EDUCATION 

Education Support Program, Karnali 2013

Despite heavy engagement of government and other developmental actors, there is a disconnect between the School Management Committee, teachers, and parents. Consequently, there are exceedingly poor educational practices and performances, e.g. sixth grade students failing to write their name in English when they should have learned it in the first grade.  It is not only an outcome of inadequate numbers and incompetent teachers, but also unenthusiastic parents and school management committee (SMC). SMC's are formed and significantly dominated and influenced by the politics. Students don’t dream about their future beyond their parents because neither their homes nor their school create an empowered environment for learning.  The reasons behind the failure of education sectors are many: extreme poverty, ignorance, poor infrastructure, pro-longed depression, suppression and domination. A report by UNICEF in 2010 expands upon this list below: 

Teacher:

1.      lack of adequate number of teachers as intended by policy

2.     poor performance of the teacher (unaware of curriculum, knowledge and skills)

3.    high rate of absenteeism: Seasonal and non-seasonal factors identified as influencing teacher attendance

                   Seasonal factors:

·         early departure and late returns for and after vacations

·         teachers absent in school for Yarchagumba collection

·         some local teachers miss classes during the planting season in May/June, the                                          hay-making season in August/September, and the harvesting season in October/November

·         some local teachers migrate to a warmer place during the cold Karnali winter from December to March

                   Non-seasonal factors:

·         head teachers and other teachers do not attend trainings or meetings at the District Education office

·         teachers in the Karnali region often have an alternate occupation, usually in trade or business, and from time to time they miss classes to attend to their business affairs

·         engagement in unions or NGOs: When teachers are involved in unions or community-based organizations and NGOs, they tend to prioritize these other activities over teaching classes

School Management:

1.      students are still waiting to get their textbooks

2.     weak administration and management of school

3.    an inactive SMC also contributes to weak school administration, resulting in low attendance rates for both students and teachers

4.    lack of child-friendly classroom practices

5.    no provision of teaching/learning materials

6.    lack of extracurricular activities

Other Stakeholders:

1.      Weak enforcement of attendance-related regulations by the District Education Office (DEO) was cited as a major cause of low attendance among teachers and head-teachers

2.     Village Development Committees (VDC) and District Development Committees (DDC) do not oversee the operation of schools in their jurisdiction adequately

3.    SMC's are not sufficiently empowered to enforce attendance rules and control student and teacher absenteeism

4.    Some people said that head-teacher and teachers were more concerned with personal benefits than with professional practices

5.   Some respondents felt that the Teachers’ Union is sometimes the cause of absenteeism by head-teachers and teachers

6.    Most parents/guardians do not visit their schools routinely to check whether children and teachers are attending, and do not ask about the achievements of their children

7.    Respondents believed that political organizations in the Karnali region do not regard educational development with high priority

Amid this devastating scenario of education, as a part of `Miteri Gau-Let’s Live Together Campaign’, Action Works Nepal (AWON) has worked and is continuing to make education a priority since its informal initiation of work. There are a series of activities in place to redress the multi-linked and overlapping issues and challenges. These include scholarships, teacher support, capacity building of parents and the school management committee, and providing bridging courses. With a sense of urgency, AWON works with the rural, poor, disabled, orphaned, and other marginalized children. 

Below is an overview of the support AWON has provided for the local schools: