1. Education For All An overview of Mid Decade Assessment
Government of Nepal
Ministry of Education and Sports
Department of Education
27 November- 1 December, 2006

2. Background
EFA Mid Decade Assessment (MDA) is being carried to assess the progress status of EFA as stipulated in the Core Document.
A national core group has been formed chaired by the Secretary, MOES represented by line ministries, Universities, research centers, stakeholder groups, I/NGOs, and experts
Thematic groups are formed to undertake the assessments by EFA goals
An activity plan provides the guidelines for undertaking the assessment

3. Country Adaptation of the Framework of the Report for EFA MDA
An outline framework was prepared earlier for the report of EFA MDA by the national EFA MDA core group
The country framework and the Delhi Workshop suggested outlines are not different in terms of the substance, but they vary in presentations
The suggested report outline endorsed in Delhi will be presented and discussed further in the EFA MDA core group in Nepal for final adaptation
The following is an overview of the EFA in view of MDA

4. Nepal Area: 147,181 Sq. Km. Population:24Million – Mosaic of 102 social groups; 92 languages
Number of Total Primary Schools: 27901/ 28131
Total number of primary school students: 4,502,697
Number of primary teachers: 113,907
GNP per capita: 300 USD
Adult literacy:48%+

5. Structural Provision of Education
1-5 Primary Education (Current EFA focus)
6-8 Lower Secondary Education (EFA cover by 2015)
9-10 Secondary Education
11-12 Higher Secondary Education
Higher Education
Diploma (Bachelor’s)- 3 years and 4 years program
Degree (Master)- 2 years
M Phil – 1.5 years
Ph.D. – 3 years research program

6. Context:
Education is priority and strategy for achieving the goals of Tenth Plan, and MDG, that focus on poverty reduction
Policies and programs are in place for this
Education act and regulations governs the policies and the programs

7. Plans and Programs Supporting EFA
EFA NPA ( , long term)
EFA Core Document ( , medium term)
Education Sector Plan
Literacy/NFE Policy and Program Framework
Community School Support Program (CSSP, 2003-)
Construction of Primary Schools (EFA 04-09; JICA, 03-06)
Teacher Education Project (TEP, 02-07)
Various Small Programs of UN agencies, such as UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, WFP, ILO
Various small programs of I/NGOs such as Save the Children, Plan, World Education, World Vision,

8. EFA Strategy and Time-line

9. Components of EFA in Core Plan
Expanding early childhood development
Ensuring equal access to quality primary education
Meeting the learning needs of all children including indigenous peoples and linguistic minorities
Reducing adult illiteracy
Eliminating gender disparity
Improving all aspects of quality education

10. Policy Focus
Improving equitable access (More schools, alternative schooling, flexible school hours, free school, free textbooks, school feeding, school mapping)
Improving quality and efficiency (Curriculum improvement, teacher training, RC Professional support, School environment, reform in school exam,
Increasing institutional capacity (EMIS, decentralized management, HRD plan,
Continuing school self- Governance and community involvement (Block grant, performance based incentives, Community school management)
Focused programs for disadvantaged (Incentives, scholarship)

11. Status in terms of major EFA Indicators, 2002-2005No
Indicators
Achievement
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Target 2015 1
Gross Enrolment Rate of Early Childhood / Pre School
13.0
12.8
19.8
19.9
39.4
69.9* 80 2
Percentage of New entrants at Grade 1 with ECD -
7.8
9.6
13.7
10.9 NA 3
Gross Intake Rate at Grade 1
122.9
101.3
117.1
125.9
148.1
102 4
Net Intake Rate at Grade 1
74.0
76.1 98 5
Gross Enrolment Rate
119.8
124.7
118.4
126.7
130.7
145.4
105

12. Status in terms of major EFA Indicators, 2002-2005No
Indicators
Achievement
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Target 2015 6
Net Enrolment Rate
80.4
81.1
82.4
83.5
84.2
86.8
100 7
% GNP channeled to Primary edu
1.8
2.0
1.9
2.5 8
% of Education Budget channeled to Primary edu
56.7 60 63 65 9
% of teachers with required qualification & training 15 ?
17.4
30.5
44.9 10
Percentage of teachers with required Certification/License - --

13. Status in terms of major EFA Indicators, 2002-2005No
Indicators
Achievement
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Target 2015 11
Pupil Teacher Ratio 37
39.9
35.7
35.8
39.7
49.8 30 12
Repetition Rate:
12.1
-- Grade 1
41.8
38.7
36.8 34 NA
28.3 10
12.2
-- Grade 5
10.8 9
13.5
10.4 8 13
Survival rate to Grade 5
63.1
65.8
67.6
67.7
76.2
79.1 90 14
Coefficient of Efficiency
55.0
60.0 60 63 80

