The growth, roles and needs of the private education system: Private stakeholder perspectives from Nepal

Private schools have grown substantially, especially in lower income countries, due to perceptions of government failures and increased availability of private schools in many price ranges. This paper uses administrative records, and primary survey and interview data from private school principals and officials in Nepal to provide local-level private sector stakeholders’ perspectives on the sector’s growth, and their roles and needs of the private system. It finds that private schools have flourished in Nepal, albeit with substantial contextual variation. It finds that private schools in the sample were often started for employment and investment opportunity, and with social motivations. The stakeholders suggest that they contribute heavily to the education system, but are also frank about their shortcomings. At a systemic level, private sector stakeholders desire stability, less hostility, more monitoring and an assessment of their needs and challenges as they also educate citizens. Analyzing local-level private school characteristics and functioning will help governments understand private schooling diversity, successes, challenges and feasibility of regulations.