Educational Practices in Nepal: Critical Analysis

(Focusing on school level teaching and learning practices)

Yogendra Chapagain

Mr. Chapagain has been working at KIRDARC Nepal Mugu as a project officer leading its
education department. He has master degree in education from TU Nepal. In addition to that, he
is also doing master degree in Rural Development. He has already published various articles
and books on education and its issues in several national and local papers. He has more than 5
years' working experience on educational fields as the different positions. Moreover, he has
educational experience of different areas of the country i.e. eastern, mid- western and central
development region. He is reflective, analytical and critical educational practitioner.
Through this armed chair study that takes place through reviewing literatures, own experiences
and critical/reflecting thinking, he has critically dealt with current school level educational
practices in Nepal concentrating on practical scenario not only but also presented its
consequences on society and ways for ensuring quality education in Nepal.
Education, which is a key layer of sustainable development, is arguably one of the most
ubiquitous elements in lives of societies. It is taken as catalyst for positive societal change, social
justice and peace. In all inclusive societies, all citizens have equitable opportunities to access
effective and relevant learning or quality education through life delivered through multiple
formal, informal and non -formal situations. The universal declarations of human rights has
overtly presented that everyone has right to education. It should be free at in basic education.
Technical and professional education should be made general available. It has also expressed that
education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and strengthening of
respect for human rights and freedom. It should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship
among all nations, racial and religious groups. Likewise, our Interim Constitution 2063 has also
emphasized on education as the human rights. In the present context of the Nepal, education has
to play supportive role in the reconstruction process of the country. It has to play the pivotal role
in making peaceful, progressive, equitable and modern Nepal.
Many voices of the society, at the present period have strongly emphasized on quality education
and improvement of learning practices. Although various governmental and non - governmental
agencies are also restlessly working on quality education focusing on making education technical

and vocational in Nepal, situation has not changed that they anticipated. Why? Many
educationists and practitioners are searching its answer.
Performance/ quality/result/ of the public school including its various aspects is beyond the
imagination in term of poor performance. Many Medias and stakeholders are raising
issues/problems poor educational practices in Nepal. School level educational practices in Nepal
that we often observed and noticed are overtly and critically analyzed as the following way:
Banking education system: Nepali education is suffering from narration sickness. In
our context, teacher- student relationship inside and outside the school has seen as
narrative involving one
narrates something and
another listen what s/he
has narrated. I want to
called Nepali education
system
as
narrative
education system which
has an outstanding feature
is sonority of the words
rather transforming the
power/narrative
relationship, in which the
teacher only talks reality as
the motionless, static,
compartmentalized
and
predicable. He expounds
on topic alien to the
existential experience from
the students. From my
experience, the main task of the Nepali teachers is to fulfill the students with content of
his narration detached from reality, disconnected from totality. Let us take the instance
form gross-root level, 'SIX TIMES SIX IS THIRTY SIX, RAM IS A RATIONAL
PERSON, and THE HEADQUARTER OF EASTERN REGION IS DHANKUTA.' From
the perspective of critical eyes, Nepali students record, memorize and repeat these
phrases without perceiving what SIX times SIX really mean, realizing the true meaning
or significance of the HEADQUARTER, EASTERN and REGION, RATIONAL in the
affirmation of human is rational person, the headquarter of eastern region is Dhankuta
respectively. Thus, education in Nepal is seen as the act of depositing (banking modality)
where the teacher as seen as depositor or investor and students as
depositories/banks/collections. Degree of learning rate depends up on how
depositor/investor can deposit. It clearly indicates that Nepali education system has lack

of creativity and transformation power apart from them individuals cannot be truly
human. We cannot anticipant the new Nepal from such traditional and out dated learning
system called banking modality of learning system. Such modality never provides
students to think critically and social change and transformation never takes place in
society. That's why, key stakeholders and educationists should think on empowering the
students through putting them at the center position of learning.
Small budget: Fund on education allocated from government of Nepal is small in
comparison to other countries. In the fiscal year
2014/2015, Nepal government has allocated
13.92% targeting the aims of increasing access to
vocational and technical education or making
existing school level education system vocational
or technical out of total budget but in the last year it
was 15.65%. It clearly shows that education which
is often understood as all forms of leanings that
induce in the lives of people better livelihood
possibilities that give more choices and chances in
relation to their counties is less emphasized.
Apportioned budget on education of this fiscal year
also dont match with its policy of
supporting/working
on
making
education
vocational and technical as we cannot imagine such conducive learning atmosphere from
very restricted budget.
Teacher absenteeism: Another salient
feature of Nepali school level education
system is rate high of teacher absenteeism.
Based on my experiences, teacher
absenteeism is seen in schools due to the
different key reasons: early departure and
delay returns for and after the vacation (
popular in geographically difficult areas) ,
involvement in farming (especially in the
context of remote areas), poor teacher
management ( not empower to enforce
attendance regulation), involvement in
secondary occupations, involvement in
various trainings, workshops along with
various
administrative
and
nonadministrative tasks of school, engagement in the activities/programs of various political
parties and teachers' unions along with non -governmental agencies. Without teachers,

