Where our Nepal families are
Smartious Nepal families concentrate across Kathmandu (the valley, holding essentially all of the country's A-Level provision, with competitive admission), Pokhara (the second city and trekking capital, two hundred kilometres from the nearest A-Level college), Biratnagar and the east (the industrial and commercial belt with very limited provision), Chitwan and Bharatpur (a fast-growing medical city with A-Levels still concentrated in the valley), and Butwal and Bhairahawa (the western trade corridor). One qualification concentrated in one valley, and a timezone that makes after-school teaching straightforward.
The capital and the valley · essentially all of Nepal's A-Level provision · the diplomatic, development and professional community · competitive admission to the leading schools and colleges
The second city and the trekking and tourism capital · a growing professional and hospitality economy · lakes, mountains and a substantial international visitor community · almost no A-Level provision
The eastern industrial and commercial capital · jute, textiles and manufacturing · the Indian border trade corridor · tea gardens in the eastern hills · very limited A-Level provision
The central hub and one of Nepal's fastest-growing cities · a concentration of medical colleges and health-sector institutions · Chitwan National Park and its conservation and tourism work · agriculture across the central plains
The western commercial corridor and the Indian border trade route · Lumbini and its international visitor community · an international airport at Bhairahawa · agriculture and industry across the western plains · thin A-Level provision
How Smartious compares to top Nepal schools
Nepal's A-Level provision is concentrated almost entirely in the Kathmandu valley — Budhanilkantha, St Xavier's, Rato Bangala, Ullens and a number of A-Level colleges — and those are serious institutions with competitive admission. Outside the valley the picture is thin to non-existent, which has meant families in Pokhara, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Butwal sending a child to Kathmandu at grade 11. The gaps here are therefore geographic first and subject-specific second: reaching the four-fifths of the country outside the valley, and running the specialist sets that will not fill even at a good college.
| School | Curriculum | Fees (NPR/year) | Status / Rating | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Budhanilkantha, St Xavier's, Rato Bangala Kathmandu valley | A-Level, IB and national | Highly competitive | 4.7 | Excellent and selective — the national benchmark, and concentrated in one valley |
Ullens and the international schools Kathmandu valley | IB and international | Limited places | 4.6 | Strong provision, valley-bound |
The A-Level colleges Kathmandu valley | Cambridge A-Level | Widespread in the valley | 4.2 | A well-established route at grade 11 — and specialist sets still rarely run for small cohorts |
Pokhara, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Butwal Outside the valley | Thin to none | — | 0 | A second city, an industrial belt, a medical city and a trade corridor — none with real A-Level provision |
Relocation to Kathmandu at grade 11 Nationwide practice | — | — | 0 | The traditional answer for families outside the valley, and an expensive and disruptive one |
Private tuition and coaching institutes Nationwide | Exam-focused coaching | Widespread | 4 | Concentrated where the teachers already are, which is where the shortage is not |
Smartious Homeschool (Nepal via online delivery) Delivered nationwide | Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, IB DP, AP | NPR at prevailing rate | 4.8 | Every class live through A-Level + the four-fifths of the country outside the valley reached + after-school hours that fit + no relocation at grade 11 |
Fee ranges reflect published 2026 tuition for Year 7-13 across the school's tier structure. Specific fees vary by year group and additional school charges (registration, capital fee, books, transport, uniforms). Smartious USD pricing translates to fixed NPR via the peg.
Homeschool laws & regulatory framework in the Nepal
Nepal is one of the markets where we could not verify the central question, so we set out what we can establish and then the fact that shapes our offer here more than the law does.
What we can establish
Education in Nepal is administered by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Basic education is compulsory, and families should confirm the current age boundaries with the Ministry rather than take them from any article. The national qualifications are the Secondary Education Examination at the end of grade 10 and the National Examinations Board examinations at grades 11 and 12. Private and institutional schools operate under government registration and oversight arrangements. Smartious is not a registered Nepali school, issues no Nepali qualification, and does not teach toward the SEE or the NEB examinations.
