Nepal’s national education strategies have sought equitable access and high quality education for all primary children. Progress towards Education For All (EFA) was examined through secondary data using trend analysis with regard to access, participation, equity and exclusion at primary level. Original research investigated learning outcomes in basic reading and arithmetic using an Annual Status Education Report (ASER) type survey. Quantitative methods were used to isolate factors showing high association with access and quality of education. A first analysis employed the Ordinary Least Square method with univariate and multivariate levels of estimation of student performance at school level. A second analysis applied Logistic Regression (univariate and multivariate level) to estimate the key predictor variables at an individual student level. In both analyses the models were employed at three levels of significance. Findings showed inequitable or non-inclusive enrolments and substantial disparities in access and participation particularly in ethnic minorities. There are major quality concerns: from the ASER type testing the majority of rural primary school children were unable to carry out basic number recognition and computation or simple reading in the Nepali language. This was particularly the case for girls and those from the lowest economic quintile. At school level, factors of student attendance, student teacher ratio, textbooks, and school location were statistically significant in relation to learning outcomes, however teacher training and qualifications were negative beta coefficients. At individual level, student characteristics and family factors such as gender, parental education, annual income and parental support were the most important in relation to student performance. Large disparities persist between geographic regions and underserved social groups with a disproportionate impact on girls, the poor and the most vulnerable ethnic minorities. Major hurdles remain to secure satisfactory outcomes for all in primary education in Nepal and achieve the EFA goals of universal quality primary education by 2015.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:590891 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Ranabhat, Min |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10018264/ |
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