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Education programs for Dalits in Nepal Introduction Education is most essential requirement of a person. Our constitution has ensured Education as basic human right of the people( constitution of Nepal (2063).Literacy rate of Nepalese people is 63% (6+) and 52% (15+)age group.more than 40% people are illiterate yet (NPC). Among them Dalit's literacy rate is 16% and for Dalit women the literacy rate is only 7% (http://nepalhumanrightsnews.com/page.asp?id=7). Dalits are most discriminated cast group in Nepal and India. They behaved as un touchable. Nepal is a poor and least developed country in the world. Most of Dalit people are under the poverty line. Dalits are poor people of the poor country. They are politically, economically and socially backwarded group of people. The following facts shows the scenario of Dalits. Dalit literacy rate is 42.84% versus a national average 48.19% in the 2001 census1 and as low as 21% of Terai Dalits versus 74% of Terai upper caste groups2. 76% of Terai Dalits aged 6 years and above have never attended school versus national average 44%3. 41% of Grade 1 enrolled Dalits fail to complete the primary education cycle through Grade 54. Dalits have low relative enrolment in lower and high secondary education (7.8% / 5.11% of enrolled children)5 Only 2% of primary school teachers are Dalit1 54% of Dalits are landless6. (1999) annual per capita income US$64.33 versus US$102.52 for upper castes7. Dalits account for only 3.8% of total employment in development sectors (NGOs, INGOs, bilateral and multi lateral) and far less in government sectors8. National average female life expectancy 58.9 years, but for Dalit women it is only 48.3 years. http://www.dwo.org.np/dalit.php Dalits are out of mainstream because of social discrimination. Social exclusion based on caste is interlinked with exclusion based on ethnicity and religion (http://huebler.blogspot.com/2007/05/caste-ethnicity-and-school-attendance.html). Nepal is multi ethnic, multi religious and multi cultural country (constitution of Nepal 2063). The following table shows the cast and ethnic group of people in Nepal. Share of population Simplified group 2001 census group

Hindu caste 1. Brahmans groups (57.5%) and Chhetris (Hill) 2. Brahmans and Chhetris

Brahman, Chhetri, Thakuri, Sanyasi

Kayashta, Rajput, Baniya, Marwadi, Jaine, Nurang, Bengali

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(Tarai) 3. Tarai Yadev,Teli, Kalwar, Sudi, Sonar, Lohar, Middle Castes Koiri, Kurmi, Kanu, Haluwai, Hajam/Thakur, Badhe, Rajbhar, Kewat Mallah, Numhar, Kahar, Lodha, Bing/Banda, Bhediyar, Mali, Kamar Dhunia 4. Dalits (Hill) Kami, Damai, Sarki, Gaine, Badi 5. Dalits (Tarai) Chamar, Musahar, Tatma, Bantar, Dhusadadh/Paswan, Khatway, Dom, Chidimar, Dhobi, Halkhor, Unidentified Dalit All Newari Castes Magar,Tamang, Rai, Gurung, Limbu, Sherpa, Bhote, Walung, Buansi, Hyolmo, Gharti/Bhujel, Kumal, Sunuwar, Baramu, Pahari, Adivasi Janajati, Yakkha, Shantal, Jirel, Darai, Dura, Majhi, Dunuwar, Thami, Lepcha, Chepang, Bote, Raji, Hayu,Raute, Kasunda Tharu, Dhanuk, Rajbanshi, Tajpuriya, Gangai, Dhimal, Meche, Kisan, Munda, Santhal/Satar/Dhangad/Jhangad, Koche, Pattarkatta/Kusbadiya Muslim, Churoute

Janajatis (37.2%)

6. Newar 7. Janajatis (Hill)

8. Janajatis (Tarai)

Muslims (4.3%) 9. Muslims

Others (1%)

10. Others

Source: World Bank, and Department For International Development (DFID). 2006. The following table shows the population distribution of different casts and ethnic groups. According to National Dalit commission, there are 21 dalits groups are in Nepal. 5 in Hill and 16 in terai. Dalits occupied about 13% population in Nepalbut their economic condition is very poor.

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Source: World Bank, and Department For International Development (DFID). 2006. Figure 2: Primary school attendance in Nepal by caste or ethnic group of household head

Source: Nepal 2001 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Hill Dalits (primary NAR 73.5 percent) are much more likely to attend school than Tarai Dalits. This difference in school participation can be explained by the fact that Dalits from the hill zone

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of Nepal are more integrated into society and therefore less subject to discrimination than Dalits from the southern tarai.

