Connecting Classrooms: developing effective learning in Nepal; insights into school leadership, teaching methods and curriculum

This publication on developing successful schools in Nepal provides on-the-ground insights into curriculum, pedagogy and school leadership. Through case studies from researchers, teachers and practitioners within the country, alongside reviews of the research literature from international academics, the reader comes away with a deeper understanding of the opportunities, challenges and best practice unfolding in the Nepalese school system. The publication opens with a chapter on core skills in the curriculum and moves on to four main chapters covering: employability skills; international perspectives on learning; what works in school leadership and attributes of school leaders. Finally, nine grassroots case studies are presented from classrooms in Nepal and Asia, drawing on the authors’ findings and with recommendations for the future. The publication can be read both as an inspirational handbook for school leaders wishing to drive improvement for staff and students, and as an information booklet for the interested observer. The insights and recommendations embedded in its pages reflect a committed endeavour by both practitioners and researchers to drive for better outcomes for Nepali students. More than ever, digital literacy, critical thought and confidence in both local and international contexts are being touted as crucial capabilities, a call heightened by the context of the global 2020 pandemic. School leavers are being required to adapt to virtual employment practices and find innovative ways to break into difficult labour markets, for which researchers assert they need a high-quality, challenging education which prepares them to make their mark in a rapidly changing world.