Education for All : Status and strategies

By DR KEDAR NATH SHRESTHA

Since the days of Karachi Plan of the 1960s which provided a framework on the free and compulsory primary education for the countries of Asian region to the 1990s when global concern for the limited success in achieving universal enrollment in primary school, much has taken place in Nepal in the expansion of the facility of primary education. Keeping in view the status of primary education in developing countries, the world conference on Education for All (EFA) (Jomtien, March, 1990) provided a new expanded vision for primary education which discarded the earlier emphasis on quantitative expansion, Nepal was one of the signatories of the World Declaration on EFA. 

The World Declaration for EFA recommended goals and targets in six dimensions, namely expansion of early childhood and development activities, universal access to and completion of primary education by 2000, improvement in the learning achievement, reduction of adult literacy rate to one-half its 1990 level by 2000, increased acquisition of basic skills and values required for letter living and use of all forms of modern and traditional communication media. The EFA document argued with evidence that education of any kind and particularly primary education can help families earn higher incomes and better use of their earnings through improved consumptive choices and improve household management. Agencies like the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO, declared their commitments to provide technical and financial support for developing countries while achieving the EFA goal and target.

Numerous strategies were adopted and programmes (projects) were implemented in Nepal during the 1990s in response to the commitment to the World Declaration on EFA. At the Ministry of Education (MOE) level, a Plan of Action was prepared to implement various programmes, which were based on the policy and strategies specified in the EFA document produced by the World Conference. A ten-year Master Plan on Basic and Primary Education was prepared which included an analysis of the existing status and programmes for immediate implementation (BPEP, Master Plan, 1992). The Eighth and Ninth Development Plan reflected the MOE’s commitment to raise the enrollment level in primary education with an emphasis on raising the achievement level of students. A major Basic and Primary Education Project (BPEP) (1992-97) was implemented with the financial assistance of the World Bank (IDA),  DANIDA and UNICEF. BPEP was another programme implemented mainly to improve the  quality and intake capacity on in-service teachers training for primary school teachers.

Nepal achieved tremendous development and improvement in this area during the 1990s. An assessment conducted in1997 indicated a satisfactory progress in several areas of primary education. Within five years, the number of primary schools increased from 18,694 (1991) to 23,284 (1996). Similarly, the primary school enrollment also increased from 3812,611 (1991) to 4773,674 (1996). The GER in primary level increased from 69 (1990) to 117 (1997). About 18,000 primary school teachers were provided 2.5 months training. Besides, improvement of physical facilities of schools, scholarship for girl students of primary schools, improvement and development of teaching learning materials, short-term recurrent teacher training programmes have been some of the major activities during the 1990s.

The World Education Forum on EFA, held in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000 reviewed the progress of the decade-long EFA campaign initiated by the World Conference on Education held in Jomtien in1990. The Dakar Conference adopted the Dakar Framework for Action, which lists six major EFA goals to be achieved by 2015. The framework emphasised on collective commitments nationally and internationally ensures that no country is left behind because of the lack of technical capacity or resource.

The Dakar Framework for Action endorsed almost all the six goals and targets propounded by the World Conference on EFA in 1990 with some modification. Dakar extended the target for universal enrollment in basic education from 2000 to 2015, provided realistic adult literacy target just to improve by 50 percent from the status in 2000, and eliminate the enrollment disparity between boys and girls (including children from disadvantaged group).

BPE-I and BPEP-II have been the two major projects (programmes) which included numerous components that are directly related to the goals and targets proposed by the Dakar Framework. Following are some plans and programmes related to Jomtien and Dakar Framework for Action.

- The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) has developed programmes and implemented activities in the area of Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE). The recent 7th Amendment of the Education Act authorised the government to provide financial support to the Early Childhood Development Centres. MOES has also set a tentative target of 80 percent GER in ECD by 2015. About Rs 23 crores has been allocated for ECD in BPEP-II.

- The Plan of Action prepared for EFA has set the target of 100 percent enrollment by the year 2015 supported by all activities that would help achieve this goal. The government’s commitment to achieve the universal enrollment has started from the 7th Development Plan and it is proposed to continue until the 11th Plan to achieve this goal. The BPEP-II has allocated Rs 385 crores for the expansion of access and improving the retention in primary schools.