Figure 3: Secondary school attendance in Nepal by caste or ethnic group of household head

Source: Nepal 2001 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The above chart shows enrolment of different cast of children in secondary level. According to the given diagram the attendance rate of Terai Dalit and Muslims is very low, 7.2 and 7.9 perecent. The Terai Dalit's NAR is higher 15.9 percent but that is also lower than other caste children, where the NAR is more 44.6% in hill and 48.5% in Tarai. Hower Dalit children's enrolment in high school is not satisfactory, the enrolled children don't present in school regularly. The main cause might be poverty, Lack. Therefore there need additional support to increase NAR. http://huebler.blogspot.com/2007/05/caste-ethnicity-and-school-attendance.html

Dalit Education Education is most important factor for transformation of the social position of the people. Dalits are socially discriminated and oppressed group of people. Their literacy rate is very low. They have specific knowledge and skills of various works, but because of lack of education they are exploited. Education can improve dalit's status by facilitating and the spreading of an awareness of the importance of Dalits rights as human rights. Education can help deconstructing the religious and historical premises of interpretation and understanding the traditional myths against the Dalits society. It can build a new horizon where Dalits are respected in terms of the service and professions with which they contributed the society. Education can create citizens

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who are critical thinkers with diagnostic perception towards the mal practices. Similarly, education could only be the effective tool to prepare the future citizen capable of collating to protect Dalits rights and be willingly creating a new space for Dalits based on their indigenous knowledge respect in the society. For this state should improve education system at first, which should be accessible, compulsory and provide equal opportunity for all people of the nation, because is an important tool to empower the people. Education status of Dalits in Nepal

The above table shows the scenario of Dalits education, beside Muslims, Dalits especially Terai Dalits has low rate of primary education. The hill Dalits presence at primary school is higher (73.5%) which is higher than the middle castes in Terai the presence of students in Terai is much more low than the Hill. The table shows the dramatic differences between the Terai and the Hills. There are many factors to influence these results. One of them is caste discrimination. Discrimination occurs in classroom, teachers behavior, bullying the Dalits children by the socalled higher caste, Baniya (http: //www. nepaldalitinfo.net/wp-content/Jeevan_thesis07.pd) in this research studies mentions how untouchability has been the causes of suffering to the Dalits. Untouchability is practiced in schools, be they government- or NGO- supported schools. Teachers do not take care of their Dalits students. In remote areas of Nepal, Dalits students could not sit beside the so-called high-caste students. There are documented cases in NGO-supported schools of isolating Dalits students when eating school-supplied food, and treating them badly. Scholarships for Dalits students are inadequate if not irregular. Likewise, the so-called high-caste teachers do not want Dalits to become teachers because they do not want to do the traditional gesture of giving respect to them. They also do not want to eat and drink together with them as is the custom among teachers.

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Dlait Education Programs: The Education for All (EFA 2004-2009) programme puts more emphasis on new and improved scholarship and incentive programmes for girls and children from disadvantaged groups as a affirmative action. Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination. The focus of such policies ranges from employment and education to public contracting and health programs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action). Education For All National Plan of Action makes it clear that extremely disadvantaged hardcore groups need special preferential treatment to guarantee their access to education". It proposes some non-educational support for those children who belong to marginalized and disadvantaged communities such as food, jobs for their parents and other forms of material support. The EFA National Plan of Action has proposed scholarships for girls and Dalit children in order to increase their access to primary education (Acharya and Luitel 2006, P.12). Literatures show that incentive and scholarship programs are the access related activities, however it is also perceived as a program of enhancing the quality, relevance and equity aspect of the education. Various incentive and scholarship has been distributing to address the girls and disadvantage groups schooling system by the government and non-governmental sector over the world and in Nepal (CEIR 2007).

The following table shows different types of scholarship launched by government to promote the children who are from backward family. This table shows the scholarship programs of 2006. Most of the program are continue lunching by the government. The amount of money and strategy might be changed. Now all girls of primary level get scholarship 350 rupees per student per year. There is free education up to grade 10 and textbooks are also free. Dalits are automatically benefited from these programs. Except these program there several scholarship programs are conducting by government, NGOs, CBOs, INGOs, DDCs and VDCs. Name scheme Type Recipients Eligibility Criteria different level of disabilities, ethnic minorities and girls first son or daughter of those parents who were excluded from primary education Amount Provider

Scholarships for Children with Disabilities

monetary support

individual students

Rs.10000, 5000, 3000 and 500 as per the level of disabilities Rs.500 per student for the first year of his/her schooling

HMG/N

Booster Scholarship

monetary support

individual students

HMG/N

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Primary School Scholarship

monetary support

individual students

All Dalit students and 50% of poor students 50% of girl students of 610 years of age studying at primary level girls, ethnic minorities, backward castes, students without having any other scholarships, prioritised school

Rs.350 per student per year

HMG/N

Girl Student Scholarship

monetary support

individual students

Rs.350 per student per year

HMG/N

Lower Secondary /Secondary Full Scholarship

monetary support

individual students

Rs.1700 per student per year, however, only Rs.1000 is given to the student and Rs.700 is separately granted to the school to make the necessary arrangements for the learning of that same student Rs.700 per head per year