14. Status in terms of major EFA Indicators, 2002-2005No
Indicators
Achievement
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Target 2015 15
Percentage of Learning Achievement at Grade 5 40 NA 52 80 16
Literacy Rate
16.1
-- Age Group 15-24 70 76 95
16.2
-- Age Group 6+ years 54 90 17
Adult Literacy Rate (15+ years) 48 75 18
Literacy Gender Parity Index (15+ years)
0.6
0.67
0.7
1.0

15. Examples of achievements: Girls percentage in school education

16. Issues and challenges ECD:
Still on program basis not a part of system structure
Different programs run by different organizations
Standard norms and curriculum not yet in place
ECD provision more in urban areas
ECD in mother tongue is not adequately available

17. Issues and challenges UPE
Many children (13.2%) are never enrolled – who are they? Where are they? How they could be brought to school? – region, community, and gender combined
Children of migrating community are sufferers in terms of access and regularity
Slum dwellers, street children, and children of seasonal or occasional laborers are not accounted

18. Issues and challenges UPE
Flexibility in school provision is not yet efficient
arrangements/linkages between regular and alternative schooling is still poor
Social inclusion is still a challenge
Dalits
Special needs group/Disabled
Linguistic and ethnic minorities

19. Issues and challenges Life skill and adult literacy
High proportion of illiteracy
Lack of institutional/system provision for literacy classes
Poor linkages between formal and non-formal education
Lack of significant program regarding literacy
Lack of programs that fits the aspirations of youths in the present contexts

20. Issues and challenges Gender equality GPI students: GPI teachers:
GER 0.95; NER 0.93
GPI teachers:
0.7
Poor in female friendly environment
Low gender sensitivity

21. Regional disparities in school enrolment
Issues and challenges
Gender equity
Regional disparities in school enrolment

22. Issues and challenges Contd.
Quality of Education
Poor learning achievement scores
Poor school environment
Poor facilities, low awareness and capacity
Poor pedagogical environment
Low sensitivity
Difficulty in curriculum practices
Mother tongue education and language transition not addressed yet
Difficulty to address local and global concerns
Difficult for inclusion of local elements and life skills
Poor transformation of training to classroom practices
Teacher and parents’ role in curriculum not defined

23. Issues and challenges Management Issues
Transparency and accountability is challenging
Social audit and transparency are still new concepts
Information/communication management
Poor VDC and district level information system
Use of educational information in decision making processes
Community management and ownership of school education is still a challenging task
Capacity building and institutional arrangement still needs to be improved for better operation

24. Strategies considered for addressing the issues
Inclusion and gender mainstreaming
Partnership and collaboration
Communication and social mobilization
Decentralization
Flexibility in Service delivery modalities (textbooks, scholarship, construction materials etc.)
School-based financing: Block grants system (local control over resources)
School self assessment

25. Strategies considered for addressing the issues – contd.
School-based training and supervision.
Emphasis on monitoring and evaluation.
Participatory monitoring at community level
Flash reporting system
Data processing and publication at district level
Restructured Resource Centers for teacher support and roles of school supervisors redefined
Implementation manual delineating roles of every manager including norms of expenditure
Enhanced use of Education Training Centers (ETCs)
Targeted interventions for disadvantaged groups for achieving UPE (enrollment campaign and welcome to school) and reducing illiteracy
Initiation of local curriculum development and teaching through mother tongue

26. Strategies considered for addressing the issues – contd.
Policy reform to reserve teacher positions for females
Girls’ Education Strategy Paper drafted
School based financing aligned with results oriented accountability system
Establishing school based monitoring, assessment and evaluation system
Providing educational services in insurgency situation

27. Possibilities and Challenges for EFA MDA
Existing information sources:
Periodic national census
Periodic National Living Standard Survey
Annual school census and reporting
Bi-annual flash reports
Formative research project (FRP) for EFA – Longitudinal system indicator based study and Issue based case studies
TRSE report
Area/ sector based commissioned studies
Other studies

28. Possibilities and Challenges for EFA MDA
Lack of disaggregated data in school census required to address MDA
National data authority/ standardizing body is still not in place, varying data from various sources
Data extrapolation/ generation of new data is not available on regular basis
There are assessment reports at annual level, and occasional level how to use them and reconcile them to MDA remains a task