Can Nepal achieve education for all?

Despite its commitment to achieving Education for All (EFA), Nepal has the lowest literacy rate in the world. There are 2.6 million children engaged in different child labour sectors. The population of street children is rising as a result of conflict, poverty, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS and human trafficking.

A report from the ChildWelfare Scheme analyses policies andprogrammes to provide non-formal education (NFE) for out-of-school youngNepalese, particularly street children. It argues that key civil society andgovernment programmes supposed to play a leading role enforcing children’srights have become part of the problem.

Nearly 20 percent of Nepalese children never enterschool and nearly 50 percent of those who do enrol fail to complete grade five.The government spends around 14 percent of its budget on education. Althoughinvestment in primary education, NFE and vocational training for out-of-schoolchildren, street children, girls and mothers is known to produce results, thesehigh priority areas receive a low share of government spending and attention.

Many street children are from lower caste or ethnicminorities. The rural family which is supposed to provide stability forchildren’s welfare and protection is becoming a major cause of the growing problemof street children due to the deepening conflict, poverty and migration. Poorparents especially in the urban slums send their children into the streets to beg, steal or engage in the worst form of child labour.Girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation – there are more than threehundred thousand Nepalese sex workers in India.

Educational institutions, government andnon-governmental organizations (NGOs) do not offer enough support to marginalisedchildren:

• Teachers are notfamiliar with child-friendly teaching techniques, and rule their classroom inan authoritarian manner, often with a stick in hand.
• Street childrenare viewed negatively: though assertive and confident at work, they may bebranded as disruptive – or humiliated for their scruffiness – by teachers.
• Work can makestreet children too weary and tired to go to school or to concentrate or dohomework.
• Local andinternational NGOs play a key role in NFE and have raised awareness of theproblem of literacy, but their activities are still uncoordinated and are not sharedamong themselves.

EFA will not be achievedunless the government of Nepal and NGOs firmly address the basic rights of streetchildren, including their right to education, health and protection. Thegovernment should:

• not only seekmore donor support but, equally importantly, improve its efficiency andaccountability
• enforce childlabour regulations and honour commitments under the UN Convention on the Rightsof the Child
• prioritisemeasures to get more girls into primary school
• involve NGOs inplanning national NFE policies, and encourage them to share experience
• ensure NFEprogrammes not only include reading, writing and mathematics, but offercounselling and information about HIV/AIDS and other health issues
• make NFE programmes more flexible, child-centred, andparticipatory.