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I. INTRODUCTION

Nepal has a very low literacy status with only 40% of whole people being literate with the litercay rate for male and female being 55% and 25% respectively.

The government of Nepal has declared free primary education system for some years now. A national policy of Universalisation of Primary Education (UPE) has been implemented. According to Nepal's endorsement of the 1990 Declaration for All and the Rights of the Child Convention, the present rate of illeteracy should be halved by the year 2000. But the stuation remains grim. Conventionally, the definition of being literate is being able to read and write own's name. About 60% of school age children in Nepal are believed to be unable to do that.

Even though the primary school enrollement of the children in the age group (6-10) is reported to be 80%, more than 70% drop out before the completion of the primary level. According to the reports, out of 1000 children in grade 1, only 390 complete the grade and only 125 complete the primary level. The ratio is even low for the female children. According to one study, the magnitude of non-schooling population in the age group 11-15 years were half male and 2/3rd female population respectively.

In Nepal, where most people live below the poverty line, children's education takes back seat. Poverty, underdevelopment, mass illetercay, ignorance, rural backwardness and conservatism causes a majority of children in Nepali to be deprived of their basic rights to education. Nepal has a tremendous magnitude of child labour with 1 Million engaged in the labour force in the organsied sector for their own and family substitency being unable to pursue education.Various other social problems such as child marriage, girl trafficking, bonded labour system, descrimination against girl child, etc. leads towards the undermining of children's right to education. Similarly ineffective educational policy in Nepal, lack of strategical planning and investment in child education sector, absence of proper applicable and alternative education system and high rate of unemployment among educated people all contribute towards the low rate of school enrollment. Children of migrant families, migrated child labours, street children, children from slum and squatter settlements, orphaned, abandoned and destitute children , who are an itegral part of the urban Nepal, are amongst the most deprived group towards an access to education.

From the very beginning, CWIN was involved in social awareness activities on the situation and problems of street children, child workers and other underprivileged children in Nepal. Similarly, CWIN also started programmes for the relief and welfare support of such children. Based on its studies, observations and experiences of working with children, education support for children was idenified as both immediate and long term approach for the socialisation and rehabilitation of children at risk.

Though CWIN's educational activities started in 1988, Education Suppot Porgramme (ESP) as a full fledged activity formally began to operate from the beginning of 1992.

2. OBJECTIVES

General Objective

To be committed to the cause of establishing the right to education for child workers and children living and working at difficult circumstances, and ensure them the opportunity to enjoy their childhood through education and awareness opportunities.

Specific Objectives

i. Provide education and awareness opportunities to the community, especially the children at risk by means of literacy and social concientisation activities.

ii. Motivate the communities and concerned sectors to create an healthy environment for the children to grow up with their full potential and protect the children and chelibeti (adolescent girls) in their milieu from abuse and exploitation.

iii. Organise regular action oriented researches and studies and use the findings, information and experiences to formulate new, innovative and effective programmes for the education of child labour and children at difficult circumstances. Prepare literacy packages, start model programmes and make it public.

iv. Create local manpower to launch literacy activities in the community through trainings and orientations in the communities.

v. Provide advice, suggestions and pressures to the concerned authorities for the formulation and implementation of proper plans of action in the field of child education in Nepal.

3. TARGET GROUPS

4. APPROACH