Surkhet, Feb. 24 -- Karnali Province's education system is facing a deepening crisis, marked by declining learning outcomes, poor Secondary Education Examination (SEE) results and chronic teacher shortages, even as political candidates continue to repeat long-standing pledges of education sector reform.

Official data from the Ministry of Social Development shows that Karnali's literacy rate stands at 76.1 percent. The gross enrolment rate in early childhood development is 77.80 percent, while the net enrolment rate at basic level (Grades 1-8) is 97.09 percent. However, the net enrolment rate at secondary level (Grades 9-12) drops sharply to 42 percent. The student retention rate in Grade 1 is 97.3 percent, but the average learning achiev...