Education Matters: Unmasking the Private School Myth in Nepal

In the first part of this series, I dissected the state of Nepal’s education system, highlighting the mounting challenges faced in recent years. I outlined the growing disillusionment with higher education institutions, the widespread lack of confidence among graduates, and the disturbing trend of underutilizing skills among professionals and students alike. As we move to the second article in this series, let’s pivot our focus to the highly debated realm of private school education in the context of Nepal, scrutinizing the acclaimed superiority of private schooling and investigating the reality behind the success myth. 

Private and Public Education in the Global Scenario
In the global landscape of public and private education, they differ widely in governance, financing, and autonomy. While public education is usually operated and funded by government bodies and adheres to state regulations, private education, often financed and governed privately, enjoys more freedom. However, they may also receive partial funding in many developed countries, agreeing to uphold certain government standards in return. The United States funds much less in private education (roughly 4% of public school expenditure) showing less public support for private education compared to nations like Switzerland (7%), Australia (10%), France (12%), or Belgium and Netherlands where private education is entirely publicly funded (National Center for Education Statistics). In developing countries like Nepal, private education is exclusively privately funded and often more profit-oriented than dedicated to specific educational, religious, or philosophical purposes. Hence, the role of private education varies worldwide, serving as alternatives to public education, maintaining particular traditions, or preserving cultural heritages of certain diaspora, etc. 

By the Numbers 
It is not a new thing for us to realize that our education is divided between public and private institutions at all levels, from elementary to higher education. According to the Economic Survey of Nepal (2022 and 2023) conducted by the Ministry of Finance, the World Bank, and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), the numbers paint an interesting picture. In the 2022/23 school year, there were a total of 40,656 K-12 schools in Nepal, which included 6,894 private schools. This indicates an increase from the 6760 reported in the previous year (2021/2022). The trend of privatization in basic education is becoming more prominent, as a little more than 25% of total primary school level students are attending private schools in the 2022/23 school year, compared to roughly 19% in 2019 and 16.6% in 2016. In comparison, the United States has a rate of 8.3%, the European Union 16.4%, and India stands at 45% (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

The landscape of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) presents a similar pattern. While the number of HEIs in Nepal has grown over the years, the oldest and the largest, Tribhuvan University, still accommodate approximately 80% of all Nepalese students (Economic Survey 2022/23; World Education News). 

The Lure of Private Schools 
Parents often choose private schools for their children out of fear. They worry about the quality of education in public schools, how society might view them if they don't send their kids to private schools, and their ability to prepare their children for a successful future. They're drawn to the image of high scores, well-dressed students, and orderly school environments. These concerns aren't just limited to one place but can be seen everywhere from China to Turkey, Russia, and even Europe.

At the core of this attraction to private schools is often a simple love for things that seem Western, especially the English language. All over Nepal, people think speaking English well means you're smart and powerful, which is a deep-seated bias in our culture. This idea keeps growing even though language, whether English or Nepalese, is just a way of communicating and doesn't directly show how much a person really knows about a topic. This situation is more about politics and power than actual learning, so we need to rethink how we judge the quality of education. Adding to this, when children of the country's elites, including those of many public school teachers, and the affluent attend private schools, it only strengthens the perceived value of private education. This perception often compels many hardworking parents, some even enduring harsh conditions in the Middle East, to strive harder to afford private school fees for their children. It's a misleading narrative that adds to the allure of private education, creating a cycle that is difficult to break. 

Questioning the Quality: Teacher 
Despite skepticism regarding their selection process, many public school teachers in Nepal are indeed qualified, working hard to earn their teaching licenses. Yet, their substantial involvement in political activities is concerning. A considerable number of these teachers, more political operatives than educators, further divide their attention between other primary occupations like farming, or business. A staggering number of national and local political leaders proudly boast of being teachers, indicating a persistent political influence in their professional journeys. This diffusion of focus compromises their educational commitment, negatively impacting not only students’ learning outcomes but also the overall school performance. Indeed, the troubling reality of some public schools not passing a single student in national board exams, coupled with society’s inclination to unfairly blame the defenseless students, highlights the profound misperception we harbor. Additionally, these teachers, especially those teaching pivotal middle and high school subjects like math, science, and English, often exploit the system through the unethical practice of private tutoring for additional, frequently excessive, fees. They strategically leave course content incomplete during regular school hours, instill fear of failing, and exert mental pressure on parents to pay extra for tutoring. This ethically questionable practice, prevalent in Nepal, further exposes the disconnect between our investment in terms of teachers in public schools and our expectations of the outcomes.    

On the other hand, teachers in private schools often initiate their teaching careers as a supplementary income source or as a strategy to develop skills that might aid their personal academic endeavors. This involvement is frequently transient, largely due to inadequate remuneration, and the dearth of professional development opportunities further exacerbates the lack of long-term commitment. Driven by relentless administrative pressure to complete the curriculum on time and ensure students’ success, teachers are compelled to adopt an authoritative approach that cultivates an environment of rote learning rather than critical and creative thinking. Consequently, classrooms in these institutions become akin to assembly lines where students are conditioned to regurgitate presented material instead of engaging in open, thoughtful discussions. This approach starkly contrasts with the teaching ethos of Socrates, widely embraced in classrooms across developed nations, which emphasizes nurturing a love for learning, rendering subjects meaningful and relevant, and empowering students towards a deeper, long-term understanding.  

Behind the Curtains of Private Schools 
The image of private schools in Nepal is considerably complex, if not entirely at odds with what many might assume. As a former private school teacher, I have witnessed first-hand the truth behind these institutions’ operations. An increasing number of these institutions in Nepal appear to be propelled not by a genuine desire to educate, but by a profit-centric model more akin to running a local grocery store. A distressing number of these school owners, or groups of proprietors, lack any substantive background in education, their focus rooted deeply in the financial aspects of the endeavor. This purely business-oriented approach leads to a questionable educational landscape that casts doubt on the integrity of these private institutions.

