Parental perception towards bilingual education in two aspects : academic performance and career opportunities in Kathamandu, Nepal

Abstract

The study aims to understand parental perception on bilingual education and its implication in attaining better academic performances and career opportunities. A mixed method with a Likert–scale questionnaire and in–depth interview was administered for the research. The sample group consisted of the 288 parents of the students from three different schools. A statistical analysis of mean and standard deviation was used to analyze the survey results and a thematic analysis approach was used for the interviewed data. The findings revealed that (i) 80% of the parents (ii) Brahmins and Musalman parents aged above 50 years old and below 30 years old who possessed a higher secondary and university degree with a monthly income ranging from NRS100,000 to 50,000 agreed that bilingual education can assist their children to achieve better academic performance and career opportunities. With regards to the aim of the study, it was concluded that the parents favored bilingual education in order to preserve the Nepali culture, identity and language.