School Reading Skills Improve Slowly in Nepal

School-Level Reading Skills Improve Slowly, Grade 3 Mathematics Shows Progress

The government of Nepal has stated that improvement in reading skills at the school level has been slow. According to the Economic Survey 2082/83, the national average score for Grade 3 reading skills stands at 44.9.

The survey states that reading skills improved by only 1.4 points compared to 2020. However, mathematical learning achievement in Grade 3 has reached 50.2 points, which is 13 percent higher.

At the provincial level, Gandaki Province performed best in both reading and mathematics. The survey states that the situation in Madhesh and Karnali provinces is comparatively weaker.

Regarding Grade 5 learning achievement, only 22 percent of students achieved the minimum learning achievement in mathematics in 2022. In Nepali, 51 percent of students achieved the minimum achievement, while the figures were 53 percent in science and technology and 44 percent in English.

Earlier, in 2018, 28 percent of students had achieved the minimum learning achievement in mathematics, while 45 percent had achieved it in Nepali.

Mathematics has also appeared as a weak subject in Grade 10 results. According to the 2023 report, only 40 percent of students achieved the minimum learning achievement in mathematics. The figure was 46.2 percent in Nepali, 49.9 percent in science and technology, and 70.6 percent in English.

Similarly, in fiscal year 2081/82, an assessment of 430 community secondary schools in five districts found that 342 schools were at a normal level, 86 schools were at a medium level, and 2 schools were at a weak level. Among the districts assessed, schools in Ilam were found to have the best level.