The past decade has been one of the most challenging periods for education in Nepal. Earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for long periods, and their impact is still visible in classrooms today. Although students are placed in age-appropriate grades, many are performing below expected levels in reading, writing, and basic mathematics.
During this time, many students also became highly familiar and confident with digital platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and mobile games. They are comfortable expressing themselves, creating content, and learning quickly through digital media. However, this confidence has not always translated into academic skills.
When schools reopened, teachers found wide learning differences within the same classroom. Many students struggled with basic comprehension and numeracy, showing that completing the syllabus alone is no longer enough. Rebuilding foundational skills has become a priority.
This calls for a shift toward progressive education, an approach that focuses on active, student-centered learning where students learn by doing, collaborating, and thinking critically rather than memorizing. It also recognizes that students today are already active digital learners outside the classroom.
The key is to connect this digital confidence to learning. The same ease students show in creating videos or engaging online can be used in classrooms through presentations, storytelling, group work, and project-based learning. Instead of treating technology only as a distraction, it can be redirected to support communication, creativity, and understanding.
In this approach, teachers move beyond delivering lessons to guiding learning, identifying gaps, and creating an environment where students feel confident to participate and express themselves academically as well.
The challenge is not only to recover lost learning but to redesign teaching in a way that builds on students’ real experiences and strengths.