ADB to fund education sector reform programme

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said preparations are underway to “take Nepal's school system into the next stages of reform and restructuring with new grants that will make the nation's educational programmes more responsive to the needs of an expanding economy”.

Initially, the bank has pledged a grant assistance of $8 million for the Education Sector Programme Cluster Subprogram II.

This will be jointly financed with other education development partners including the European Commission, which intends to provide 6 million euros ($8.7 million) as part of its contribution to the school sector.

According to the ADB, Japan Special Fund is also giving a $600,000 grant to be managed by the ADB for the preparation of the third and final subprogram of the Education Sector Program. The government of Nepal is providing $110,000 to the technical assistance.

“The overall objective of the programme is to work toward a fair, inclusive, effective and complete education system for Nepal. It also supports Nepal’s Education for All Programme for 2004-2009, the framework for basic and primary education in the country,” an ADB statement said.

The second sub-programme will support the preparation and transition of the country's public education into an integrated 12-year system - eight years of basic education and four years of secondary education, which is prescribed under the country's school sector reform plan.

"Through the implementation of the second subprogram, Nepal's education system will be in a better position to successfully pursue the school sector reform plan on a countrywide basis in 2009. This will result in an education system capable of providing better quality education that will enhance the educational attainment and livelihoods for children, particularly girls and disadvantaged groups," said Ayako Inagaki, senior education specialist of ADB's South Asia Department.

The final sub-programme, which is scheduled to start in 2009, will support the full implementation of the school sector reform plan once it is finalised, financed, and the legal and financing framework is adjusted to a 12-year school system.

The first sub-programme, which began in January 2007 and will run until July 2009, supports the Education for All Programme and is laying the groundwork for the integration of the current system into the planned 12-year school framework. The ADB provided $30 million loan and $2 million grant for this programme.

"Despite the government's efforts to meet the increasing demand for education, especially at post-primary level, financing problems, a poorly qualified teaching force and institutional weaknesses are slowing down improvements in school education," Inagaki added. nepalnews.com mk Jan 24 08