What we could not establish
Nepal's position on parental home education. We could not verify it against a primary instrument and are not going to fill that gap with confident prose. We will not tell you it is permitted and we will not tell you it is prohibited; both would exceed what we can evidence. What we would add is what we say in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Bangladesh: an absence of clear regulation is an absence of protection rather than a permission, because where a matter is unaddressed there is nothing for a family to demonstrate if the question is raised. Put it to the Ministry directly and keep the answer.
Why the distinction is familiar here
Nepali families already choose between the NEB route and the A-Level route at grade 11, and understand that the two lead to different certificates with different recognition. So when we say our teaching sits alongside a school rather than replacing it, and that we do not teach toward the SEE or the NEB examinations, that lands as an ordinary statement rather than a complication. What we teach is the internationally examined track, and the domestic record stays with the school.
The fact that matters more: one valley
This is the honest heart of what we offer Nepal. A-Level provision here is concentrated almost entirely in the Kathmandu valley — the leading schools and the A-Level colleges are essentially all within it. For a family in Pokhara, Biratnagar, Bharatpur or Butwal, choosing the A-Level route at grade 11 has traditionally meant sending a child to Kathmandu: a second household, a separated family and a considerable cost, at sixteen. That is a heavy price for a subject teacher, and it is a geographic problem rather than an educational one. A live class of four to six students drawn from several cities and several countries removes it entirely — the child stays home and the specialist comes to them.
And within the valley, a second problem
Even in Kathmandu the subject list is not unlimited. A good A-Level college still cannot justify a specialist teacher and a room for four students who want Further Mathematics, or three who want a third science, or two who want Computer Science at A-Level. That is the same arithmetic we describe in Cyprus, Bangladesh and Uruguay, and the same answer applies: in a live group drawn across countries, four becomes a full class.
The clock, which is the most unusual in the world
Nepal runs Nepal Time at UTC+5:45 with no seasonal clock changes — the only country in the world on a forty-five-minute offset, and worth stating precisely rather than rounding. Our teaching base runs UTC+3, so Nepal is two hours and forty-five minutes ahead of us: a four o'clock class in Kathmandu is quarter past one in the afternoon for our teachers, six o'clock is quarter past three, and eight in the evening is quarter past five. Every one of those is an ordinary teaching hour here. Across much of our Latin American coverage an after-school arrangement is impossible and we say so plainly; in Nepal it is the natural configuration, and it works identically in Pokhara, Biratnagar or Butwal.
Why Nepal families choose Smartious
Reasons grounded in the realities of Nepal education — local school capacity constraints, corporate transfer and diplomatic timing, commute and logistics, currency stability, and the curriculum portability that mobile expat and dual-nationality families need.
A-Levels outside the valley
Nepal concentrates almost all its A-Level provision in Kathmandu. We reach the four-fifths of the country that is somewhere else.
No relocation at grade 11
Sending a child to the valley has been the traditional answer for families outside it — a second household and a separated family. Live delivery removes the need.
After-school hours that genuinely work
Two hours forty-five ahead means a four o'clock class in Kathmandu is quarter past one in the afternoon for our teachers.
The set even a good college cannot run
Further Mathematics or a third science for four students is unviable at one institution and routine in a live group drawn across countries.
A record read directly abroad
UCAS reads A-Levels natively and Australian, Japanese, Indian, Canadian and American universities read them directly — valuable for households already connected internationally.
Honest about the question we could not verify
We could not establish Nepal's home-education position and say so rather than guessing in either direction.
What you can verify about Smartious
We publish only facts we can substantiate — operational history, curriculum coverage, teacher base, and infrastructure. No invented testimonials or pass-rate claims.
Founder-led education company
Founded 2019 by Alfred Ouko (BEd Mathematics & Physics). Smartious operates a full teaching team of 11 with two international-standard operational centres established 2022 and 2023. Not a marketplace, not a freelance network.
