Radio Guru is an innovative free radio education programme broadcasting the highest quality pre-recorded lessons to tens of thousands of Nepal’s school-age children. The programme aims to boost grades of students, especially for those preparing the School leaving Certificate (SLC). This is the compulsory exams taken by Grade 10 students before completing high school. If they do not pass, then they are not able to continue their education, and the national pass rate currently stands at below 50%.
Radio education has been shown to improve the grades of those at school but, equally importantly, it gives those out of school a chance to participate and learn. There are many barriers to a student receiving a quality education in Nepal. Teacher training is weak and frequently teaching posts are partially or entirely under-resourced. Many families cannot afford the costs of schooling or loss of labour on the family small holding.
Those students who attend urban schools have better access to resources and often better teaching. This programme seeks to even the gap between urban and rural students, by having teachers from the best private schools in Pokhara write lessons in English, Nepali, Science, Maths, Additional Maths and Social Science. The broadcasts are scheduled for one night of the week, lasting half an hour and are broadcast in the evening to ensure the widest possible audience.
In July 2016, our volunteers conducted a survey into the reach and impact of the Radio Guru project. If you’ like to see what they discovered, check out our updates page.
