According to statistics, 770,000 children are deprived of the benefits of their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
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Constitutions, laws, policies, and programs are effective only when they benefit the target groups. If we examine the statistics on children's access to education, it is clear that all of the aforementioned aspects have not been effective.
Because, 770,000 children from remote geographical areas, low-income groups, and marginalized communities are out of school. The fact that a large number of children are not able to attend school or are unable to stay in school exposes the weaknesses of the state's educational policy. If immediate efforts are not made to improve the educational access statistics, the state's responsibilities and challenges will increase in the long run. There is a need to increase educational access by making state policies practical and effective. For this, the state should invest in child-friendly schools, curricula, creative educational activities, and nutrition programs. In addition, governments at all three levels should take the initiative to solve the individual, family, and community causes of children not attending school and dropping out as much as possible.
According to a report released a few weeks ago by the National Statistics Office under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, more than 350,000 of the 770,000 children have not enrolled in school. The remaining more than 350,000 have dropped out of school. The report indicates that 10 percent of school-age children are out of the classroom. The report points out that the trend of dropping out of school has increased significantly, especially after grade 5. The data shows that both strategies adopted by the government to enroll and retain children in school have not yielded significant results. Children from urban areas, families with a source of income, and educational backgrounds have access to education and have made educational progress. However, children from remote geographies, low-income levels, and marginalized communities are being deprived of such opportunities. Therefore, the state should focus its policies on those communities where educational access is weak.
The importance of education in the present era can be interpreted from many angles. The Compulsory and Free Education Act prohibits a person who has not completed grade 8 by 2085 Baisakh from being elected, appointed, and nominated to government, non-government, and private sector bodies. Section 19 of the Act states that he is ineligible to get employment in those bodies, or to become an official or member. Basic education is required even to join general employment. To gain specialized knowledge, expand awareness, and live as a conscientious citizen, one must connect with higher education and other sources of broader knowledge. When millions of children are not able to connect with basic education, their lives are bound to be difficult. Not only does the state lose the potential benefits it could have if they received a good education, it also imposes additional responsibilities on them. Therefore, only when the state is able to connect all children to education can social awareness and progress have a significant impact.
Article 31 of the Constitution of Nepal states that every citizen shall have the right to access basic education. Similarly, it is stated that every citizen shall have the right to receive compulsory and free education up to the basic level from the state and free education up to the secondary level. Statistics show that 770,000 children are deprived of the benefits of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. If the constitution itself cannot be implemented, the state must bear the responsibility. The statistics show that the community that should receive extra attention from the state is the one being deprived. Because, the report says that many children from the Madhesi, Madhesi Dalit, and religious and linguistic minority communities have never attended school. Provincially, the highest number of children from Madhesh Province are out of school. Therefore, the state needs to put forward programs targeting special classes, regions, and communities.
It is not that the government has not done anything. It has been spending billions of rupees every year to send children to school and keep them there. Arrangements have been made for mid-day meals, sanitary pads for girls, and scholarships for targeted groups. School enrollment campaigns have been launched. However, since such programs are not effective, enrollment has not been 100 percent or even close to that, and students have dropped out of classes midway. The new constitution has given the right to school education to the local level. The local level is more aware of the opportunities and difficulties of their place. Therefore, extra effort is expected from them. However, the role of the federal and provincial governments should also be supportive. At this time, parties and candidates for the House of Representatives elections are busy writing manifestos. They are meeting voters. They will make many promises. However, practical policies must be put forward to get children into school and keep them there. Education must be given top priority.