Two operational centres
Live teaching is delivered to Nepal families from two international-standard operational centres, established 2022 and 2023. Teachers work from professional academic facilities with accountability and infrastructure beyond marketplace or freelance models.
Cambridge-trained PGCE specialists
Teachers are PGCE-qualified subject specialists with Cambridge International training. Subject specialism means a Chemistry teacher teaches only Chemistry — not generalist primary-style teaching.
120+ countries served
Active students in Nepal and 13 other markets across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. Verifiable through cross-country cohort interaction in live classes.
Ontario Diploma (OSSD) partnership
Smartious students can earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma through our partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private school). The OSSD is recognised by Canadian universities (OUAC), US universities (Common Application), UK universities (UCAS) and globally — particularly valuable for Canadian U15 applications.
5 international curricula
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level (primary offering), Pearson Edexcel International GCSE & A-Level, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) via Canadian Cross International School partnership. Multiple credential pathways per family.
Live class transparency
Every class is live with recorded sessions for review. Parents can audit class quality directly. This is materially different from pre-recorded video courses with light tutor support.
4.9 from 123+ verified Google reviews
“What I love most about Smartious is how they make learning enjoyable. The tutors use engaging methods that keep children interested throughout the lesson. My child now looks forward to studying instead of avoiding it.”
“I have peace of mind as a Smartious Homeschool parent. No more traffic and early morning rush to school. Smartious are the most organized homeschool providers.”
“I am truly impressed by the level of professionalism at Smartious Homeschool and Tuition. The tutors are not only knowledgeable but also very patient and supportive. They create a comfortable learning environment where children feel free to ask questions. My child now enjoys studying and looks forward to every session.”
Reviews above are from our verified Google Business Profile. For Nepal-specific parent references during your decision-making, request these during your free assessment — we can introduce you to current Nepal families happy to share their experience directly.
Accreditation, Recognition & University Pathways
Smartious students earn qualifications administered by independent international examination boards. Recognition flows from the board itself — not from the school that delivered the curriculum. Below is the accreditation, examination and verification framework that connects Nepali Smartious students to universities worldwide.
Cambridge International
Cambridge Assessment International Education · University of Cambridge
Smartious's primary offer for Nepal families. Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A-Level delivered as live small-group classes in after-school blocks — Nepal is two hours and forty-five minutes ahead of our teaching base, so a four o'clock class in Kathmandu is quarter past one in the afternoon for us — run alongside a Nepali school enrolment that continues its own track unchanged. Cambridge Nepali and home language support available beside the English-medium core. No waiting list.
Pearson Edexcel International
Pearson · UK Edexcel curriculum adapted for international delivery
International GCSE and International A-Level qualifications, administered by Pearson. Three examination series annually (January, May/June, October/November) providing additional flexibility versus the Cambridge twice-yearly schedule.
International Baccalaureate Organisation
IB Diploma Programme · IBO Geneva
IB Diploma administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Geneva. Recognised by leading universities globally with particularly strong weighting at US Ivy League, US selective liberal arts colleges, Canadian U15 and top European universities.
College Board
American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP)
AP courses and examinations administered by the College Board, the US non-profit responsible for the SAT and AP programmes. AP scores are widely recognised by US universities for university credit, plus by Canadian, UK, Australian and many universities worldwide.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Canadian Cross International School · Ontario Ministry of Education
OSSD earned through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School, an Ontario-inspected private school. Smartious students enrol concurrently with CCIS to complete the OSSD curriculum and credit requirements alongside Cambridge or other pathways. OSSD is one of the most recognised secondary credentials worldwide — particularly strong for Canadian U15 admissions via OUAC, US universities via Common Application, and UK universities via UCAS.
Examination centre arrangements in Nepal
International examinations require attendance at authorised examination centres on specific dates. In Nepal, established examination centres serve Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and other major international qualifications.
