School Building Construction & Management:

Asia friendship network is working in the field of educational development of rural area of Nepal from 1997. About 104 years, The Rana regime in Nepal has suppressed education in Nepal so much that it had inflicted a blow to Nepal Education. After end of this regime in 1951, education in Nepal was given importance. But physical structure was not supported sufficiently and in some places community people built school building themselves in low technology and cost which is not fit for educational environment. Some of the schools were set in town, so children staying in village cannot attend there. Children have to walk about 2/3 hrs to get the primary education. Caste problem was a major deterrent in development of Education of Nepal. Lower cast people are discriminated by upper cast. So lower cast children do not go to school. These are the major problem of village in Nepal. So, we AFN is working to give at least primary education to rural children by constructing school building and much more. The following are the AFN educational support program in Nepal:

• Research on educational environment in Nepal
• School building construction and management
• Teacher’s Skill upgrade training/program
• School lunch management program
• Scholarship program
• Library building construction and management

Research on educational environment in Nepal

In 1996, a Japanese educational specialist and social worker Mr. Ishimaru Yujiro visited Nepal for the Educational Health environment research in developing country, Nepal. Mr. Ishimaru and Ganesh Man Lama from Nepal has jointly researched in rural village school in Kavre, Ramechap, Kaski and some area of Terai region of Nepal.  During this research, the following facts were found in educational sector of Nepal:

Lack of School Building

• There is not sufficient school building in village
• One VDC (Village Development Committee) has 2 primary school in average
• Two VDC has  1  Junior high school in average
• 4 VDC has 1 high school in average
• There is not any higher educational institute in village

Most of the children go to school by walking more than 2/3 hrs. up & down hills every day to get the primary education. Junior high school and high school are more far away than primary school. So, after the primary education, most of the do not continue their education.  

Lack of Class Room and educational materials

• Most of the school has 3 class room only.
• Most of the classes were conducted outside the school
•  In rainy season, most of the school are closed
•  Very small size class room.
• There was not windows in school
• There were not sufficient light in the class room.
• Roof and wall of the school were very poor
• Lack of educational materials
• Lack of furniture
•  No Toilet and Drinking water facilities in school
• Most of the children has no text book, note book and pencils
• All school has no Tiffin (school lunch)

Lack of Teacher and Their Training  

• Most of the school has 1 or 2 teacher in primary level
• Teacher’s do not have training
• Some of the school has volunteer teacher
• Low salary for teacher

Problem of Cast Discrimination

• Cast discrimination system still remaining in village
• Lower cast children do not study with upper class children
• There is not any special school/class for lower cast in village

Problem of Poverty

• Most of the Village people are very poor economically
• No sufficient food for their daily life
• Most of the family can not bear school fee, note book and pencil
• They used their children for house work
• They do not have income source people who live in village
• Lack of educational awareness  for both children and parent

Summarize:

Being an above reality of Nepali educational environment in village school, AFN realized to educate people first. Because, education is most important for change the people and their family. So, we AFN focused on educational sector and started to construct the school building from 1997 and still continuing to support both software and hardware in educational sector of Nepal.