
Forestry – are currently being established to help meet student demand.
Additionally,
there are three other university-level institutes and academies under the
purview of the University
Grants Commission (UGC). These are: B.P. Koirala Institute of Health
Sciences, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Patan Academy of Health
Sciences.
More
information on university-level institutions, their affiliated colleges,
academic offerings and enrollment numbers is available from the UGC’s latest
annual report.
Technical and Vocational
Technical
and vocational education in Nepal is provided by both public and private
institutions, and offered under the purview of the Council for Technical and
Vocational Training, established in 1989.
Technical
schools and polytechnics offer a mix of short- and long-term training programs.
Tribhuvan
University offers diploma level programs in technical fields, and some of the
newer private universities also offer diploma programs accredited by the
Council through their affiliated campuses.
Higher Education
There
are three stages to higher education in Nepal: bachelor degree, postgraduate
diploma and master degree, and doctoral degree.
In
addition, sub-degree proficiency certificates are offered at most universities.
They are considered equivalent to upper secondary awards and offer access to
higher studies. However, these are being phased out under current reforms.
Undergraduate
Bachelor
programs vary in length from three to five years depending on the field.
Arts,
science, commerce, education and social sciences are usually three-year
programs, and law is offered as a three-year graduate entry program.
Engineering,
pharmacy, agriculture and business administration and information
management are four-year programs.
Architecture
and law are five-year programs. Medicine, veterinary science and animal
husbandry are all 5.5-year programs.
Program
lengths may vary by university, but academic transcripts typically state the
normal duration of each program.
Graduate
The
graduate diploma requires one year of full-time study after a bachelor degree.
Most
master degrees require two years of study after a bachelor
degree, and usually in the same area of study.
Professional
master degrees are based on a professional bachelor degree in the same
field, and are most commonly offered in medical fields.
Doctoral
Doctoral
programs are usually a minimum of three years, typically including coursework
subjects on research methodology and some specialized subjects, with
approximately two-thirds of the time devoted to a research thesis.
Grade
Conversions and Documentation Requirements for Credential Evaluation
Please
see the WES Grade Conversion
Guide for details on Nepal degree classification equivalencies, and the WES Required Documents page
for WES documentation requirements for Nepali credential evaluations.
Quality
Assurance
Nepal
is in the nascent stages of developing a formal quality
assurance process. The UGC has initiated the process of establishing a
National QAA Board and a draft act was submitted to the ministry in 2011.
Conclusion
Access
to education at all levels has widened significantly in Nepal over the last two
decades; however, the education sector as a whole continues to face problems
related to underfunding, lack of quality and politicization. The government is
working to address these issues, but progress is oftentimes slow.
Due
to a general lack of capacity and quality in the tertiary sector, many Nepalese
students seek educational opportunities abroad, which has made the small
mountain Kingdom an appealing destination for universities recruiting in the
region. While the United States remains the destination of choice for a
majority of internationally mobile Nepali students, it has declined in
popularity in recent years due to a tightening of visa and immigration laws. As
a result, budget-conscious Nepali students are increasingly looking at study
options in neighboring China and India, in addition to other affordable
countries.
