Karnali Province Government's Educational Reform Program Stalled

Karnali Province Government's Educational Reform Program Stalled

Karnali Province government launched several plans for the improvement of public education in the current financial year 2079/80, but until the end of half of the financial year, no significant progress has been made in the implementation of the plans.

Plan to Declare the Province Literate is Stalled

The plan to make all the local levels of all the 10 districts fully literate and declare the Province as literate is stalled. Out of 36 municipalities in the five districts of former Karnali, 32 municipalities are yet to be declared literate. The literacy rate of Karnali is 62.77 percent.

Neglect of the Local Level is the Reason

Due to the neglect of the local level, the Literacy Declaration Plan could not be implemented. Municipalities should conduct literacy programs through adult education and community learning centers under non-formal education. It is necessary to coordinate with the province, but so far no municipality has even submitted a commitment.

Challenges in Implementing the Programs

Most of the programs created by the province have to be conducted in partnership with the local government, but if the local level does not coordinate, there is a challenge in the implementation of the program. The local government pays attention to the construction of infrastructure, but such programs are often overlooked.

Lack of Investment in Education

The Province has not even invested in the education sector as expected. The provincial government has allocated about four percent of the budget for the current financial year. Out of the total budget of the Ministry of Social Development of 5.92 billion, 1.41 billion has been allocated to the education sector.

The educational reform program initiated by the Karnali Province government for educational reform has stalled. The plan to declare the province literate is yet to be implemented. Neglect of the local level and lack of investment in the education sector are the main reasons for the failure of the program. The provincial government needs to focus more on the education sector and work with the local level to ensure the successful implementation of educational programs.

Last updated: 8th March 2023