BHOJPUR, NEPAL, FEBRUARY 12th 2025 – A School Management Committee (SMC) meeting was held for a participatory appraisal for stakeholder mapping at the Community Level to familiarize SMC members with ongoing project activities in local schools and to encourage community ownership and engagement. The session, led by the “Promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Schools Building on What Children Value and Aspire To Do and Be” (CVEC) project team included discussions on project objectives, GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion) indicators, and key challenges in public education.
Identified Challenges in Public Education
The participants highlighted various systemic issues impacting local schools:
- Past GESI programs remained limited to policy documents without effective implementation.
- Families with financial means prefer private schools, while public schools cater mostly to working-class families.
- Public schools continue to be stigmatized as institutions for lower-income groups.
- The majority of school budgets are allocated to teacher salaries, leaving minimal funds for operational needs.
- Teachers and SMC members require continuous training on modern teaching methodologies and governance.
- Integration of technology and innovative pedagogical methods remains a challenge.
- Parents and communities lack awareness of the importance of education and their role in school engagement.
- Limited parental financial investment correlates with reduced involvement in school activities.
- Student absenteeism and school dropout rates remain high, with many students opting to work abroad instead of pursuing higher education.
- Resource allocation does not consider student population differences, leading to inefficiencies.
- The politicization of SMCs and school governance affects decision-making and long-term planning.
Addressing these concerns, the project team emphasized the importance of sustainable community ownership of schools. It was highlighted that GESI should be actively implemented beyond policy commitments, resource shortages continue to pose significant challenges for schools, and community participation in school management has declined over time, despite schools originally being community-led initiatives.
To tackle these challenges, participants suggested essential educational reforms, including legal awareness programs for students, the integration of child clubs into local governance for child-friendly policies, psychological and psychosocial counseling services, awareness campaigns to enhance parental and community engagement, sanitation drives for healthier learning environments, and the inclusion of moral and civic education to instill ethical values in students.
Recommendations for Education Reform
The meet concluded with the participants proposing several interventions to improve education quality and governance:
- Legal awareness programs to educate students on their rights and responsibilities.
- Promotion of child-friendly governance by integrating child clubs into local government frameworks.
- Implementation of psychological and psychosocial counseling services for student well-being.
- Awareness campaigns targeting students, parents, and communities to enhance engagement in education.
- School and community sanitation drives to promote a healthier learning environment.
- Inclusion of moral and civic education to instill ethical values in students.
The meeting drew attention to the urgent need for structural changes in public education and a collaborative approach between schools, local governments, and communities to drive meaningful reform and the necessity of proactive measures to ensure inclusive and high-quality education for all in Nepal.