Smartious manages examination registration logistics including centre selection, registration paperwork and deadline compliance. Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel examinations for Nepal-based students sit as external candidates at authorised provision, with capacity confirmed per family per session. Nepal's Cambridge provision is concentrated in the Kathmandu valley through its A-Level colleges and international schools, which is checked first, with travel planned ahead from Pokhara, Chitwan, Biratnagar and Butwal — journeys in Nepal are longer than the map suggests, so lead time matters and we plan it at enrolment rather than in the term before a series. Note what does not change: our arrangement runs alongside a Nepali school enrolment, which continues its own track unchanged. Smartious is not a registered Nepali school, issues no Nepali qualification, and does not teach toward the SEE or the NEB examinations.
University recognition worldwide
Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications are recognised across the major university systems globally.
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Pokhara University, Purbanchal University and the medical institutions including the Institute of Medicine and the Bharatpur medical colleges.
Cambridge · Oxford · Imperial College London · UCL · LSE · King's College London · Edinburgh · Manchester · Bristol · Birmingham · Warwick · Durham · the Russell Group · the broader UK system via UCAS
Harvard · Yale · Princeton · Columbia · Penn · Brown · Dartmouth · Cornell · Amherst · Williams · Pomona · UC Berkeley · UCLA · Michigan · Virginia · top liberal arts and public research universities via the Common Application
Toronto · McGill · UBC · McMaster · Waterloo · Western · Queen's · the U15 research universities · OUAC for Ontario applications
Melbourne · Sydney · ANU · Monash · Queensland · UWA · Adelaide · UNSW · the Group of Eight via UAC
NYU Abu Dhabi · Sorbonne Abu Dhabi · Khalifa · AUS · AUD · UAE branch campuses · KFUPM · KAUST · KSU · KAU · Saudi national universities · Education City Doha (Georgetown · Northwestern · CMU · Cornell · Texas A&M · HEC Paris · UCL)
Berlin Humboldt · Munich LMU · Heidelberg · RWTH Aachen · TU Munich · French Grandes Écoles · Amsterdam · Leiden · Utrecht · Bologna · Sapienza · ETH Zurich · EPFL
How universities verify qualifications
Universities verify Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications directly with the issuing examination boards through standard verification services — Cambridge International Verification of Awards, Pearson's Verification of Results, the IB Organisation's verification service, and the College Board AP Score Reporting service. The qualification's credibility comes from the examination board itself, which is why these qualifications are equally valid whether earned at a physical school or through Smartious.
Curriculum approaches we offer Nepali families
British Curriculum
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level · Pearson Edexcel
Cambridge IGCSE: Years 10-11, eight to ten subjects. Cambridge A-Level: Years 12-13, three or four subjects in depth. Pearson Edexcel as British alternative with three examination series annually.
Nepal families targeting the Cambridge pathway. Best fit for: (1) families outside the Kathmandu valley where A-Level provision is thin or absent, (2) students at A-Level colleges needing a subject the institution cannot run for a small cohort, (3) households investing in a qualification read directly by universities abroad, (4) students who would otherwise relocate to the valley at grade 11, (5) medically and scientifically ambitious households in Bharatpur and the regional cities.
Live online classes in after-school blocks, small groups 4-6 students, every session recorded, alongside a Nepali school enrolment.
IB Diploma Programme
International Baccalaureate Organisation
Grades 11-12. Six subjects (three Higher Level, three Standard Level), plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay (4,000-word independent research paper), and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS).
Nepal families in the valley's IB sector wanting live subject teaching, Theory of Knowledge, and Extended Essay supervision alongside their school.
Live online IB DP classes across all six subject groups plus Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay supervision.
American Curriculum
College Board · AP · SAT & ACT
US high school curriculum through Grade 12. Advanced Placement courses Grades 9-12 with college-level subject specialisation. SAT or ACT preparation integrated alongside curriculum delivery.
Nepal families targeting American universities via Common Application.
