Child Eduction

Photo: Pramod Bhattarai

Children living in urban areas (40 percent) were more likely to attend early childhood education than those living in rural areas (32 percent). Mother’s education level and the household’s wealth status influenced the likelihood of attendance in early childhood education. Only 26 percent of children whose mother had no education attended compared to 42 percent of children whose mother had primary education and 47 percent of children whose mother had at least secondary education. Only 16 percent of children living in the poorest households attended early childhood education compared to 50 percent of children from the richest households (CBS and UNICEF, ibid).

Still many children (5% to 22%) are not enrolled; those not enrolled include the children from the poorest families, street children, children of seasonal or occasional labourers, Dalits, particularly Terai Dalits such as Musahar, Chammar, Dom, Halkhor and Dusadh. Rural mountain communities are still out of easy access to schools, especially lower secondary and secondary schools. In some Terai, Mid and Far Western districts girls are still not getting easy access to schooling because of social barriers. The challenge remains to bring these children to school and retain them so that they can complete basic education and transit to secondary education. Education For All, National Review Report