KATHMANDU, July 1: Nepal has made steady progress in school enrolment and exam participation, but a new government assessment shows that many students are leaving school without the knowledge and skills expected at their grade level, raising concerns about their future employment capabilities.
A 2023 National Assessment of Student Achievement (NASA), conducted by the Education Review Office (ERO) under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, found significant learning gaps among Grade 10 students across mathematics, science, Nepali, and English. The findings also reveal wide disparities by province, school type, family background, and access to learning resources.
The report shows mathematics remains the weakest subject. About 60 percent of students performed at Proficient Level 1 or below, meaning they failed to achieve even the minimum learning standards expected for Grade 10.
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ERO researcher and Education and Human Resource Development Centre Director Dr. Shyam Acharya said the findings point to an urgent need for targeted reforms in mathematics education. Compared with the 2019 assessment, learning scores improved by 4.83 points in science and 15.11 points in English, but Nepali declined by 1.28 points, while mathematics showed little overall improvement.
NASA Director Narayan Prasad Jha said the assessment covered more than 43,000 students from 1,800 schools in 76 of Nepal's 77 districts. Besides measuring academic performance, it examined how factors such as province, school type, gender, home language, parental education, ethnicity, distance to school, and household learning resources affect achievement.
The report found that 20.4 percent of students were below grade level in mathematics, 29.4 percent in science, 25.9 percent in Nepali, and 12.2 percent in English.
Private school students consistently outperformed those in community schools in all four subjects, despite years of government investment in public school infrastructure, teacher training, free textbooks, scholarships, and school meals. Researchers argue that classroom teaching quality has not improved at the same pace.
Regional disparities were also evident. Students from Bagmati and Gandaki provinces recorded the strongest learning outcomes, while those from Karnali and Sudurpashchim lagged behind. Rural students generally performed worse than their urban counterparts.
Home environment also played a major role. Students with educated parents, access to books, computers, internet, study space, tutoring, and regular homework support achieved better results. Children whose first language is Nepali also scored higher, while many non-native Nepali speakers struggled, particularly in writing and grammar.
The study highlights teachers as a critical factor. Students performed better where teachers regularly attended classes, managed classroom time effectively, provided feedback on assignments, and used digital learning materials.
Education experts warn that weak learning outcomes are no longer just an education issue. Students who fail to master basic mathematics, language, and science by Grade 10 are less prepared for higher education, technical training, and the labour market, limiting Nepal's future human capital and economic competitiveness.
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