Education in Nepal

 

     I have been doing some research in regards to my student's home country of Nepal. I know a lot about our education system in the United States, and I know my student was able to go to school during his time in the refugee camp in Nepal, but what I didn't realize is the quality of education and the literacy in Nepal.
      Nepal is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. The average life expectancy is 61 years old and 90% of Nepalese live in a rural community. The
 public education and Nepal's Ministry of Education and Sports was not founded until the year 1951. Hence Nepal's education system is very new. Education levels in Nepal are very low, and only 1/3 of the population has received formal schooling. While primary education is free, the government schools are often inadequate and overcrowded. To add to this many communities have cultural practices that are against sending children to school. This practice is most specifically aimed at girls, who leave school by the age of 12. Basic education is considered 8 years long which includes primary and lower secondary education. The enrollment in secondary schools is less than 35%. 
     Literacy in Nepal is not very high either. Among adults only 53.7% are literate. Of Males who are over 15, 65.1% are literate and females over 15, only 34.5% are literate. There is obviously a huge gap between males and females.


source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Ed. Timothy L. Gall and Jeneen Hobby. Vol. 4: Asia & Oceania. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. p714-720.

A primary school at a Bhutanse Refugee Camp in Nepal

   S told me a little about his school in the refugee camps. He said it was made out of mud and straw, and they had wooden benches and desks to sit on. S told me how the teachers were very strict. He talked about how the students were expected to memorize the Periodic Table of Elements and the Multiplication tables, as well as the spelling of scientific words like "Mitochondria." If the students did not memorize them, they would be punished. S said this was why he was so good at spelling "Mitochondria" He remarked how easy the teachers in America were, and how no one was ever punished for spelling something wrong.