Edited by:
Sumnima Tuladhar Abinash Rai
Hanna Ketola

Published by:
CWIN National Resource Centre on Child Rights and Children in Conflict


CWIN-Nepal
in partnership with
Plan-Nepal

P.O.Box. No. 4374
Rabibhawan, Kathmandu
Email: cwininfo@mos.com.np
URL: www.cwin.org.np

Children's issues in the election manifestos

Children have demanded the seven political parties to include several more children's issues in their manifestos, so as to prioritize child rights in the new constitution, which is to be framed after the Constituent assembly (CA) election. The children said that they would request their parents to cast vote to the parties which had a clear vision on child rights.

Moreover, they have demanded an immediate implementation of the children's act, formulation of a national child rights commission, inclusion of children in all of the top bodies deciding on children's issues and a special focus on the children affected by the armed conflict.

Humanitarian support for displaced children in Kapilvastu

After the conflict in Kapilvastu, many families with children were displaced from their villages and had to stay in IDP camps. The condition of children was critical. CWIN-Nepal in coordination with World Vision provided humanitarian support (Track suit and slipper) for the displaced children of five VDCs (Bisanpur, Khuruhuriya, Shivapur, Pathardaiya and Ganeshpur). CWIN with the help of Sahaj Nepal organization collected data of the displaced children. Altogether 570 children (228 boys and 342 girls) were provided track suit and slipper. Among these 570 children, 166 children were dalit, 137 were Janajati, 208 were Muslims and 49 were Brahman and Chhetri. In Bisanpur VDC: 272 children; Khuruhuriya VDC: 62 children; Shivapur VDC: 124 children; Pathardaiya VDC: 91 children and Ganeshpur VDC: 21 children received support. The children obtained the support in their home villages after having returned from IDP camps. Earlier CWIN-Nepal had done a fact finding mission and provided emergency support for the displaced families in IDP camps.

Reconstruction of schools in Rukum

CWIN-Nepal, in partnership with Save the Children Norway, has provided support for reconstructing classrooms and playing grounds in 9 schools in Rukum. Schools were damaged by the flood, and consequently, classrooms and playing grounds needed reconstruction in Magma, Rugha, Kholagaon, Chhiwang, Jhula, Duli and Aathbiskot VDCs. Almost 10 lakhs was spent on the construction work. The support was provided to Pipalnath Primary School, Rugha; Jan Jyoti Lower Secondary School, Duli; Nepal Rastriya Lower Secondary School, Magma; Himalaya Higher Secondary School, Kholagaon; Jan Priya Primary School, Chhiwang; Bal Sewa Primary School, Jhula; Prithivi Primary School, Duli; Jan Bikash Lower Secondary School, Magma and Kalika Lower Secondary School, Aathbiskot.

Source: Kantipur Daily, 23 January, 08.

CWIN's support for the children in Rolpa

Twelve thousand children in Rolpa have benefited directly from programmes implemented by CWIN-Nepal in partnership with Save the Children Norway. The programmes, which were implemented in 77 schools of 11 VDCs, included educational- and emergency support, awareness campaigns, trainings, and supply of materials for education and sports. In 2007, CWIN provided educational support for children, who were affected by the armed conflict, disable, orphan, economically backward, and for children whose houses were burnt. CWIN also provided deworming medicines for 10,621 children (5980 boys and 4641 girls) of 77 schools and gave emergency support for 22 children. Similarly, CWIN provided medicines for the first aid boxes in 77 schools.

Source: Nepal Samacharpatra, 30 January 2008.

Corporal punishment injures 3 students

Three students of Janajagriti Higher Secondary School at Baliya were injured, as a teacher severely battered them on Thursday. English teacher, Jhanak Joshi, beat up sixth graders Urmila shahi,

Rekha Shahi and Nilam Koirala, blaming they failed to complete their homework. The students are undergoing a treatment at the Lalratna Hospital in Lamki.
Source: The Kathmandu Post, 5 January, 08.

3 students held with arms

On Saturday the Police arrested three school students at Dharan-12, possessing a pistol and bullets. Two of the students, Sabnam Gurung and Sanjay Rai, are studying at the Public Secondary School in class eight, while one of them, Niten Shrestha, is a tenth grader in the Martyrs Memorial Secondary School.

Police confiscated the pistol and two bullets of 0.3o3 rifle. A joint police team of Armed Police Force and Nepal Police, stopped the students, who were roaming in the area and threatening locals with the pistol. According to the Police Inspector from the area police post Dharan, Badri Bikram Thapa, the police was searching for the person, who allegedly had given the weapons to the students.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, 6 January 08.