what kind of support and guidance can students take in the process of making their
learning meaningful?
Popularity of equality over equity: Education is the chief vehicle of social justice. It
plays the vital role in providing
different opportunities (social,
political, educational and other)
to community people through
discouraging any typological
exploitation in society. That's
why; equitable practices on
education areas should be
endorsed. In Nepali education
system, we see popularity of
equality over equality. What the
concept
is
that
Nepal
government
is
providing
educational opportunities to all
the students throughout the
country ignoring their aptitude,
attitude,
previous
learning
experiences,
social
norms/philosophy and school based scenario since Nepali education system is running in
rigid, controlled and top down approach rather bottom up approach. Is justifiable for
providing equal educational opportunity (in both curriculum and competition perspective)
for the students of Karnali region and Kathmandu? Are the level (learning experience and
aptitude) of students from Kathmandu and Mugu same? How can a bramin rural child
compete with a child who was born in Kathmandu Valley? Of course not. In Nepal
school level students does not have opportunity to construct knowledge or to learn based
on their own learning and aptitude level, interest and skill.
Focus on basic education over ECD: Basic education over ECD education or
program is primarily focused in Nepal. It is outdated concept which is still popular in
Nepali education system. As we review the
literature of educational system of developing
countries,
we
notice
that
ECD
program/education where 2/3-4 years' children
are preparing themself physically, mentally,
emotionally for basic education, is primarily
focused. It can be the best tool for bring quality
education in Nepali education system for it
helps to minimize the drop-out rate and

repletion rate. In addition to that, ECD period is a true foundation stage of human
development and 90% of human brain is developed in it. So, why are we focusing
primarily on basic rather than ECD education? Why does Nepal government allocate
small amount on ECD education? It should be think on its benefits seriously for preparing
Nepali students for global competition.
Administrative supervision over clinical and pedagogical: Now days, pedagogical and
clinical supervision is popular in the areas of education through-out the world. Many
countries are practicing such kind of supervision for bring quality in education or making
learning process meaningful. Under this supervision process, supervisor has to do the task
of supervision from the perspective of supervisee. He has to conduct his supervision task
from its modern principle of democratic, flexible, professional, creative, scientific and
philosophical in order to bring changes in teaching and learning practices. In Nepal, task
of school supervision is assigned to RPs and School Supervisors called as BINI.
Although various acts and guidelines have clearly presented the task of RPs and BINI as
a school supervisor is to provide the pedagogical/technical support (here the term support
means providing any support for teacher from objective formation process to evaluation
including providing model class) for teachers and students aiming to bring improvement
in learning process/scenario or maintaining quality education in school, their focus goes
on administrative rather pedagogical. Based on my collaborative experience with them,
they are very much interested to order to teachers, to inspect school administrative things
and to conduct various governmental educational programs. They never want to involve
in providing subject specific or general modal classes to the teachers due to the lack of
specific knowledge and skill. What sort of support can secondary level English/math
/science teacher anticipant from a general RP having poor academic background and lack
of specialized knowledge on these subjects or inexperienced BINI?
Malpractices of CAS and liberal promotion: Continuous Assessment System (CAS)
is one of the modern way of assessing students' skills, knowledge or performance and
competence. CAS which is closely associated with formative evaluation has objective of
involving students in achieving
goal of curriculum through
conducting
effective
and
meaningful teaching and learning
practice. Putting it another way,
its ultimate goal is to evaluate
student
learning
progress
immediately and freely without
pressuring tension on them.
Some of the purposes are: findout what students know and can
do, gain diffident in what we say

