Education Programme Education Programme Grant DKK 220 million (School Sector Reform Plan) Period 2009-2012 Main partners The Nepalese Government, incl. Ministry of Education and other line agencies Geographical focus All of NepalThe objective of the Danish assistance to the education sector is to assist the Nepalese Government in improving all children’s access to education, in enhancing the quality of public school education, and in developing institutional capacity. 90% of the Danish assistance is channelled to the government through a joint donor financing arrangement. The remaining 10% is provided through direct funding for capacity building, mainly in the form of institutional linkage arrangements, and for piloting new and innovative approaches and for monitoring. (For more information see the link to the Education Sector Advisory Team, ESAT, in the right pane). SSRP is widely regarded as a model of a nationally designed programme that was developed through a consultative process involving thousands of stakeholders at central, district and school levels. ADB, Aus-Aid, Denmark, DFID, EC, Finland, Norway, UNICEF and World Bank, support the programme through a pool arrangement (sector budget support). Most of the DPs have committed their support for five years. Other partners as for example JICA, Alliance of Save the Children and UNESCO support the SSRP through parallel, but coordinated interventions. (For further information see the link to the Ministry of Education in the right pane). Evaluation of the EFA programme supported by Norad was completed in the first quarter of 2009. Likewise evaluation of the SESP supported by Denmark was accomplished in August 2009. Both of the evaluation has suggested various positive outcome of the programme. The recent progress shows that girls' participation in secondary education have increased to 55% of the students throughout the country. MoE reports claim that only 8% of the primary age children are outside the school system. The evidence suggests that Nepal has achieved gender parity (GPI=0.98). Current challenges It is doubtful that Nepal will be able to reach all the 2015 goals, but the Ministry of Education sees SSRP as a serious effort to achieve at least some of the targets. The net enrolment rate (92.3%. for 2009) is planned to rise 100 in 2015. A campaign started to get more children to school in spring 2005, proved very successful and was repeated in consecutive years. Inclusive education and decentralization is the key strategies to address the diversity among children in Nepal to meet the learning needs of all. The drop out and retention rate at the primary grade is still worrisome, as only 80% of the students complete primary education (grade-five). The aspiration is to improve the service delivery and cost effectiveness of the education programme. Girls, Dalits (low caste), indigenous, disabled and other marginalized groups are the ones with high drop outs. Special scholarship programmes are targeting these groups. The Government is intensifying its cooperation with civil society in various areas, such as social mobilization, technical support and monitoring. Only 62 out of 100 adults can read and write in Nepal. This figure is planned to rise to 75 in 2015. Compared to 100 men, who are literate, only 65 women can read. From mid 2009 the MOE has launched a very ambitious programme of eradicating illiteracy within two years. The Ministry of Education has responded to the peace process by accelerating decentralization to speed up implementation, and to strengthen governance and accountability at school levels. In the past the conflict has caused delays in the general school building programme, which was planned to reconstruct and expand the schools to create room for greater enrolments. The country is passing through a transition to democracy and peace. A new constitution is to be promulgated by the elected Constitutional Assembly by May 2010. Some parts of the country, around ten districts of southern Nepal, there is still a conflict situation that has forbidden the smooth operation of education services. Currently Denmark is the local donors contact point for effective donors’ coordination and aid harmonization. Accumulated expenditure (January 2009 ) School Sector Reform Plan DKK 70 millionEducation Sector Advisory TeamThe SSRP is supported from the offices of the Education Sector Advisory Team, ESATResponsible desk officer(s) Ove Fritz Larsen Shiva Lal Bhusal
School Sector Reform Plan
DKK 70 million
