Educating the 'most beautiful children in the world.' (Nepal's Primary Education Project)

AuthorSagnier, Thierry

Educating the "most beautiful children in the world'

"Nepal has the most beautiful children in the world,' Bimal Shrestha said with a smile. He has a vested interest, as Chief of the Materials and Supervision and Training Units of Nepal's Primary Education Project. He sees a lot of children, and he is right, they are beautiful.

And they are everywhere. With its population growing 2.6 per cent annually since 1970, and a per capita income of $160 a year, making it the second poorest country in South Asia, Nepal realized early that its children--its future--would require an education if the country were to surmount its poverty. In 1951, only 10,000 school-age children actually attended school. Recent five-year plans to educate the general population have helped to improve the situation, but problems remain.

Dropout rates high

The dropout and repeater rates have been high. In 1982, girls accounted for only 28 per cent of total primary school enrolment. Teachers lacked both motivation and training, and virtually all teaching was done by rote and memorization.

Some schools did not have textbooks. Most had mud floors, leaking roofs and no heat. Communities already on the verge of absolute poverty had little funds for school buildings or teacher salaries. Even the country's striking geography added to the difficulty. Its lack of roads and the remoteness of most communities are an administrator's nightmare.

Both the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have earlier been involved with primary education in Nepal, helping to finance the preparation and distribution of textbooks and improvements in sanitation facilities at primary schools. Another project provided scholarships for women to become teachers. The two organizations also financed a primary education project, run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for school improvements and adult education. Total funds were still limited, still far short of what was necessary.

IDA became involved

After a World Bank survey of schools in six districts, the International Development Association (IDA) issued in 1984 a $12.78 million credit for a primary education project.

Bimal Shrestha's team occupies a small building on the outskirts of Kathmandu, formally known as the Curriculum, Textbook and Supervision Development Centre. It is the focal point of the pilot primary education project.

No computers here--the...

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