Nepal, Oct. 24 -- Despite spending Rs 2.67 billion on teacher professional development over the past four years, Nepal continues to struggle to improve students' learning outcomes, with national assessments revealing widespread gaps in basic skills, particularly in mathematics.

Although the government has been implementing various programs to enhance teachers' professional capacity and improve students' learning, the expected results have yet to materialize. Findings from the National Assessment of Student Achievement (NASA), conducted by the Education Review Office under the Ministry of Education and Sports, show that a large proportion of students continue to fall below minimum learning standards.

Only 22 percent of Grade 5 students ...