Inequality of participation in Nepalese higher education: A critical conceptual model of educational barriers

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model for examining the unique factors contributing to the gendered inequality of post‐secondary educational participation in Nepal.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual/theoretical paper aims to apply and potentially critique the dynamic model of educational inequality offered by Lynch and O’Riordan to the context of Nepalese post‐secondary educational inequality. The authors hope to use the current model, developed through an exploration of data from a developed country, to further understanding of the forces maintaining educational inequality in the developing world.

Findings

The constraints from Lynch and O’Riordan's model are all important forces that impact educational persistence for girls and women in Nepal. However in order to fully examine the complexity of barriers imposed on girls in persisting through the Nepali educational system, the case has been made to add both geographic and political facilitators/constraints to the model. By creating a model that includes these forces, researchers and policy makers can proscribe change that is more holistic.

Research limitations/implications

By constructing models that accurately reflect the real conditions present in developing countries, we can truly begin to find solutions to disparities in educational access and attainment.

Originality/value

This paper contributes both an examination of barriers and stratification in Nepal's higher education system while also developing a model for examining post‐secondary education systems in developing nations. It also provides some understanding of why Nepal has fallen behind its peers.

Citation

Witenstein, M.A. and Palmer, B. (2013), "Inequality of participation in Nepalese higher education: A critical conceptual model of educational barriers", Asian Education and Development Studies, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 162-176. https://doi.org/10.1108/20463161311321439