Equality of Opportunity in Education and Training - Nepal Education for All (EFA) National Action Plan 2003 - 1215

Nepal Education for All (EFA) National Action Plan 2003 - 1215

Nepal aims to eliminate gender inequity in the education sector by 2015. It has aimed at eliminating gaps between boys and girls' enrolment rates as well as in the proportion of male and female teachers at the primary level by 2005. The government intends to incorporate progressive gender perspectives in the curriculum and textbooks to achieve sustained gender equity.

The main policy-strategies to reduce the gender gap are:

• providing scholarship/incentives for girls to join school and complete the full cycle of schooling
  
• improving school environment in order to make it more gender friendly
  
• enhancing participation of females in education through affirmative actions, e.g., promoting the recruitment of female teachers at primary school. There is provision for the recruitment of at least one female teacher in each primary school. Special incentive programs such as girls' scholarship program have been implemented to enhance participation of girl students.
  
• implementing gender sensitisation programs for teachers, head teachers, educators, community, parents and students. The concerns of gender equity are now in-built in teacher training packages.
  
• undertaking reforms for gender sensitive curriculum, textbooks and teacher training materials.

Measures taken to implement the strategies are e.g. school improvement programs, orientation for gender sensitisation of teachers, community awareness programs and various incentive programs, such as, scholarships, feeder hostels, and learning materials to the girls. The district and regional education offices implement the policy of increasing the number of female teachers by employing females at the rate of 50 % of the total new replacements.