Getting in, Dropping out, and Staying on: Determinants of Girls’ School Attendance in Nepal

Abstract

Ethnographic research was carried out in 1997-98 to identify factors that determined school attendance among Nepali women in the Kathmandu Valley a generation ago. Findings indicate that gender, caste, poverty, cultural prejudice, and rural residence prevented a majority from going to school. Of those who went, most, regardless of academic talent, were pulled out in order to work at home, as wage laborers and domestic servants, or to enter arranged marriages. Only a small minority made the decision to leave school themselves. The article contributes to the study of schooling and gender in South Asia. [school attendance, gender, caste, Nepal, social change] The gender gap in school attendance in South Asia is greater than anywhere else in the world and is as enduring a form of social inequality as poverty

Gender Discrimination in Education Expenditure in Nepal: Evidence from Living Standards Surveys

“…Therefore, they conclude that traditional indicators of development had little impact on discriminatory educational outcomes. LeVine's (2006) ethnographic study of Nepal examines the determinants of school attendance of girls and the reasons behind their dropping out of school. The study finds that since the 1990s, profound socioeconomic transformations have led to a more equitable attitude of parents toward their children's education, although girls were still less likely to complete their education or attain higher education because of marriage.…”

Unravelling adolescent girls’ aspirations in Nepal: Status and associations with individual-, household-, and community-level characteristics

“…While these findings may suggest a limited influence of household and the community factors, girls from the upper caste/ ethnic group, however, had higher odds of aspiring to study beyond class 12. This association mattered more for older girls, and relates to the fact that while secondary school enrolment is now the norm in Nepal, the most disadvantaged girls still face barriers to education [73]. This finding stresses the importance for programs to prioritizing girls from socially-excluded groups vis-a-vis education investments, as well as understanding and addressing socio-cultural barriers that hinder girls from lower caste/ethnic groups to aspire to higher education.…”

Feeding practices of pre‐school children and associated factors in Kathmandu, Nepal

“…This is in accordance with the study carried out by Cunningham et al (27) which showed that the educational level in Nepal has substantially progressed during recent decades because the net enrolment rate in elementary education has increased from 66.3% in 1999 to 97% in 2016. Likewise, female participation in educational attainment has also increased dramatically (28) . This phenomenon can be observed globally as the role of women has changed over the last decades (29) .…”