KATHMANDU, MARCH 18
The National Women Commission has urged the government to run additional classes on violence against women in schools every week.
At a programme organised by Society of Education Journalists in collaboration with Volunteer Service Overseas Nepal and Aasaman Nepal, here today, NWC member Bidya Sinha said that a team of the NWC has urged Minister of Education, Science, and Technology to run the classes.
She said they requested the minister to include the subject in school-level curriculum.
Similarly, Spokesperson of the ministry, Deepak Sharma, said the government has already brought a masterplan of the concept of safer school, and it would be implemented by incorporating the obstacles created by COVID-19.
He said that schools had been asked to compulsorily keep a complaint box and regularly address the complaints of students as well as create an environment not allowing violent activities.
Likewise, Sudurpaschim Province Chair of National Association of Rural Municipalities Durga Dutta Ojha said they were committed to build child-friendly schools, while Executive Director of National Child Welfare Board Milan Dharel expressed the view that a policy-level initiative had begun to implement child protection guideline in all local level schools as children could learn effectively only in a fearless environment.
President of Nepal Teachers' Federation Baburam Thapa sought the cooperation of teachers in making the Nepal Safer School Project a success. Policies and programmes related to schools could be effective by building ownership at the school level, suggested Krishna Thapa, president of the Community School Management Committee Federation of Nepal.
Achievements of the 'Safe To Learn' project launched in various districts could be useful in other places, said Jaya Sankar Lal, country director of the VSO Nepal. Similarly, Santosh Maharjan of Asaman Nepal said it had been found that many children dropped out of school midway due to violence, ill-treatment and strikes at school and social evils and discrimination.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 19, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