- BPEP-II has numerous activities under implementation to raise the quality of primary education. Improvement of teaching-learning situation in schools through improved curriculum, curricular materials, teacher training are some of the BPEP-II strategies. There is an allocation of about Rs 364 crores in BPEP II to achieve the quality goal in primary education.

- To improve equitable access to children and youth has remained the pronounced policy of the government that is reflected in the programmes related to primary, lower secondary and secondary education. The education statistics indicate the easy availability of the schooling facilities for children at least up to the age of 14. Efforts are being made to provide appropriate life-skill in the school education.

- Raising literacy rate has been provided importance in the educational programmes after the World Declaration on EFA. Today, MOES has Non-formal Education Centre within its management structure with Non-formal Education Council to guide the operation. Besides the traditional 6-months literacy training programme, NFEC is implementing three-year condensed primary school curriculum for those children who are left out during their primary school age and special literacy programme for girls and women. PBEP-II has allocated about Rs 76 crores in addition to the regular budget to achieve the escalated literacy target.

- Special programmes for girls, additional support for girl children to help them attend schools, scholarship programmes for girls, teacher training priority and quota in the appointment of primary school teachers are some programmes to eliminate the gap in the enrollment between the boys and the girls in primary schools during the past ten years. Besides the regular financial support, BPEP-II has allocated Rs 5.6 crore for the promotion of girls education.

- Improvement of the quality of primary education has remained priority goals during the 1990s. BPEPs have adopted three strategies to achieve this goal: (1) reform in curriculum and evaluation system, (2) improve teaching - learning situation in the classroom, and (3) improve teachers’ skill to help children’s effective learning.

- After the Dakar meeting, The government prepared a tentative National Plan of Action to achieve the six major goals. A National EFA Forum has been established with tasks like advocacy, resource mobilisation, monitoring and sharing of EFA related information. Six thematic groups on each of the Dakar goals have been appointed. Each group has initiated major studies. The National Plan of Action for EFA will be finalised on the basis of the findings of these studies and other national, regional and local consultation meetings.

And you call it civilisation ?

By SUJATA RAI DEWAN

The end of the human race will be civilisation". This truth in Emerson’s statement can surely be gauged if we take a look around us in the "civilised" world. If one could count scientific and technological advancement, or our knowledge of the history and geography world around us as evidence of our progress in civilisation, then there is no denying that we much more "civilised" than our forefathers -- although much of our knowledge of their "primitive" state is lost in antiquity. However, being "civilized" also requires us to pore into anthropological studies to differentiate race, culture and history. Civilisation has taught people to take pride in their racial and cultural identities. What has this led to? A house divided.

Today every religious and ethnic group seeks to assert itself. We witness more strife and more wars. The awareness that one belongs to an ethnically different group may have contributed to a kind of solidarity amongst a community, but that it has also bred fear, mistrust and hatred for others that can hardly be overlooked. We have only to look at our neighbour India where ethnic violence and war in the name of religion have become an everyday affair. Thousands of Bhutanese citizens, who have been rendered homeless, have sought sanctuary in Nepal. The cause being a quesiton of cultural differences. The Taliban have destroyed priceless, age old statues on the pretext that Islam forbids any form of idolatory. Even here in Nepal the fact that the Central Bureau of Statistics conducted census has already created tremors strong enough to rob the sleep of many people. The nightmare being that the census shows certain section of the Nepalese as majority, while certain others pushes back to the status of minority.

With so much fear and animosity amongst ethnic community, each conspiring to outdo the other and establish its supremacy, one can’t help but ask "wouldn’t it be much better off not to be ‘civilised’ at all ?"

In the battle of religions, races and groups, the lust for the prize - power - seems to be the centrifugal force. But isn’t that what our "primitive" forefathers also sought ? Our methods of gaining power might be different to that of our forefathers, but is that any justification for calling ourselves "civilised"?

