Ministry of Education and Sports Country Presentation - Nepal Government of Nepal Ministry of Education and Sports 19 June, 2008

Area 1: Participation and learning of the under-represented Policy 1: Government promote and implement free and compulsory basic education by 2012 Strategies: Empowering (and enhancing capacity) and entrusting the Local Government/community with responsibility for implementing free and compulsory basic education Raising the level of funding commitments at national and local levels through a shared funding framework for EFA resourcing Multiple and flexible modes/avenues of operation with alternative ways and means of addressing diversity needs 3

Area 1: Participation and learning of the under-represented (Contd.) Policy 1: Government promote and implement free and compulsory basic education by 2012 (contd.) Strategies (Contd.): Incentivised support schemes for the under-represented Ensuring the basics for enabling learning environment for all Setting up local level monitoring mechanism at VDC/Municipality levels Introducing self-monitoring and evaluation system at the school level Developing legal framework for ensuring compulsory basic education, with an accountability framework 4

Area 2: Quality Education Policy 1: Improving Quality Education with special focus on relevance, inclusion and life skills Strategies: Setting standards and norms for the basics and quality to secure children’s learning: Teachers Strengthening comprehensive Teacher Education Policy Setting norms and standards for all aspects of Teacher Education Enhancing minimum educational qualifications for teachers 5

Area 2: Quality Education (Contd.) Policy 1: Improving Quality Education with special focus on relevance, inclusion and life skills (Contd.) Strategies (Contd.): Teachers (Contd.) Improving inclusive teacher management, including recruitment Developing teacher motivation schemes – inclusiveness, career path development, working environment, research and development Curriculum Improving Curricular Framework with basics and with quality standards 6

Area 2: Quality Education (Contd.) Policy 1: Improving Quality Education with special focus on relevance, inclusion and life skills (Contd.) Strategies (Contd.): Strengthening continuous assessment system to ensure students learning, without holding them back in the same grade in Basic Education up to grade 8 Introducing competency based learning system with flexibility for the use of textbook materials prepared locally Orientations to skills based education at early grades and vocational education from grade 9 Schemes of incentive block grants for non-salary recurrent costs for quality enhancement 7

Area 3: MLE (Multi-lingual Education) Policy 1: Promoting multilingual education policy in schools Strategies: Orientation to teachers and service providers for MLE based pedagogy in education, with additive approach to languages Adaptation of curricula, textbooks and Involvement of indigenous knowledge holders in the development of MLE materials Empowerment of teaches and PTA for the promotion of local language(s) as a medium of instruction 8

Area 3: MLE (Contd.) Strategies (Contd.): Mother tongue medium education in ECD and upto class three, Transition to Nepali and/or English from grades 4 and 5 Provision of learning mother tongue as a subject at a higher grades in order to preserve/enhance language 9

Area 4: Financing Policy 1: Improving financial aspects of education with special focus on accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, decentralized governance for equitable allocation of resources for under-served populations/groups Strategies: Inter-sectoral harmonization Shared modality for funding at centre and local levels Debt-free relief support Conditional financial incentives to the households based on mapping of poverty pockets as well as un-reached and under-served populations 10

Area 4: Financing (Contd.) Policy 1: Improving financial aspects of education with special focus on accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, decentralized governance for equitable allocation of resources for under-served groups (Contd.) Strategies (Contd.): Introducing education taxes at centre and local levels Simplified/flexible financial procedures Improved social and financial audit at local levels Increase financial commitments to education and allocate at least 10% of the EFA budget to out-of-school and drop-out populations 11

Area 4: Financing (Contd.) Policy 1: Improving financial aspects of education with special focus on accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, decentralized governance for equitable allocation of resources for under-served groups (Contd.) Strategies (Contd.): Increase financial commitments to ECCE, NFE and literacy Raise the share of gender budgeting 12

Area 5: Harmonization and Collaboration Need for increased share of development partners in EFA from 30% to 40% Pool funding and budget support through sector-wide approach (SWAp) Harmonized TA for capacity building at centre and local levels UNESCO support needs to be continued in EMIS Minimizing the level of direct fund facility to meet emerging needs and initiate innovative activities Resources at the disposal of the Government and aligned with the regular programmes 13

Thank you 14