Students flock to Kathmandu for post-SEE education

By Samikshya Thapa,Lalitpur, July 30: Ujjwal Dharkatuwa, a grade 11 Management student at Kathmandu Model College, left his hometown, Bardiya, in pursuit of better education. He completed his SEE from Little Heaven English Academy in Gulariya. 

Bardiya did not offer Hotel Management courses at the +2 level; most institutions only had Computer Science, he said. "That's what led me to capital," He added.

Top Colleges across the Kathmandu Valley assert that Science remains the most preferred stream, followed by Management. Meanwhile, there is growing interest in Humanities and Law as well.

According to the principal of Kathmandu Model College, Nagendra Aryal, students come to the college from all 77 districts, but the majority are from Lumbini Province. In the +2 programme, there are about 4,600 students, out of which 3,700 are studying Science.

He added, “We have yet to complete our data analysis of this year, but last year, half of the students came from the Kathmandu Valley, while the other half came from outside.

Aashika Adhikari, a grade 11 Management student at Prasadi Academy, also left her hometown, Pyuthan, to pursue her +2 in Kathmandu Valley. She completed her SEE from Kalika Secondary English Boarding School, Bijuwar. 

Aashika said that since her sister completed her +2 studies in Kathmandu, she was inspired to follow her sister's path.

According to the principal of Aadarshila Academy, Ganesh Giri, for the past few years, the number of students coming to Kathmandu for study from outside the valley has increased while those from inside the valley have decreased.

At the college, Management is the most preferred stream among students, with Science coming next. 

He added, “Maximum students in our college are from the western region -- Dang, Pyuthan, Butwal, Baglung -- and some are from areas near the valley, like Nuwakot and Dhading.

“No parents want their children to live far away from them, but they insist on coming to Kathmandu, saying it will help them build a better future. So we can’t hold them back,” said Basanta Adhikari, whose daughter is studying Management in Lalitpur.

She added, “My elder daughter studied in Kathmandu, and my younger daughter too wanted to study here. I would have been worried if they had to stay in a hostel or rented rooms, but since they stayed with our relatives, I feel relieved.”

Ujjwal and Aashika are among the many students migrating from outside Kathmandu Valley to pursue +2 education in the Capital.  According to educators, nearly 50 – 60 per cent of +2 students in the valley are from outside the valley.

Students are not only prioritising Science and Management for higher education, but are also giving importance to Humanities and Education.

The growing demand for diversity in the labour market and emerging job opportunities in non-technical fields have drawn students toward these streams.

Educationists say that, in recent times, students’ interests are diversifying across all fields. Although Humanities and Education have traditionally been viewed as second-tier streams in Nepali society, students today are making their choices with greater awareness and long-term career prospects in mind, according to them.

(Thapa is an intern at TRN.)