Lalitpur, March 1:

With the aim to ensure access to quality education to over 900,000 conflict-affected, out-of-school and internally displaced children by 2010 in Nepal, the International Save the Children Alliance (ISCA) launched a programme called Global Challenge (GC) — Quality education for children affected by armed conflict, here today.

Eiichi Sadmatsu, resident representative of Save the Children Japan, Keith Leslie of Save the Children US and Valter Tinderholt of Save the Children Norway jointly launched the global programme that will be implemented in 12 other countries of the world as well.

Tinderholt said the objective of the Global Challenge is to guarantee quality education to over 8 million children in a safe environment. It would also help achieve Millennium Development Goals, he said.

Available data show that only 47.4 per cent of students get promoted from Grade I to II while 38.7 per cent repeat the same grade and 13.9 per cent drop the school. Over 1,000 private schools have been closed down and some have turned into military barracks.

“Around 3 million children who currently have no access to school will benefit from education that will offer them protection, stability and opportunities in their life and 5 million children who are currently in school will get quality education,” he added.

He further added over 2 million children’s learning will improve through the promotion of active and non-violent teaching-learning approaches, child-friendly schooling, participation of children and parents in school management and monitoring of implementation of curriculum and curriculum materials as well as government funds.