out student know and can do, provide all children with opportunities to show what they know
and promote learning for understanding, improve teaching. Teacher has to evaluate his/her
students based on the five criteria: class participation/work, attendance, project work,
behavior change and creative work under his/her subject daily. Then, students should be
awarded or upgraded to next class based on the marks or performance on this process. But
almost all Nepali teachers are taking the very beautiful concept/policy of CAS and LP, which
has been implementing from grade one to seven, in wrong way. They take this concept that
students should not be failed in final examination. They are passing/upgrading their students
without adopting/adapting any tools/activities of CAS in-side and outside the classroom in
the name of CAS without achieving the learning target/objectives of that level by students.
Then, how can experience better result of those students in upper level? Here, CAS and
liberal promotion in basic education level is seen as one of the crucial factor for declining
quality of education Nepali Public schools.
Punishment and teacher dominated learning practices: Several modern learning
theories have suggested child-friendly atmosphere in schools. They have also presented
the view of putting students as a center
of learning. Nepal government has also
said that a school has to provide a
conducive
or
suitable
leaning
environment
to
learning
and
development of the students' inherent
potentialities. In addition to that, it has
also said that children should receive a
safe
and
healthy
environment
physically, mentally and emotionally,
curriculum should be prepared based on
the students' learning experience,
aptitude, and interest, they should be
encouraged in learning with any kind of
discrimination, physical, corporal and
mental
punishment
are
totally
prohibited. Through developing national framework of child-friendly school for quality
education. But the reality is different .Different kind of brutal activities like inflicting
corporal punishment, sexual abuse of students are greatly increasing in Nepali academia.
Various typological events related to punishment and teacher dominated practices are still
being published in printed and non- printed media equally, even if our national
framework has clearly mentioned the provision of child-friendly atmosphere in schools.
Then, how can we ensure quality education in Nepali public schools without creating
child-friendly atmosphere from objective formation to evaluation process. Is developing a
national framework of child-friendly without its implementation sufficient for quality
education? Of course not.

 Political influences: We cannot find the element of society where politics does not
affect. In every activities of the society,
politics plays minor or major role in its
decision making process. In Nepal
similarly, education areas are not free
from political involvement. Some of the
academic and non-academic persons are
using academic areas as the platform for
being a politician. They are not only
involving in directly and indirectly in the
activities of different political parties and
also ignoring rules/regulation, laws,
policies of government in the support of
their political part or leader. They are
doing corruption, involving in secondary
occupation in the school working period and not taking classes in name of drinking blood
of their supported parties in connection with favorable RPs or DEO. In this context,
nobody can initiate the task of punishment for them. Then, how can public students
compete with private school students? It is a serious and popular factor that is visibly
affecting quality education in Nepal, through-out the schools of country.
Weak school management and administration: SMC, PTA and head teacher are the
front liner agents of overall management of the school. Undoubtedly, quality education of
school depends on its management and administration team. Capturing this modern
concept, Nepal government is empowering, enforcing and encouraging them for bring
quality education on school. If we say
without any hesitation based on the real
experience, they dont have good
managing and administrative skill. In fact,
one of the reasons behind decreasing
quality of education in public school is
weak
school
management
and
administration because of lacking skill,
attitudes and support on SMC team. They
don't have any kind of ownership and
dedication
on
their
roles
and
responsibilities. Changes only can take
place whenever there is a sense of
ownership on them. Experience on Nepali
school has also proved that active
participation and co-working with them is

a key successful for ensuring quality on education. How can we see the changes in
teaching and learning practices of schools without thinking the future of children from
the parents or SMC/PTA?
Vocational education for all school level students: In development countries,
vocational and technical educational is primarily focused from school level curriculum.
All people of such countries have access
to such type of education system. But the
reality is different in Nepal. Government
is planning for adapting the school
structure into two ways/dimensions:
general, and vocational and technical,
even if now a day's general education is
popular through-out the countries. Nepali
school level children don't get
opportunity to learn vocational/technical
subjects based on their pace, need,
interest, learning level and aptitude. So
there is no provision of vocational and
technical education in school level all
over the countries yet (without few
sampling schools). As we observe the condition of subject of occupation and profession
included in general education, we can be shocked for Nepali teachers are teaching such
subjects theoretically or lecture method. Let us take a incident, Govinda, a teacher of
rural area of Nepal teaches computer subject without any computer. School selected this
subject under occupation subject, even if there were no any computers in school. This is a
symbolic representation of all schools of Nepal which clearly shows the condition of
vocational education in Nepal. To the point, Nepali school level children don't have
access to vocational and technical education.
Market disoriented system: Educational system or curriculum for any level is
developed based on the market demand
or situation of the society through
situational analysis in many developed
countries. So the product/outcome of
education is demandable in any parts of
the society. Recently ILO has published a
report which has clearly mentioned that
Nepali education system is not
occupation/employment friendly. Nepali
students are unable to joining in any
occupations in the society, if they have