Commercial maneuvers, in these private schools, extend into every corner of school life. School-specific uniforms, badges, ties, belts, and even educational materials such as pencils are sold at high mark-ups, often directly from the principal’s office. The illusion of a rigorous curriculum is maintained to impress parents, often involving recommendations of seemingly tough books that the schools stand to gain from. To add insult to injury, even after parents have paid various fees, there is a regular imposition of additional hidden charges. These could range from library use to sports activities and beyond. These practices, in essence, transform education from a nurturing process into a cold business transaction, calling into question the quality of education provided within these walls.   

Decoding the Test Scores 
Nepal's private schools proudly brandish high test scores from assessments such as the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) as markers of superior quality education. However, it's imperative to dig deeper. These scores, often the products of rote memorization, fail to reflect the students' comprehensive understanding or their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world situations. The reality stands in stark contrast to more robust educational systems across the globe, which prioritize regular formative and summative evaluations that assess not only academic prowess but also practical applicability (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.; Haycock, Barth, Mitchell, and Wilkins, 1999). In these systems, the grade a student receives is a testament to their well-rounded competence.

In the Nepalese context, high test scores serve as a marketing ploy for private schools, masking an assessment system riddled with inconsistencies and bereft of scientific rigor. The dearth of understanding among educators regarding the significance and implementation of effective assessment strategies results in an exaggerated emphasis on test scores. This feeds into a culture of distrust towards public education and manipulates parents into transitioning their children from public to private schools, based more on an illusion of superiority rather than empirical evidence. Therefore, it's essential to see these test scores for what they truly are - not as unequivocal indicators of educational excellence, but as symptomatic of deeper systemic issues that require a more holistic and transparent approach to assessment.

The Widening Gap in Educational Equity 
The rising dominance of private funding in Nepal’s education system, paired with dwindling governmental support, is a cause for alarm. While overall education spending has experienced a slight increase in recent years, an unsettling shift becomes apparent when considering the sources of this funding. By 2015/16, a significant majority (56.3%) of all educational funds were derived from private households, as reported by the World Bank, and to a lesser degree, aid organizations. This highlights a concerning trend towards the privatization of Nepal’s education system. 

The bulk of these private expenditures are directed towards the school system, although tertiary education is increasingly affected as well. For example, institutions like Kathmandu University impose hefty fees (NRP 580,000 for a two-year MBA program; NRP 132,000 for a one-year master’s program in the Department of Education), creating a burdensome financial load on families. In a country like Nepal, where disposable income is exceptionally limited, these costs are beyond the reach of the overwhelming majority of Nepalese households. Despite most students enrolling in the publicly funded Tribhuvan University, and public school systems, the diminished levels of public spending, prove unsustainable in the long haul, especially in anticipation of larger youth populations entering the educational sector in future years. 

This shift towards privatization prompts questions about the accessibility, quality, and overall trajectory of Nepal’s educational framework. The concern of unequal access to education, the potential commodification of education, and the risk of quality being traded for profitability seem genuine from today’s venture point. 

Way Forward: A Holistic Approach to Education
Breaking free from the spell of the private school superiority myth requires us to confront what Carl Gustav Jung termed the collective unconscious—shared societal beliefs and perceptions that have been unconsciously accepted without critical examination. In the context of Nepal’s education system, this collective unconscious manifests as the unfounded notion that private schooling is synonymous with superior education, intelligence, and future success. To address this deep-seated bias favoring private education and its perceived association with prestige and success, the Government of Nepal should engage in a rigorous public discourse. Educational quality should be judged not on language of instruction or school type, but on the holistic development of the child, critical thinking skills, and the love for learning it fosters. 

As for private schools, more stringent regulations and oversight are required to curb commercialization and profiteering at the expense of quality education. The government must ensure that these institutions operate primarily as educational entities, rather than profit-centric businesses. This could involve introducing requirements for school owners to possess a background in education, go through varieties of training that highlight the importance of their expenses, and how to earn ethically while serving as educational institutions. In addition, a comprehensive review and reform of the assessment system is also of utmost importance. High test scores, often a result of rote learning, should not be misconstrued as a testament to superior quality education. The government should work towards developing an assessment system that emphasizes understanding, critical thinking, and practical applicability, in addition to already in use formative assessments and make them more scientific and effective. 

As for public schools, the government needs to recalibrate the scales of public education. This involves both confronting issues of quality and commitment in public school teachers and breaking the cycle of the allure of private education. Effective policies and monitoring systems should be introduced to limit teachers’ political involvement and non-educational distractions and enforce regulations against incomplete course instruction during regular school hours. Concurrently, substantial investment in public school infrastructure, resources, and teaching quality can make these institutions viable choices for all students. 

In the face of the private school myth, it’s crucial for Nepal to prioritize educational equity, quality, and accessibility over the appeal of prestige and profit. By challenging our collective assumptions, re-evaluating assessment systems, and reinforcing regulations, we can transform both private and public educational landscapes into environments that genuinely foster holistic development and lifelong learning. 

Thanks for your time, today. Navigating forward in our educational exploration, the next article, titled “Education Matters: Empowering Teachers”, will shine a light on the often-overlooked challenges faced by teachers in Nepal, unraveling the stigma associated with teacher education. We’ll delve into the factors shaping out the educator’s mindset and performance, proposing solutions that could catalyze a seismic shift towards an empowered, respected, and effective teaching force.