American Curriculum with AP courses Grades 9-12, SAT/ACT preparation, Common App essay coaching.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
OSSD · via Canadian Cross International School partnership
Grades 9-12 Ontario curriculum delivered through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private secondary school). Students complete the 30 credits required for OSSD including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and 40 community involvement hours.
Nepali families targeting Canadian U15 universities (Toronto, McGill, UBC, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Queen's) via OUAC, US universities via the Common Application, UK universities via UCAS, and Australian universities. The OSSD is particularly strong for direct Canadian university applications because students apply as Ontario secondary graduates rather than international students.
Live online instruction by qualified subject teachers, concurrent enrolment with Canadian Cross International School for official OSSD transcripting, Ontario course codes (ENG4U, MHF4U, SCH4U etc.) recorded against each student. CCIS issues the official Ontario diploma and transcript on successful completion of the OSSD requirements.
Primary, Secondary & Sixth Form
Primary Programmes
Ages 5-11 · Years 1-6 · Grades 1-5 · IB PYP
Cambridge Primary, Common Core or IB Primary Years Programme. Live classes are age-appropriate in length (40-50 minutes), scheduled in your local NPT time zone to suit Primary-age attention spans. Small group sizes support individual attention. Weekly parent dashboards and monthly written reports cover academic and developmental progress.
Secondary Programmes
Years 7-11 · Grades 6-11
Lower Secondary (Years 7-9) builds the foundations for IGCSE entry. IGCSE Years (10-11) cover eight to ten subjects with examination registration at Authorised Nepali Cambridge provision. One-on-one subject choice consultation at IGCSE entry aligns subjects with university targets. Mid-year arrivals accepted with academic catch-up support.
Sixth Form & University Preparation
Years 12-13 · Grades 11-12
Nepali universities admit principally on the NEB grade 12 examinations, with holders of A-Levels and other international qualifications entering through equivalence procedures administered by the relevant authority and confirmed per institution — a family intending to enter the Nepali system should confirm that route early, and note the domestic side of a record has to come from a Nepali school rather than from us. Outward, Nepali students study abroad in very large numbers: Australia, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and South Korea are all common destinations. UCAS reads Cambridge A-Levels natively; Australian, Canadian and American universities read A-Levels, the IB Diploma and AP records directly; and A-Levels are accepted in 160+ countries. For households where a parent or sibling already works internationally, a qualification that needs no conversion in each destination is worth a great deal. Smartious provides personalised university guidance across UK (UCAS), Australian, Japanese, Indian, US, Canadian and Nepali destinations.
Eight reasons Nepali families choose Smartious
Each reason is grounded in something verifiable — not in marketing claims.
Experienced international educators
Subject-specific degree-qualified teaching staff with cumulative experience across Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American Curriculum. Many hold advanced teaching credentials including PGCE, Cambridge PDT certification, or national teaching registration in their home jurisdiction.
Personalised learning plans
Every student begins with an initial assessment. The learning plan that follows is tailored to academic level, subject preferences, target universities and family situation — not a one-size-fits-all schedule.
Academic assessments
Initial diagnostic assessment. Weekly informal assessment within classes. Monthly formal assessments. Mock examinations under timed conditions during IGCSE and A-Level years. Results inform teaching adjustments.
Small class sizes
Online tier classes have four to six students. Online Plus has smaller groups. Premium is one-on-one. Class size affects individual attention, question response time, and student speaking time during class.
Progress monitoring
Weekly parent dashboards showing attendance and assessment results. Monthly written subject reports from each teacher. Termly comprehensive reports covering academic progress, study habits and university preparation.
Parent communication
Direct communication with subject teachers and form tutors via the parent portal. Email for admissions and pastoral matters, with response within one business day. Scheduled parent-teacher meetings each term.
Global student community
Live classes bring together students from across 14 countries. Wednesday afternoon enrichment programmes — coding, robotics, debate, Model UN, chess, journalism, leadership — develop collaborative learning across geographies.
