School Enrollment: Not Proficient Enough in English for Grade 1

One of the ways many private schools in Nepal try to mask the poor quality of education they provide: say that the education their school provide is better than other private schools. So, they require transfer students to take an admissions test and -- lo and behold! -- the child is found lacking in some academic areas and suggested to repeat the year (grade)!

Continue ReadingSchool Enrollment: Not Proficient Enough in English for Grade 1

Old Habits Die Hard…in Nepali Public Schools

In most government (public) schools in Nepal, children are taught to memorize and regurgitate materials from a really early age, like second grade. One of the ways the children do that is by reading aloud, a practice that harks back all the way to the days of Aryan-Sanskritic education system prevalent in the Indian Subcontinent long before the modern system of education was introduced. Here's an example.

Continue ReadingOld Habits Die Hard…in Nepali Public Schools