Basic and secondary: Nepal's school levels explained
ECD, basic, secondary, SEE, grade 12. A plain-English map of how school education is structured in Nepal today.
Mero Vidyalaya Team · · 1 min read
Nepal's school system was restructured into two levels: basic and secondary. You will see both words on every school page in our directory.
Early childhood (ECD / pre-primary)
Before grade 1, children can attend early childhood development classes, often called pre-primary, nursery or Montessori. Many of Pokhara's institutional basic schools are exactly this kind of school; see Montessori and pre-schools in Pokhara.
Basic level: grades 1–8
Basic (आधारभूत) education covers grades 1 to 8. Not every basic school teaches all eight grades: in Pokhara some stop at grade 3 or grade 5, so check the grade span before you enrol.
Secondary level: grades 9–12
Secondary (माध्यमिक) education covers grades 9 to 12. Two national exams mark the way:
- SEE (Secondary Education Examination) at the end of grade 10
- The national grade 12 examination, which replaced the old "+2" system
Many secondary schools in the directory list their grades as "1–12" or "1–10". Those are schools that run from the start of basic level through secondary.
Quick reference
| Level | Nepali | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Early childhood | प्रारम्भिक बाल विकास | Before grade 1 |
| Basic | आधारभूत | 1–8 |
| Secondary | माध्यमिक | 9–12 |
Ready to look? Browse secondary schools in Pokhara, or start with basic schools.
