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Working
Children
In Nepal it is estimated that 2.6
million children work, which is 42% of the total child
population between the ages of 5-14. Of these children,
about 27% are involved in economic activities. The bulk
of children, 95%, work in agriculture. That is 1.58
million children engaged in some sort of agricultural
work
Children are employed in other non-agricultural
activities and they are more clearly interpretated as
“working children”. However, as the majority
of the Nepali population are involved in agriculture,
it is often not seen as “work” when their
children help on the farm. In fact, according to the
ILO, agriculture is classed as one of the most dangerous
occupations for children. Hours are long, they are required
to lift heavy weights and use sharp implements etc.
And of course, the opportunity to attend school is less
the more work the child has to do around the farm. Even
those who do attend school are often too exhausted to
perform well in the classroom.
Four out of 10 working children do
not go to school, and among those, 60% are girls.
Source: National Child Labour Survey
1997
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Article
in the Perth Telgraph
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"Links
and Statistics"
 Literacy
Rates – Indicators %
Primary school enrolment ratio, net, male
75
(1998-2002)
Primary school enrolment ratio, net, female
66
(1998-2002)
% of net primary school attendance, male
79
(1996-2003)
% of net primary school attendance, female
66
(1996-2003)
% of primary school attendance reaching
92
grade 5, survey data (1997-2003)
Secondary school enrolment ratio, gross,
male 50
(1998-2002)
Secondary school enrolment ration, gross,
female 37
(1998-2002)
Definitions of the Indicators
Net primary school enrolment ratio –
the number of children enrolled in primary school who belong
to the age group that officially corresponds to primary schooling,
divided by the total population of the same age group.
Net primary school attendance – percentage
of children in the age group that officially corresponds to
primary schooling who attend primary school. This data comes
from national household surveys.
Primary school entrants reaching grade five
– percentage of the children entering the first grade
of primary school who will eventually reach grade five.
Gross secondary school enrolment ratio –
the number of children enrolled in secondary school, regardless
of age, divided by the population of that age group that officially
corresponds to the same level.
Source: UNICEF Nepal
Caste and Gender Discrimination
Caste discrimination remains ingrained in
the Hindu dominated Nepali society, constituting a form of
racism in which people are categorised into social positions
and are denied equal assess to social, economic, political
and legal resources. Wealth and power are disproportionately
distributed among the higher castes, restricting social mobility
and the possibility of intergenerational change, because caste
is based on lines of descent. Adults teach children to retain
and enforce this system and caste discrimination is frequently
present in government initiated development programmes.
Non-Hindu communities, usually impoverished
indigenous people and ethnic minorities, are treated the same
way as lower caste Hindus. It is estimated there are over
60 ethnic groups and approximately 125 languages in Nepal.
Ethnic and indigenous groups comprise 40% of the population.
Gender and caste based inequality in primary
education is especially pronounced in Nepal, particularly
among the indigenous ethnic and caste groups who have historically
been disadvantaged. Poverty is highest in these groups; life
expectancy is lower, as is the literacy rate. The low literacy
rates can be attributed to ethnic and caste groups speaking
their own mother tongues rather than Nepali – the language
schoolbooks are printed in and exams held in. Although poverty
and the need for children to work to help the family earn
a living are cited as reasons for children, especially girls
not attending school, underlying cultural factors dominate
the eventual decision. Society itself sees the role of females
as caretakers of the household and family and as girls leave
the parental home for the home of her husband’s parents,
parents, especially those with limited resources, find it
not only financially difficult to send their daughters to
school but also are unable to see the value in education for
girls.
Culturally of less value then than
boys, girls receive less of everything; food, medical care,
education and opportunities. Girls are married off early;
with the lack of education perpetuating the problem of child
marriages. Early marriage also contributes to poor maternal
and child health…….. And the cycle of poverty
and illiteracy continues.
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"The
Convention on the Rights of the Child
adopted by the United Nations in 1989 reaffirms
that all children have rights that must be respected,
protected and promoted. Article 28 states that
"All children have a right to education".
In some places around the world, this just does
not happen." |
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Drop
Out Rates %
Grade 1 repetition
rates, female 38.3
(2001)
Grade 1 repetition
rates male 39.1
(2001)
Grade 1 dropout
rates, female 14.3
(2001)
Grade 1 dropout
rates, male 13.5
(2001)
Source: European
Commission Education Coordination Office
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