IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA) BY 2015 - Indra Yamphu

1. IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA) BY 2015 -IndraYamphu The EFA Context • Campaign from World Conference of Jomtein in 1990 • World Education Forum on EFA, in Dakar in 2000, adopted Dakar Framework of Action with six goals • universal primary education and gender equity affirmed by MDGs • Nepal has committed to achieve these international commitments • Efforts have been made on achieving the goals through SSRP • attempted to see the status and trends of student participation on indicators of NER, NIR, SR, and DR in primary level

2. National and International Policy Ground • Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, ICESCR1966, and CRC 1990-primary education compulsory and available free to all, accessibility, regular attendance and dropout reduction • Interim Constitution, 2007 –free but not compulsory • Education Act 1971- free primary education and free textbooks • EFA-NPA(2001-2015)- education free of cost to increase access • SSRP (2009-2015)- free basic education with cost free service for admission, textbooks, tuition, and examinations • Local Self-Governance Act, 1999 and CFLG-programs for child protection, promotion, and development

3. Status and Trends

4. Analysis and Interpretation • NER was quite higher up to 2009 and afterward it dropped and still 4.7% [NLSS (2011)-23.8%] stdnts are out of school-unlikely to achieve in 2 yrs • NIR has descended after 2011, difficult to achieve 9% gap in two yrs • SR-fluctuated and plunged after 2011, 16% gap is difficult to fulfill • Progress in reducing dropouts, but still existing five out of hundred • Progress of participation seems lesser in the later years than before 2009/11. Gaps to be achieved in two yrs are wider than achievements of past two years • Cent percent participation and cycle completion seems difficult • Has become challenging to meet the EFA goal

5. Underlying Causes • Affirmative actions-Female teachers, scholarship, free textbook, and tiffin • Primary school nutrition program -increase enrollment rate and decrease the dropout rate by distribution of lunch and edible oil (NPC, 2012), ECD • The “hard core poorest groups” (Wagley, September 30, 2013, The Himalayan Times) are still unable to enrol or survive and dropping out • Major Reasons-poor economic condition and household chores, socio-cultural beliefs and tradition and parents’ unwillingness and ignorance (DoE, 2012), abuses, exploitation, and violation (LWF, 2012) • disabilities and disabled friendly school environment , corporal punishment, medium of instruction and failure in exit exam (DoE, 2012)

6. Way Forward • Enhance Affirmative Actions-Scholarships, female teachers and so on • pay opportunity cost to parents creating a fund (Wagley, 2013), awareness • promoting disability friendly school environment, reducing punishment, effective implementation of MLE and CAS for LPP • General Incentive Model-goods, cash, service, promotion (www.usaid.gov) • Coordination bet MoE and MLD for core groups as CFLG & LSGA • Rs.52.64 billion, DPs share was Rs.13.446 billion on SSRP for 2011/12- ADB-$ 65 million (MoE, 2013), European Union Rs. 4.8 billion for SSRP • Gov. is to introduce 'ordinance' on 'Free and Compulsory Ed.' to punish parents and SMCs-Rs.500 to Rs.5000 and Bill for amending Ed. Act-2011