Using the Abidjan Principles to inform local and national education plans in Nepal

The National Campaign for Education Nepal (NCE), a national education coalition of 409 civil society organizations, has been working at the national and grassroots level on the implementation of the Abidjan Principles since their adoption in February 2019. In the context of COVID-19, more than 2,500 stakeholders including policy makers have been sensitised on the need to regulate the private actors during the pandemic, and the importance of the State obligations with regard to strengthening public education.

Radio and online discussions on the role of local governments in monitoring private actors and alternatives have been organised in more than 15 districts. The programs were focused on disseminating provisions of Abidjan Principles and sensitize the stakeholders in applying them for the improvement of quality education in public schools during COVID-19, and on how local government has to ensure its accountability to monitor and regulate private actors. Local governments were made aware of the Abidjan Principles, to take these as guidelines in the formation of the local education policies and Acts at the local level.

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2020, NCE Nepal district coordination committees in 25 districts advocated at the local level for the adaptation of the major provisions of the Abidjan Principles as well as ensuring “Education as a right” in pandemic. Contextualisation and localisation of the Abidjan Principles into the local language was made and disseminated to the larger stakeholders including the federal, province and local governments, civil society, journalists, parents and academicians.

As a result of this continuous engagement of NCE Nepal, there have been some positive changes. The role of State regarding the monitoring of private actors of education, the need of reducing privatisation in education and strengthening the public education system have been included in the National Education Policy, the Fifteenth five-year plan of Nepal, as well as on some Local Education Act and Policies.

Find out more about the National Campaign for Education Nepal

Mr. Ram Gaire currently works as program manager in National Campaign for Education Nepal, a network of 409 organizations. Mr. Gaire has extensive working experience in advocacy, campaigning and building the movement especially in education rights and rights of the marginalized. He has led different CSO led monitoring, researches, policy analysis and producing papers and articles at the local level. He has attended several global and regional platforms, forums, meetings and conferences about education/child rights, SDG4 and Education 2030. He also represents in different national and local forums like Local Education Group, different thematic and working committees formed for the Education Sector Plan (ESP) at country level. Mr. Gaire is the member of the executive committee/board of Global Campaign for Education. Academically, Mr. Gaire has completed MPhil in Education from Kathmandu University Nepal.