UNICEF Innocenti 26d ago

Nepal has made remarkable progress in education, with nearly all of its 8 million children now enrolled in school. This achievement spans diverse communities, from remote mountain villages to bustling plains, where more than 100 languages are spoken. Yet access alone is not enough. Two‑thirds of grade three students cannot read Nepali, and by grade five, only half reach expected reading levels. Without foundational skills, children struggle to learn other subjects, and only one in five completes a full education cycle. The Data Must Speak (DMS) initiative – a partnership between UNICEF and Nepal’s Ministry of Education, together with its Centre for Education and Human Resource Development, the National Examinations Board and the Education Review Office – seeks to understand the behaviors and practices of ‘positive deviant’ schools or those that outperform others despite operating in similar conditions. These schools show higher learning outcomes, longer student retention, and greater equality. Researchers analyze existing data to identify such schools, then examine the practices that make them effective. Findings reveal that in positive deviant schools, strong leadership, supportive head teachers, and adaptive teaching methods are key. Teachers adjust lessons to student needs, foster inclusive classrooms, and build positive environments with simple practices like daily greetings. Insights on how to scale these practices are integrated into education plans and shared at a community level, nationally and globally – helping other education systems scale what works. Co-created with policymakers, development partners, academics, and communities, DMS demonstrates that data-driven solutions can transform learning – because every child deserves the best start in life.