Private schools gain ground as public enrollment falls

Government school enrolment in Nepal is steadily declining as private schools expand, driven by demographic change, migration, and rising preference for English-medium education.

RUBY RAUNIYAR

KATHMANDU, June 5: Student enrolment in government schools has been steadily declining in recent years, while private schools continue to expand their share of the education market, reflecting a clear shift in parental preference and broader demographic changes.

The trend is driven by a combination of factors, including a falling birth rate, rural-to-urban migration, changing parental aspirations, and growing concerns over the quality of public education.

According to data from the Ministry of Education, the distribution of students has shifted noticeably in just one academic year. In the 2025/26 academic session, 62.2 percent of total students were enrolled in government schools, while 37.8 percent studied in private institutions. In 2024/25, government schools accounted for 66.7 percent, compared to 33.3 percent in the private sector.

This reflects a 4.5 percentage-point decline in government school enrolment, mirrored by an equal rise in private school participation.

Currently, Nepal has 27,010 government schools nationwide. Despite steady increases in education spending, concerns remain over whether rising investment is translating into improved learning outcomes. The government allocated Rs 211 billion for education in the current fiscal year, which has been raised to Rs 218 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.

Before the political changes of 1990, most parents enrolled their children in government schools. However, the liberalisation of the education sector after 1990 opened space for private investment, intensifying competition and expanding schooling options.

Educationist Vidyanath Koirala says private schools gained an edge by offering English-medium instruction and a perception of better quality education, which gradually weakened the appeal of Nepali-medium government schools.

In response, some public schools have begun adopting English-medium instruction in recent years, resulting in localized increases in enrolment. However, this shift remains uneven, and most government schools still lack such facilities.

A five-year review of basic and secondary education shows a clear structural shift. Government schools have lost approximately 800,000 students, while private schools have gained around 400,000.

In the 2019/20 academic year, government schools had 5.4 million students compared to 2.1 million in private schools. In 2020/21, the figures stood at 5.2 million and 2.2 million respectively. By 2021/22, government enrolment had dropped to 5 million, while private schools rose to 2.3 million. In 2022/23, government schools fell further to 4.8 million, while private schools increased to 2.4 million. By 2023/24, the numbers stood at 4.6 million in government schools and 2.5 million in private institutions.

Overall, government schools’ share of total enrolment dropped from around 72 percent in 2019/20 to 62.2 percent in 2025/26, while private schools rose from 28 percent to 37.8 percent.

Educationist Koirala attributes the overall decline partly to a falling birth rate, which has reduced the school-age population. He also points to large-scale rural-to-urban migration, noting that families relocating to cities often prefer private schools, leaving rural government schools increasingly under-enrolled.

According to him, this trend is also affecting rural private schools, many of which are struggling with shrinking student numbers.

Heramba Raj Kadel, Principal of Viswa Niketan Secondary School in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, says that despite increased government investment and trained teachers, public schools have failed to win parental trust.

He argues that private schools have strengthened their appeal through English-medium instruction, extracurricular activities, and perceived better management.

Kadel also highlights an emerging pattern: many parents enrol children in private schools in lower grades but shift them to government schools in higher grades to access scholarships. This has contributed to declining enrolment in upper grades of private schools.

He suggests the government should focus on merging under-enrolled schools, redistributing teachers, and improving overall quality rather than only increasing investment.

Rita Tiwari, Principal of Padma Kanya Secondary School in Dillibazar, Kathmandu, links the rise in private schooling to the expansion of the urban middle class and growing preference for English-medium education.

She says her school has recently received a significant number of students from the Sudurpaschim region, reflecting wider internal migration trends.

According to her, many students from rural areas are moving to Kathmandu in search of better opportunities, with Padma Kanya increasingly enrolling such students, particularly girls after Grade 10.

Tiwari also notes that positive perceptions of scholarships and education quality under the Kathmandu Metropolitan City have encouraged more students from across the country to join public schools in the capital.

As public schools face a shrinking student base, the government has begun implementing structural reforms, including school mergers, teacher redistribution, and institutional restructuring to improve efficiency and resource use.