Are we truly more "civilized" than Atilla The Hun ? The caveman too sought for power but at least, in his case, he did not use religion or culture as his shield, for him it was a necessity, something that his survival depended upon.

If even now the survival of a group depends upon power as a subjugating force, we haven’t come very far, have we ?

Today we boast of the world being a rich tapestry of ethnic diversities, however I would rather prefer the world be rich in humanity to diversities, wouldn’t you?

Glue sniffing on the rise

By BOBBY CHEMJONG

Nowadays, we can see a lot of street   children sleeping around to pavementor just roaming near the supermarkets asking for money from people. If we ask about their addresses and parents, most of them say that they are from outside the valley and some of them are orphans. Some of them work as rag pickers to get money to fulfil their basic needs. The reality is that many street children like to live their life freely on the street. They don’t like to stay in hostels or at homes where they are offered facilities including education, food and clothes. They prefer to sleep under the sky and run away from the well-organised lifestyle. The reasons for this are many, but this lifestyle is very hard and most of these children end up adopting bad habits.

There are many problems facing these young people who are citizens of this country. They are the sons and daughters of this country, and they are in need of help. A new harmful behaviour is becoming common amongst these vulnerable children. This damaging behaviour is glue sniffing and it needs to be addressed. This problem is not only amongst the street children. Many school children from well off families have resorted to the habit of sniffing glue.

Sometimes, we notice an unusual scene of such children sniffing yellow paste from a black plastic bag or a mineral water bottle.

While sniffing the chemical of the black plastic bag, they look drowsy and unaware of the surroundings. Their eyes seem sleepy and nose and mouth are also red. Once a boy was asked what he was doing by a pedestrian, and he acted like an angry dog and jumped over to him in an aggressive manner.

Most often the young children aged between 5-17 inhale a kind of chemical named Dendrite, which costs 20- 30 rupees, and are easily available at hardware and shoe repair shops. This is used in sticking rubber, and its smell is very strong. One tube Dendrite can be shared by a group of children in the beginning. After sniffing the glue for a few times the user develops resistance and needs to use one whole tube to get the same effect. Inhaling Dendrite has anaesthetic effects on the users, causing a slowdown in the body’s function. Users may feel slightly stimulated at lower doses and they may lose their consciousness at higher doses.

School children often bunk classes and relax somewhere in the temple or in a quiet and private place where they can sniff glue freely. When some of the school going children were asked how they learn about sniffing glue, they replied that they had learnt this from street children. They also informed that Dendrite is easy to buy as it is very cheap, and one tube can be shared among a group of many children. This signifies the unmanageable growth of future drug abuse in our society and when our school going children are intoxicated with Dendrite, we as a society don’t have any other alternative, but to repent.

Sniffing glues like Dendrite is very harmful and bad for health. The immediate negative effects of inhalants can be nausea, sneezing, coughing, bleeding noses, exhaustion, bad breath, loss of appetite. Deep breathing of the Dendrite or using a lot over a short period of time may result in losing touch with one’s surroundings, violent behaviour, loss of self -control unconsciousness or death. Long-term use can cause muscle fatigue, weight loss, electrolyte imbalance, exhaustion, and later, permanent damage to liver, kidneys, blood and bone marrow and the nervous system.

While inhaling many tubes in a day will increase tolerance power, psychological and physical dependency will develop on the part of users.

This may push them into social crime like thievery to get money to buy Dendrite, causing more trouble for our communities. Naturally, they will be treated as outcastes from society. In their young age, damage from glue sniffing leaves them with health problems for life or causes their untimely death. The country has to face a lot of economic drawbacks from the loss of the youths, the pillars of our nation.

One main reason of increasing anti-social behaviour among the children and teenagers is modern life style of the Nepalese people. Parents don’t give enough time, attention, love and care to their children. Parents are too busy trying to make money to take care of their children, their problems and behaviour. Dendrite are easily available in almost all alleys and chowks. Moreover, it is legal and inexpensive. So anyone can buy it easily.

So what can be done? First and foremost, parents should spend more time with their children, talking to them and listening to their concerns and problems. Shopkeepers who sell these products to our children should be punished, and authorities should start addressing this issue before it gets out of control.