Future of Community Schools in Nepal

Constitutional Right to Education

The Constitution of Nepal ensures every citizen the right to compulsory and free education up to the basic level, and free education up to the secondary level. This provision enables children from low-income and marginalized families to access education.

It contributes to reducing child labor, improving long-term socio-economic conditions, combating corruption, promoting social development, advancing gender and ethnic equality, and supporting overall national progress.

However, its successful implementation requires sufficient resources, quality education management, and economic sustainability.

Geographic remoteness, social awareness levels, and poor household income further complicate the situation. Relying solely on the status quo will not allow the state to manage these challenges effectively.

It is essential to find practical and cost-effective measures that bring real improvement without adding a financial burden.

School Establishment and Population Decline

Many schools in Nepal were historically established not based on local necessity, but due to political competition for votes. At that time, this was considered natural as the surrounding areas were more densely populated.

Today, however, rural settlements have experienced significant depopulation for various reasons. Children of school-going age are few. We frequently hear news about extremely low student numbers in schools.

In many secondary schools, only 100 to 150 students attend the SEE exam from 10 to 12 schools combined. This clearly indicates the very low enrollment at each school.

In basic-level schools, the number is even lower. As student numbers decline, the government's investment is being underutilized, while academic competition among students also decreases, leading to a deterioration in educational quality.

Lack of Qualified Teachers and Urban Migration

In many schools, there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Either the government cannot provide sufficient teaching positions, or the available positions remain unfilled.

This results in students being deprived of qualified educators, leading to declining academic standards. Consequently, even financially struggling parents are compelled to leave their villages and relocate to nearby towns for better educational opportunities.

As a result, villages are becoming increasingly deserted, and farmlands remain uncultivated, which in turn pushes the state into economic hardship.

Need for Immediate Action

The government must act promptly to address these issues. It is necessary to assess the number of students and teacher positions at basic and secondary schools and develop a plan to merge schools based on student numbers and distance, in coordination with local governments.

The report submitted by the parliamentary sub-committee on the School Education Bill 2080 has recommended such measures. These include relocating schools, merging them, reducing grade levels, or even closing them.

School selection must consider infrastructure, distance between merged schools, population density, and road access. Former school buildings can be used as staff housing or student dormitories.

Merged schools would benefit from better infrastructure, qualified staff, and improved academic quality without requiring extra state investment. Additionally, surplus teachers can be redeployed elsewhere, reducing the financial burden on the government.

Better Use of Existing Resources

Expenses saved from maintaining multiple underused schools can be used for:

• Teacher housing

• Student dormitories

• Transportation for students and staff

• Educational tours

The remaining school buildings can be repurposed for:

• Agricultural training centers

• Skill development programs

• Special education classrooms

• Health training centers

• Community-focused programs

Role of Institutional Schools and Political Bias

Debates in parliament and political circles about institutional schools often appear to be driven by populism and vote-seeking rather than real educational reform.

Many political leaders appear to believe that advocating for institutional schools is misguided and that community schools alone deserve support.

It is estimated that private educational investors in Nepal have invested over six hundred billion rupees—more than one-third of the country’s annual budget.

According to the 2081 report from the Center for Education and Human Resource Development under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology:

• Out of 35,447 total schools:

  • 26,103 (73.6%) are community schools

  • 8,149 (23%) are institutional schools

• Among 7,010,808 total students:

  • 4,642,729 (66.22%) are in community schools

  • 2,368,079 (33.78%) are in institutional schools

• In terms of academic staff:

  • 147,444 are employed in community schools

  • 91,279 are employed in institutional schools

Quality assessment shows institutional schools consistently outperform community schools.

Budget and Economic Implications

The average student-to-school ratio is:

• 178 in community schools

• 291 in institutional schools

Based on this, with an education budget of NPR 211 billion for FY 2082/83, the per-student cost comes to NPR 45,447 (slightly lower if ECED students are included).

If this same amount had to be allocated for institutional school students, the government would need an additional NPR 107.62 billion annually in operational expenses alone.

This data clearly indicates that institutional schools make a significant contribution to the state.

Misguided Policies and Future Outlook

Institutional school operators and teachers often face discrimination, such as being denied training opportunities. Despite their financial hardship, many parents still choose institutional schools due to the perceived poor quality of nearby community schools.

Treating parents who send their children to institutional schools as “privileged” and penalizing their children by withholding future state services is unfair.

Instead of targeting institutional schools, the government should be thankful that they help shoulder its responsibilities and provide employment.

Institutional schools should be recognized as part of the national education system and regulated under national standards.

The goal should not be to dismantle institutional schools, but to upgrade the standard of community schools so that they become every citizen’s first choice. If this happens, the question of why institutional schools displaced community ones will no longer arise.

A Constructive Path Forward

Let us not dismantle institutional schools to uplift community schools. Instead, focus on improving community education through cooperation rather than conflict. The education-related budget speech of the Finance Minister for FY 2082/83 and the acknowledgment of the role of institutional schools are both commendable.

Key Statistics:

Note:

This content is based on the article written by Dr. Krishnakanta Parajuli.