Kathmandu, May 17: Nepali students are migrating abroad at an alarming rate. Over 100,000 students moved abroad for education purposes in 2023. Based on the data of the branch of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, No Objection Certificate (NOC) over 110,000 students applied for the certificate.

The craze for overseas study is not only among college students, even those who appeared in the School Education Exam (SEE) in April this year have dreamt of flying overseas for higher studies.

Krischal Pokharel, a student who appeared for SEE in April said “Quality education, global exposure, employment opportunities, and prospects of better living standards make me go abroad for education."

Abhishek Baskota, a recent SEE attendee, said, “My father wants me to go abroad but I feel Nepal is equally capable of providing good education. I feel there are a lot of business opportunities in Nepal.”

Although schools and higher education institutes in Nepal are trying to show the youths that the education system is improving and that going abroad is not the only option, the exodus of students has not stopped, leading to brain drain and lower student enrollment rates in local campuses.

Surendra Malla, Head of Department of Social Sciences, Thames International College, said that courses like IT and Psychology have seen a good increase in students but lack of job assurance deters students from pursuing education in Nepal.

He added, “The purpose of education can vary based on nations, but education should be more practical based and job-oriented. Our university graduates struggle to find jobs in the country."

Due to the exodus of students, the colleges of Nepal have witnessed a sharp decline in enrollment rates. Parishwar Acharya, Vice Principal of ACME Engineering College, said that the number of students in his college is declining annually. He said, “Our college has been witnessing a decline of 10 per cent in enrolment every year.”

He added, “The exodus of students is a very concerning matter. If this continues, schools and colleges of Nepal will suffer heavily. The nation will also be affected because of this.”

Students often complain that Tribhuwan University does not publish results on time and that curriculums are outdated.

Megha Tshering Shrestha, a fourth-year BA student, said, “Our results never get published on time. We took board exams around June-July and got our results only after a year. It adds unwanted pressure and burden. It would have been better to go abroad after completing high school.”

Researcher and Sociologist, Dr. Ishwari Bhattarai said, “To present Nepal as a better place for further studies, the government needs to invest more in quality education and research along with job opportunities. Updating the outdated curriculum, investment in quality teachers, infrastructure improvement, collaboration among educational institutions within Nepal and abroad, student exchange programmes, and incentivising students in teaching and research are necessary.”

Dr. Bhattarai also mentioned that the Nepali education system has not been able to mix theoretical and practical knowledge.

“The curriculum for many courses and degrees has not been updated/revised for long. The access to quality education is out of reach for a large number of students, especially to the students belonging to poor and socially marginalised groups.”

He added, “A large number of Nepali schools and colleges face lack of infrastructure, shortage of quality teachers, and outdated curriculum. While some of the countries that are considered best in education system prioritise quality teachers, student-centered learning, and innovative teaching methods, we lag behind them.”

Due to the sharp decline in student enrolment rate lately, colleges affiliated with Tribhuwan University are either terminating their programmes or running classes with just five to 10 students.

“The number of students has declined sharply in our campus in recent years, said Om Bahadur Rayamajhi, Reader of Sanothimi Campus, TU.

Published on: 17 May 2024 | The Rising Nepal