passed degree/documents. Educated unemployment rate is high in Nepal. This situation

overtly presents that Nepali education system is not market oriented or
occupation/employment friendly.
Top down modality over bottom up: In development countries, overall educational

process (curriculum development) starts from bottom up approach. What it means

is that whole education system is designed based on the gross-root scenario
(analyzing factors of students, teachers, management team, market demand,
norms, values and philosophy of the
society. In such type of modality,
educational system is not same
through-out the countries but it has
similar features. Whole curriculum
process i.e. determining and
formulating aims, goals and
objectives, selecting and organizing
the
content,
selecting
and
organizing teaching and learning
activities (method and techniques),
way of evaluating the students' competence and performance is determined based
on the gross root scenario. It may vary from school to school or one to region to
another. Undoubtedly, this modality is very important, essential and appropriate
for brining changes in school learning practices. But Nepal is adopting outdated
modality in education system. Here, education system (organization, practice and
policies formation process) which is directly determined and controlled by key
people who are in the center and power is rigid and same all over the countries.
Then, how can we see the change and innovation in Nepali public schools.
From our critical point of view, currently practicing educational system has great impact on
society. Is this system favorable for change/development/transformation of the Nepali society?
Critical leaders and educationists believe that it has negative impact on society. My critical eyes
have also seen following impact of Nepali education on society:

High rate in aboard study:

High unemployment rate
Criminal practices and social injustice
Slow motion of social change and development
High psychological pressure (frustration and feeling inferiority)
Unable to utilize societal resources (due to the lack of skillful and technical manpower)

Educated person become uneducated (lack of skill and no long time memorization of
learning thing)
Crackdown of human rights

In order to ensure the quality education in Nepal, we have to adapt/adopt the following
ways or ideas. Bottom up modality: Whole educational system primarily curriculum
development process and policy formation process should be based on analyzing societal,
teachers, students and schools factors. Beside this, there should be the development and
effective implementation of ADEP. What it means is that every DEO has to develop an
annual district level education plan based on national policies and planning in
coordination with other institutions who works in education areas. It doesnt only ensure
duplication of governmental and non- governmental activities, it also plays vital role in
making educational system relevant and arouses interest on students to learn. Eventually,
we can see the changes in education practices of Nepali public schools. )
Empowering students: We can ensure this through putting them as center of learning
process and maximum implementation of the Child Friendly Framework developed by
Nepal Government. Putting it in a simple way, teachers have to plan, design and conduct
teaching and practices based on centering students' factors. Thus, every teacher has to
maxim of empowerment while delivering their instruction.
Educating whole Child: From my previous working experience, I know that reform
initiatives are unlikely to be succeeded unless the schools address all interacting
dimension of students' lives. In order to educate whole child, our learning practices
should primarily be concerned on four areas:(1)child should be healthy and have to learn
about and practice a highly(social, intellectually, morally, emotionally and physically)
lifestyle (2) Students Should be given an opportunity of learning in intellectually and
critically challenging environment that is physically and emotionally safe for them. (3)
Students should be provided a plate form to participate in active learning that is
connected to border society (4)Students should be provided a self- learning opportunity in
where the teacher role can be facilitator rather resource person.) Undoubtedly, the
optimally healthy student is more likely than the less healthy student to succeed in
school. In addition to that, social and emotional learning (SEL whereby children develop
essential social and emotional skill, attitude and knowledge related to self-awareness, decision
making process, relationship skill, social awareness and self- management) should be used as a

key means for ensuring educating whole child. Our Nepali teachers have to understand
this crucial idea and practice them in their teaching class for sustainable development of
the society.

Development of DLJMM and EN: To order to bring change in Nepali public schools,
DLJMM i.e. district level joint monitoring mechanism and/ EN i.e. educational Network
should be established in each district. All stakeholders such as different representative of
non-governmental agencies, reporters, intellectual person, civil society, and so on should
be participated in these mechanism. And every month, they should be involved in
comprehensive discussion on the progress/activities/initiations of each institution/groups
along with issues/problems that they collected and encountered at the time of joint
monitoring. Moreover, they have to visit schools for the purpose of monitoring in an
individual and group way. It may be best tool for dealing with educational
issues/problems seen in schools.
Clinical and/ pedagogical supervision:
Vocational and technical education
Feeling ownership and responsibility
(it is in ongoing .not completed and edited
version)