Promoting Quality and Inclusive Education for Out of Reach Children in Nepal (2010-2014)

Purna Kumar Shrestha

Lead Adviser- Education

VSO International

@purnashrestha @vso_intl

European Education Practitioners’ Network

2 June 2015, Brussels

KailaliSurkhet

Baglung

Rupendehi

Kathmandu (Central)

Kaski

Myadi

Where do we work in the project?

• 6 Districts

• 101 schools

Objective: •To improve the quality and inclusion of education for out-of-reach children from the most marginalised and disadvantaged communities in Nepal.

Specific objectives:• Access and retention for out-of-reach children from marginalised and disadvantaged communities to basic education• Provision of quality, inclusive and child centred learning in the focus schools• Implementation of an inclusive education policy at all levels of the community• Sufficient capacity of Education Managers at all levels to be able to implement the School Sector Reform Plan

Out-of-reach children from marginalised and disadvantaged communities, particularly (girls,

Dalits and children with disabilities) are enrolled in school

Schools in target districts are providing quality, inclusive and child centred learning

Education policy and its implementation are inclusive of the community at all levels

Education managers at all levels have the capacity to implement the School Sector Reform

plan for basic education

Focus areas of the project

Change dimensions in the project

DEO staff, SSs, RPs, HTs, SMCs/PTAs, Teachers Central level (MoE, DoE, AIN & NCEN)ALFs & Community members

Accelerated learning

classes

Advocacy and

influence

enrollment

campaigns

Bridge class

programs

Bridging policy &

practice gaps

Strengthening

management

(SIP)

Establishing child

friendly classrooms

Gender awareness Enrollment

Campaign

Creating Agents of Change : VSO’s Approach to

Mentoring and Coaching

20

Primary education advisers

18Education management advisers

15ECD specialists

1Livelihood adviser

1Gender Adviser

Implementation modality of the project

VSO Nepal programme staff

Ministry of education

Department of education

District education offices

School clusters

Implementation and resource partners

Communities

VSO International Volunteer experts

(IVE’s)

IVE’s are recruited as per the needs of

the project

Skills sets:

• Education management

• Teacher trainers

• Education policy advisers

• Gender specialists

• Advocacy specialists

• Livelihood Linkage

Improving

the learning

outcomes of

the children

Networks, campaigns and advocacy initiatives

Management of the

education system is

strengthened

Teachers and school

administrators are better

equipped to deliver

modern child centred

education services

Communities and parents

are better able to support

learners and hold

education institutions

accountable

Agents of Change : VSO’s approach to mentoring and coaching

296training events

29,565Children reached

816teachers were

mentored

15,000parents and community

members mobilised

2059Education managers and

teachers trained

•Community awareness raised via training for 491 SMC members and 331 PTA members regarding- disability, anti-discrimination, girls’ right to education•School Improvement Planning•Teaching and Learning Monitoring•Inclusive and safe school environments

Empowering PTA and SMC members

•

•75 providers received development alongside ECD specialist volunteers•Colourful and child friendly methods were introduced•Marginalised children were brought into education earlier•The production of high quality teacher guides and attractive low cost but educationally effective resources

Improving learning environment and empowering teachers

Impacts • 12 out of 14 partners (85%) reported they scored 3 or above in one or more area on the quality scale•1,023 out of school children (506 males and 507 females) in these schools, including 75 children who were admitted via bridge classes•37 separate ECD classes have been set up where they were previously integrated with Grade 1•Regular attendance of children from 60-70% at the start of the programme in 2009 to 90% in 2014•Good Practice guides Toolkits, manuals and handbooks , DVD on Good Practice and other lasting resources

•Chandraman is 5 years old. He attends a government primary school in Naudanda, Kaski district. He comes to school most days, more or less on time. He is smiling, happy, and ready to try his best. And although he finds learning difficult, so far he is coping with Class 1.•Chandraman manages despite some big barriers. His family is Dalit. Like many Dalit families they are amongst the poorest people in the village. Chandraman's father has mental health problems, and cannot work. He is often not at home – his illness causes him to roam around the district, shouting and behaving strangely. His mother works when she can, paid as a daily labourer for other families. Chandraman lives with his mother and 3 older sisters in one room, which was the animal shed for another house.•A VSO Early Childhood volunteer began working with the ECD teacher at the same time as Chandraman started in the class. The active learning methods she introduced, which the teacher has followed, meant that Chandraman was able to take a full part in the class, and to learn letter sounds and numbers as the basis for the Year 1 curriculum – reducing the risk that he will drop out of school.

•VSO's implementing partner NNDSWO worked with Chandraman's mother to encourage her to send all her children to school regularly. And they helped her with stationery and school uniforms – so that the children feel included at school.•Chandraman represents a large number of children in Nepal that faces threats to their basic needs on a daily base while attempting to retain in public education. He is also the proof that the linkage between the education program and the health- and livelihood program needs to be strengthened in order to be able to support these children and families in suitable ways.

A story of Chandraman

Learning and Reflections Support at all level of education

Co-production of the project design with NGO partners and involvement of government (all stakeholders own the process) – sustainability

Different types of volunteering with clear roles and responsibilities

Use of NGOs/CSOs supporting community and VSO supporting schools and DEOs help bridge the gaps between schools and community

Depth cluster model with clear need analysis, intervention logics resulting expected outcomes

Learning and ReflectionsStrong M&E (having baseline help to attribute

VSO’s impact) Pilot on the focus districts to scaling up – in the

middle of the project time, rolled out to additional districts Learning cycle – project adopted its approaches

throughout the project cycle – based on the feedback

Field staff in the communities

Working together!

Thank you!