Adolescent Girls’ Access to Secondary
Education in Nuwakot District of Nepal
Babita Rana, Guest Scholar
Center for Universal Education | Brookings Institution
29 June, 2012
1
Overview
1.
National Context: Situation of Adolescent Girls’
Education in Nepal and Nuwakot District
2. Underlying Problems: Challenges Faced by
Adolescent Girls’ in Nuwakot District
3. Potential Solutions: Pilot Project
2
Improved Access in Primary
100
93%
90%
95%
93%
95%
94%
Grade 1-5
(Primary)
90
Percent Enrolled
80
70
60
57%
58%
64%
62%
50
40
38%
35%
41%
40%
70%
68%
47%
46%
Grade 6-8
(Lower
Secondary)
Grade 9-10
(Secondary)
30
20
7%
10
8%
7%
8%
0
Girls
Boys
2008-2009
Source:
MOE 2008//9, 2009/10, 2010/11
Girls
Boys
2009-2010
Girls
Boys
2010-2011
Grade 11-12
(Higher
Secondary)
3
Low Learning Levels
National Reading Assessment of
Children in Grade 2
National Assessment of Nepalese Children
in Grade 5 Based on Ecological Belt
46%
Science
40%
46%
68%
Social
Studies
63%
51%
Math
38%
68%
Terai
50%
Hill
English
32%
39%
Mountain
38%
41%
Nepali
Cannot read a single word
44%
0
20
Beginner Reader / Reads without comprehension
Reads with comprehension
Source: Save the Children, 2010
Source: MOE, 2010/2011
40
45%
60
80
4
Large Inequalities in Girls’ Education
(Urban vs. Rural)
Enrollment of Girls in Primary and Secondary Education
90
79.9 80.1
80
Percent Enrolled
70
60
Urban
Rural
52.6
50
39.1
40
30
41.2
23
25
20
9.3
10
0
Primary
Source: MOE 2010/11.
Lower Secondary
Secondary
Higher Secondary
Nuwakot District
6
Adolescent Girls’ Population in
Nuwakot District
10-14 years
20,202
15-19 years
16,285
Total
36,487
Total Population of Nuwakot: 278,761
7
Disparities in Enrollment
100
97%
Percent Enrolled in Public School
90
80
73%
70
60
46%
50
40
30
20
5.2%
10
0
Primary
Source: MOE, 2010/2011
Lower Secondary
Secondary
Higher Secondary
8
Challenges for Adolescent Girls
Early Marriage
50% married by 13-16 yrs old
Early Pregnancy
Household Chores
50% more time spent on
household chores by
adolescent girls
Agricultural Work
(Child Labour)
25% of 10-14 yr-old girls and
50% of 15-19 yr-old girls are
involved in farming and paid
work
Poor Performance
Missing School
9
What is the Solution?
► Reducing cost of
education
► Providing incentives for
girls to attend school
► Countering early marriage
and child labor
10
AGE Africa’s Model
Advancing Girls’ Education (AGE) Africa is a NonProfit Organization working in Malawi since 2005
Approaches
Achievements
► Comprehensive Scholarship
► 100% retention rate
► Life Skills Mentoring
► 70% pass rate (national
average of 23%)
► Career Guidance Education
► Delayed marriage and
pregnancy
Intervention
Create a Learning Center
in Nuwakot District
12
Approaches and Implementation
Comprehensive
Scholarship
Building
Life Skills
Career Guidance
Education
• 50 girls in Grade 6 at two public
schools
• 1 to 2 hour after school program for
all students
• Annual 1 week All Scholars Retreat
• 6 part extra-curricular career
workshop series for all scholars
(Grade 11-12)
13
Risks & Assumptions
►
►
►
►
Early marriage;
Unstable political situation;
Family objection to higher studies;
Family migration due to poverty or economic opportunities.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Progress Report
Feedback
MIS System Database
•
Bi-monthly and annual reports on the
progress of target students and schools.
• Interviews with students and teachers at
intervention schools.
• Records of student and school
performance during the program and after
they graduate from secondary school.
14
Outcomes
Student Level
►
►
►
►
Increase retention and graduation rate of girls in secondary school;
Delay marriage and early pregnancy;
Boost self-confidence;
Increase economic opportunities.
School Level
►
►
►
►
Increase cooperation and knowledge sharing between schools in the district;
Improve overall learning outcomes;
Raise faculty skills level;
Develop gender sensitive curriculum.
Community Level
►
►
Reduce poverty;
Contribute to policy recommendations to improve the quality of secondary
education.
Thank You!