The long term objective of the project is to “enable local efforts on realizing the right to education in the new provincial structure of Nepal”. The realization of the Right to Education includes that all school-aged children (5-18 Years) are enrolled in school with regular attendance, learning outcomes of students are improved (crossing 60 in major subjects), schools are violence and discrimination-free, safe and inclusive; girls, Dalits and CwDs are supported with their special needs and the local government is accountable for these elements. The Right to Education is a human right and also a constitutional right in Nepal that enables an active civil society, improved democratic practices, a peaceful culture and dignity among all citizens.
The development objective is highly relevant in the current context of Nepal, as the country has a new political structure of federalization. According to the constitution, the right to education at the school level is under the jurisdiction of local governments. Therefore, there is a great need for efforts to develop a functioning and accountable system in the new local and provincial governments.
The realization of the long-term objective will build on roughly 35 different activities that are targeted to capacitate and educate policy makers, school teachers, local youth champions, civil society actors, parents and school-going as well as out-of-school children. The activities range from direct support to schools, local government programs, and children at risk, as well as awareness raising among parents and communities, income generating activities, learning sessions, providing teaching-learning kits and sanitary pad facilities for girls in schools. The project also includes local, provincial and federal level advocacy activities, technical support for provincial and local governments on policy formulation and mobilization of civil society groups, producing Education Watch reports and engagement in human rights monitoring systems.
These project activities will contribute to eight programmatic outputs:
Local government leaders and officials capacitated on developing local education plans
Leaders of provincial government capacitated on formulating provincial education policies
30 CSO representatives and local activists trained in Right to Education advocacy
30 local and provincial level joint advocacy actions by NGOs to strengthen Right to Education
CSO monitoring report on Right to Education produced and communicated to policy makers
Teachers and School Management Committees in 32 schools capacitated
1 800 parents and 4 000 children sensitized on importance of education and harmful traditional practices
Over 600 children supported to continue education