University admissions guidance
Progressive guidance from Year 10 onwards. UCAS, Common Application, OUAC, UAC and direct university application support. Personal statement coaching, interview preparation and offer-management guidance.
Alfred Ouko
Founder, Smartious Homeschool & eSchool
Alfred Ouko is the founder of Smartious Homeschool & eSchool, established in 2019 while studying at the University of Nairobi. He has grown the organisation from a tuition support service into an international online school serving families across 14 countries, including Alfred Ouko founded Smartious in Nairobi in 2019 to make international qualifications accessible to families at online-delivery fees rather than campus ones. Nepal concentrates almost all of its A-Level teaching in a single valley, which has meant families elsewhere sending children away at sixteen. That is exactly the kind of geographic problem live delivery was built to solve..
Bachelor of Education (Science) — Mathematics and Physics, University of Nairobi (2022)
- Over six years supporting students through international curriculum pathways — Cambridge International (IGCSE and A-Level), Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, and homeschooling pathways.
- Direct teaching experience in secondary-level Mathematics and Physics across multiple international curriculum boards.
- Leadership of curriculum development, teacher recruitment and academic standards across Smartious's two international-standard operational centres and online programmes serving Nepal families.
- Specialism in supporting students through university admissions to Alfred holds a BEd in Mathematics and Physics — Smartious's Cambridge A-Level and IB Diploma STEM subjects are led personally when needed, suiting Biratnagar's industrial households and every medicine-bound student in Bharatpur and Kathmandu. Head of Academics supervises curriculum delivery and university placement strategy per family..
“International curriculum mastery is achievable for students from any background when subject specialists, small class sizes, and individual academic plans are combined with the discipline and structure good schools provide.”
Common questions from Nepal families
Is homeschooling legal in Nepal?+
We could not verify a position from a primary instrument and will not guess. Basic education is compulsory and administered by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. An absence of clear regulation is not a permission — put the question to the Ministry directly. Structured study alongside a school enrolment raises none of it.
Do you teach the SEE or the NEB examinations?+
No. We are not a registered Nepali school and issue no Nepali qualification. We teach Cambridge, Edexcel, IB and AP — the same distinction families here already make between the NEB and A-Level routes at grade 11.
Would our child still need to move to Kathmandu at grade 11?+
Not for the teaching. A-Level provision is concentrated in the valley, and relocating has been the traditional answer for families elsewhere. Live delivery supplies the subject specialists where you already are, with examination travel a few times a year.
What time are classes?+
After-school works particularly well. Nepal runs UTC+5:45 — the only forty-five-minute offset in the world — two hours and forty-five minutes ahead of our teaching base, so a four o'clock class in Kathmandu is quarter past one in the afternoon for our teachers.
We are already at an A-Level college — what would we gain?+
Usually a subject it cannot run for four students. If your college covers what your child needs, we will tell you so.
Will Nepali universities accept A-Levels?+
Holders of A-Levels enter through equivalence procedures administered by the relevant authority and confirmed per institution. Confirm that route early if a Nepali university is the plan; the domestic side of a record has to come from a Nepali school rather than from us.
Where would our child sit examinations?+
At authorised provision confirmed per family per session, concentrated in the Kathmandu valley — with travel planned ahead from Pokhara, Chitwan, Biratnagar and Butwal, since journeys here are longer than the map suggests.
Which parts of Nepal does Smartious cover?+
Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and the east, Chitwan and Bharatpur, and Butwal, Bhairahawa and the west have dedicated pages. Live online delivery works identically anywhere in the country.
Nepali students join a 14+ country global cohort
Live classes bring together students from across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. A Nepal student in our Year 11 IGCSE Mathematics class will be alongside peers in Cairo, Dubai, Bangkok, Seoul, Casablanca and Kigali. The Wednesday enrichment programmes (debate, Model UN, robotics, journalism) operate as one global classroom rather than thirteen separate national ones.