The relationship between education and the state has always been a complex one. Authoritarian states believe that educated citizens with critical thinking pose a threat to those in power by questioning authority. Until the end of the Rana regime, access to education for the general public was limited. The literacy rate at the end of the regime was only 2 percent in a deliberate effort to deprive citizens of education.

Monarchical rule significantly influenced access to education based on caste. Except for the ruling class, the upper caste (specifically the Brahmins) had a comparatively greater say in shaping educational values. During the Panchayat period, textbooks were selectively crafted to produce a homogeneous, hyper-masculine “brave” national narrative, erasing much of Nepal’s history.

In 2001, school management was decentralised to local communities through the 7th amendment to Nepal’s Education Act, 1971. The implementation faced challenges from unclear roles, the rise of private schools and the Maoist insurgency. The current education system in Nepal faces three major challenges: Neglected public schools, excessive politicisation of the education system and widespread corruption.

Neglected public schools

As of 2024, Nepal has approximately 35,447 schools, and 74 percent of students are enrolled in public schools. Yet, they remain underfunded and overcrowded. In contrast, private schools serve only 26 percent of students but dominate urban areas and key capital formation sectors, exposing a distribution inequality. Over half of community schools have less than 100 students. Furthermore, the results of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) in recent years reflect this entrenched rot. In 2024’s SEE, 52.14 percent of students were “non-graded,”meaning, they had failed.

These figures are not mere statistics; they signal a systemic collapse. Public schools are highly saturated, with one teacher expected to teach hundreds of students, making meaningful learning nearly impossible. Continuous assessment considering factors like the change in demography, internal migration and school levels is required to understand the current needs of public schools.

Excessive politicisation

Over the past two decades, teachers’ unions have been the most influential actors in school governance. Although the Education Act restricts school teachers from holding political posts, according to central-level leaders of teachers’ organisations, nearly all of the almost 300,000 teachers working in Nepal’s community schools are affiliated with political parties. The nexus between teachers’ unions and political parties is crucial to grasping governance issues in Nepal’s school education. When a teacher’s union is affiliated with a party, the party’s interests influence school politics, resource allocation and regulatory oversight.

In the academic year 2022–023, 18.5 percent of community schools experienced delays in establishing school management committees due to political interventions. Many large-scale protests are repeatedly staged by teachers, the most recent being in 2025, affecting millions of students. Education has been politicised for so long that it has only created leaders who have no morality and citizens who do not hold their leaders accountable. This has created a never-ending generational loop of excessive politicisation in all sectors of Nepal.

Corruption

Nepal’s education sector, like every other sector, is plagued by corruption at all levels, from primary schools to universities. In FY 2023–024, education-related complaints comprised 15.79 percent of all complaints at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, the second highest among all sectors. To name a few cases, 124 local governments spent Rs2.80 billion on midday meals without any attendance records, while 143 municipalities disbursed Rs32.5 million in unverified teacher salaries, and Rs16.91 million in scholarships were misused across 134 local bodies. Higher education in Nepal is not free from this trend. At Purbanchal University, several deans were charged with accepting bribes and misusing Rs400 million in construction funds.

Corruption is not just limited to public schools. Private schools, too, are plagued with it. Private school owners in Nepal are thriving because of political affiliation, unregulated fees and corny capitalism. As per a few calculations based on the National Living Standard Survey of 2022-023, sending a child to a private school costs Rs57,588 annually, 10.45 percent of an average household’s income and nearly 19 percent for poor households. This affects Nepal’s education system, especially for the marginalised. Sadly, this high fee largely remains unchecked and unquestioned.

When education is more of a privilege than a right, it affects social mobility and inclusive participation. As per research by the Nepal Economic Forum, corruption in private sector education goes unquestioned. This is observed in foreign-affiliated universities in Nepal. Most colleges were operating without ministry approval by leveraging legal loopholes.

Need for nuanced reforms

Nepal’s education system has failed to produce leaders with democratic values and citizens with civic consciousness. It has enabled rent-seekers and populists to capitalise on a failed education system. Politicians, the education industry, bureaucrats and businessmen can take undue advantage of a failed education system. This will be costly for our education system. When education becomes a tool for generating profit, the public’s trust in the education system erodes. Low learning outcomes will then affect human capital formation and social progress.

Tragically, Nepalis have been constantly deprived of quality education. Generational deprivation of quality education has led to a lack of a concrete foundation for national progress. Meaningful education is more than just words and concepts floating around; it is a tool to understand ourselves as individuals and to question the various inadequacies of society.