KATHMANDU: Save the Children (SC) today made an appeal to the government to stop corporal punishment in schools, declare primary education free and create an environment for students to participate in school activities without fear.

The SC made the appeal today launching its third anniversary campaign with the slogan ‘Rewrite the Future!’ in which it called for quality education for the children out of school and those affected by armed conflict.

Bhola Prasad Dahal, Associate Director at the education and emergency section of the SC, claimed that a total of 67,263 conflict affected children in Nepal have received support from the organisation.

He also claimed that inclusive education has reached to some 1,503 ‘differently able children’ and 21,275 children have received their birth certificates through their assistance.

Meanwhile, speaking at an interaction, Dahal said that through the campaign, “learn without fear”, some 548 schools have been declared as peace zone and another 564 have stopped corporal punishment.

Highlighting the role of education, Dahal said that for every one percent rise in literacy level, life expectancy tends to rise by two percent.

He further added that a ten percent increase in girl’s primary enrolment tends to decrease infant mortality by 4.1 deaths per 1,000.

However, Dahal did not cite any references to those data.