Seventy-eight-year-old Malgodami Badi never had the chance to attend school—not as a child, nor as a teenager. She had no desire to study, nor did anyone ever encourage her to do so. A resident of Shreegaun in Dangisharan Rural Municipality-6, Dang, she spent most of her life engaged in household chores. But today, not a single girl in her family, community, or among her relatives is out of school. In fact, girls in the Badi community now enjoy 100 percent access to education. “We didn’t know how to study, but now everyone goes to school,” she said.
Nirmal Nepali, a leader of the Badi community and a human rights activist, recalls that the community only began accessing education after the Education Act was passed in 1971. “We feel like the first students from the Badi community. We started going to school in 1978/79,” said Nepali, who is also a teacher. “Initially, just one or two of us went to school. Gradually, the message spread that the whole community should pursue education. Now, all children in the Badi community—especially girls—have 100 percent school access.”
Similarly, 70-year-old Suntali Kusunda from the endangered Kusunda community has never been to school. Illiterate and unable to recognize letters, she is now committed to ensuring her children are educated. “Reading and writing is difficult in the Kusunda community,” said 68-year-old Birma Kusunda. “I didn’t learn the alphabet, but I have educated my children up to secondary level.”
Until 20 to 25 years ago, Kusunda girls received no formal education. Today, however, most girls in this small community—consisting of 170 people in 36 households—are in school. Around 15 to 20 Kusunda girls have completed secondary education. According to Dhan Bahadur Kusunda, president of the Kusunda Society, political changes have helped raise awareness. “With increased awareness, our people now say that girls must be educated,” he said. Depending on their economic condition, Kusunda children now attend both government and private schools. “I’m 59 and have never seen a school from the inside. But all four of my children are studying, though they have yet to find jobs,” he added.
With these political and social shifts, girls are now actively participating in education, and the demographic makeup of schools has transformed over the years. Data shows that the retention rate of girls in schools is now higher than that of boys, and classrooms today have more girls than ever before. “Earlier, there used to be just two to four girls in a class—now, most of our classrooms are full of girls,” said teacher Dharmaraj Poudel.
In Lumbini Province, the changes in school enrollment levels have been especially notable. From basic to secondary levels, there are more female students than male students in public schools. “This is a pillar of change,” said Lumbini’s Minister for Social Development, Janamjaya Timilsina. He credits state policies aimed at ensuring no one is left behind in school education for this shift. “A few years ago, there were obstacles for girls’ education, but now those issues are largely resolved. This progress is essential for education reform,” he said.
National data up to grade 10 also supports this trend: there are 2,522,049 female students compared to 2,422,969 male students—a gap of nearly 100,000. Experts say this growth in girls’ education is driven by evolving social attitudes and the erosion of traditional barriers.
“The number of girls in public schools has surged over the past 10 years,” said Bhagwat Poudel, principal of Tulsipur Secondary School Center. “Fifteen years ago, you’d see more boys in classrooms. Now, it’s the opposite. Many factors have contributed to this shift.”
Parents’ attitudes have also changed significantly. “Even families from marginalized communities now believe their children should be educated, and they are sending them to school,” he added.
In 2004, there were 17 percent more male students than female students in Nepal. By 2024, that trend had reversed, with female students slightly outnumbering male students. However, a subtle disparity persists: while girls are often enrolled in public schools, boys are more frequently sent to private institutions. Ironically, the dropout rate among boys is now higher, with fewer boys than girls appearing for the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) in 2024.