3 minors injured by an abandoned bomb

Three children in Kalaiya-8 were injured in the explosion of an abandoned bomb on Thursday. Achal Kumari, Basanta Mandal and Rajani Kumari, aged 4, 10 and 12, were hit by shrapnel.

They were playing with the bomb lying abandoned in a nearby field. The injured children were discharged the same evening after being treated at the district hospital.
Source: The Kathmandu Post 11 January, 08.

Daughter sues father

A girl from pathari VDC-1 in Morang district has filed a petition against her own father.. The girl aged 15 demanded actions to be taken against her father who had raped her. The girl filed the petition at the Area Police Office in Urlabari.. According to the Police, Mr Bahadur Shrestha had raped his daughter on the 4th of January under the influence of alcohol. Girl's mother was not at home while the attack happened.

Urlabari Gaurab Subb, an assistant Police Inspector of APO, noted that cooperation had been initiated in order to take action on Shrestha. Shrestha is working in the Eastern Division Office of Nepal Army in Itahari, but is said to be at large.

Source: The Rising Nepal, 18 January 08.

Minor faces jail term

In the absence of any child reform home, the District Court of Makwanpur has given a jail sentence to a juvenile delinquent.
Fourteen-year old Prem Bahadur BK from Kakada VDC, who was charged with robbery, was slapped with a custodial sentence. Since there is no child reform home in the district, he was taken to the jail in Birgunj.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, 27 January 08.

January 14, 2008

Condemning the activity of spreading terror

The 14th of January 2008, 15 year old Dinesh Nepali and two other people were injured in a bomb explosion while returning from a mass gathering organized by the seven political parties in Kathmandu. The incident violated the concept of "Children as Zones of Peace" and disturbed the peace process in the country. We condemn such an activity of spreading terror. Firstly, the Government needs to investigate the incident, find the perpetrators and take action against them. Secondly, free medical treatment needs to be provided for the injured people. Finally, we plead everyone to give special attention to the protection of children in case of violent incidents.

Situation of education in Nepal

Education is essential for improving social status and bringing down gender barriers. Moreover, education helps to break out from the vicious cycle of poverty by offering prospects for gainful employment and alternatives to premature work.

• In 2005, 47% of the adult population in Nepal were estimated to be literate, with a large gap remaining between male and female literacy rates; only 30% of the female population was literate compared to 65% of the males.
• Primary School begins at the age of 6 and lasts until the age of 10. Secondary education which follows lasts until the age of 15.
• Only 45% of the relevant age group enrolled in secondary school in 2002-2003. (50% of the boys belonging to the age group enrolled, whereas the figure for girls was 39%. Formal schooling in Nepal is constrained by economic and cultural factors, such as, the bias against girls' education, and the need for children to work at home or in the fields.
• The share for the education expenditure in the Total National Budget is only 16% and in the gross national product (GNP) 3.4% (2002-2003).
• In 2064, 274,210 regular students took the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) Exam, which is still considered as the 'Iron Gate' in Nepal. However, only 160,802 passed the exam. Compared to last year the pass rate increased by 12%.
• Numbers of students getting Distinction in SLC were 7,498; First Division 56,153; Second Division 89,662 and Third Division 7,498.
• 1,16 816 students attended the SLC Supplementary examination in August 2007, and 84,180 (72.06%) of them passed. In comparison to last year the pass rate decreased by 15.94%.
• The present student teacher ratio is 1:50, 1:45, and 1:40 in the Terai/valley, hills, and mountain districts respectively.
• Only 2% of dalits and only 10% of disabled are literate.
• The on-going armed conflict, which was instigated in February 1996, had a severe impact on education in the country. It was reported that this year (January - September 2006) around 3840 schools were affected by the conflict. 3735 schools were closed from time to time and bunkers were built in 56 schools. Importantly, some of the schools remained closed permanently.
• Likewise, 32 schools were affected by bomb explosions, and at least 8 schools were destroyed by fire. Moreover, 3 schools were affected in crossfire between conflicting parties, and several schools were used by security forces. Lastly, 3 schools were affected by CPN-Maoist training programme, including training with arms in the school premises.
• 1531 teachers were directly affected by the armed conflict, including 7 male teachers who lost their lives.
  
  Source: CWIN Research on Alcohol and Drugs Use in Nepal