HMG/N

Lower Secondary/Secondary Freeship Scholarship

monetary support

individual students

the same criteria as of the previous one except for those who are studying in Grade6 and 7

HMG/N

Feeder Hostel Scholarship

monetary support

individual students

girls, remote districts, without a school near home, backward community

Rs.12000 per head per year living in remote districts Rs.1000 per head per year living in

HMG/N

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hostels of other than remote districts Scholarship for Oppressed and Dalits monetary support individual students boys and girls from dalits community studying in Grade6-10. daughters and sons up to the second generation, studying in recognized teaching institutions, no multiple scholarships girls with 80% attendance 2 litres of vegetable oil per month 4 litres of vegetable oil and fortified blended food Rs.350 per student per year yearly, need based Rs.500 per head per annum HMG/N

Scholarship for Martyrs Children

monetary support

monetary support

HMG/N

Girls Incentive Programme

material support

mothers

WFP

Mid-day Meal

material support

schools

students from Grades 1-5/1-8 students

WFP

Scholarship for Girls

monetary support

individual

six PARHI project districts

DACA W/UNI CEF DACA W/UNI CEF

Incentive for disadvantaged Children

material support

individual students

15 DACAW districts, OSP graduates and regular school going children schools in Surkhet and Doti

Scholarship for Girls

monetary support

parents

Rs.3000 per year (Grade18)

DDC*

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districts; and girl students who pass the end of Grade tests

Rs.5000 (Grade9-10)

This scholarship scheme is funded by DANIDA. This was initially initiated under Decentralization Action Support Unit of DANIDA. Nepal government has launched special plan and programs for Dalit's education. Government is promoting Dalits by providing various type of scholarship to send their children to school. Likewise non formal education also focused in Dalit community. For the first time mentioned the names and the programs of Dalits in the Ninth Plan and had a separate chapter subsection dealing with Adivasi Janajatis in Development. The policy had commitment establishing Higher education Scholarship fund for the Dalits by allocating special seats for higher education in agriculture, forestry, engineering and medicine. But in Practice, only a few seats were made available during the planning period in medicine and became indifferent in other discipline. The tenth plan identifies the exclusion as the most serious reason of poverty in the marginalized groups. Because of lack of voice, political representation and empowerment as the important dimension of poverty and Dalits at the bottom of almost all human development indicators. (http://siteresources.worldbank.org) Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur has launched recently a new program called "Student Bank". The main objective of the Student Bank is to provide the underprivileged and oppressed Dalits students, students with disability, and Janajatis students an access to higher secondary education (10+2 courses). The Dalits Welfare Organization (DWO) is collaborating as a member of the steering/selection committee in this program (http://www.nepaldalitinfo.20m.com/Opportunity/Opport.html). The Dalits civil society is working on the grassroots level as well as national level. It is estimated that more than 600 Dalits organizations are in Nepal are dedicated in working in various levels covering the wide ranges of service areas such as health, advocacy, sanitations, rights and empowerment, income generating, awareness creating activities against untouchability and education. Dalits Girls Scholarship program provides scholarship for Dalits girls (of the untouchable caste) to stay in school and go on to higher education. Investment in girls education is one of the best methods of fighting poverty, by empowering them to improve their families, quality of life with better nutrition, health care, hygiene, reduced fertility and infant mortality as well as economic benefits (http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/PDFs/Dalits_in_India_and_Nepal_Policy_Options_for_Impr oving_Social_Inclusion.pdf-UNICEF) Conclusion

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In conclusion Dalits are Reference Acharya Susan and Luitel Bal Chandra, 2006, The Functioning and Effectineness of Scholarship and Incentive Schemes in Nepal, UNESCO, Kathmandu Office A report on The Effectiveness of the school level scholarship and incentive programs of the Government of Nepal The Centre for Educational Innovation and Research (CEIR) June, 2007 http://www. nepaldalitinfo.net/wp-content/Jeevan_thesis07.pdf http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/12/05/000090341_2 0061205151859/Rendered/PDF/379660Nepal0GSEA0Summary0Report01PUBLIC1.pdf http://nepalhumanrightsnews.com/page.asp?id=7 http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/webforum/072011/MasseyPanelPaper%20 Final.pdf http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTRANETSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/RESOURCES/Benne tte.rev.pdf. http://www.nepaldalitinfo.20m.com/Opportunity/Opport.html http://www.pucl.org/from-archives/Dalit-tribal/education.htm http://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/2002/12/dalits-in-nepal-story-ofdiscrimination.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mobility http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_model http://www.dwo.org.np/dalit.php http://siteresources.worldbank.org http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/PDFs/Dalits_in_India_and_Nepal_Policy_Options_for_Impro ving_Social_Inclusion.pdf-UNICEF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action Shan, Dr. Edward C (ed):Alberunis India, vol. I & II; Atlantic publisher and distributers, New Delhi(reprinted).

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