Kathmandu, March 17

Education experts today said lack of competent leadership and the absence of reward and punishment system for teachers were the main reasons behind the poor performance of community schools.

In an interaction program organised by CANPOY Nepal in the capital today, educationists urged the government to reevaluate resource allocation and its outcomes in public education.

Teach for Nepal CEO Shisir Khanal said majority of the students in public schools were from marginalised communities.

Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association chair Motikala Subba Dewan opined that learning activities in community schools could not be improved until textbooks being used by them were not updated timely. “Most of the students of community schools left the classes during the farming season”, she said.

Joint Secretary at Ministry of Education Baikuntha Aryal said the funding gap between private and public education was also widening the gap between private and community schools.

“Per student expenditure in private schools is two times more than community schools,” he added.

Principal of Rato Bangala School Shanta Dixit said teaching should result in behavioural change among students. World Educations’ country director Helen Bernadette Sherpa said politicisation of school management committee was a major reason behind the poor performance of the community schools.