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Millions of S Asian children start school ‘unprepared’
KATHMANDU, NOV 02 - Millions of children in South Asia start school unprepared; there is also increasingly heavy workload for women and children in the region, Caroline Arnold, Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific Regional Early Childhood Advisor said here Saturday.
Speaking during the inauguration of a three-day seminar organised by the Seto Gurans National Child Development Services, on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee, Arnold said that in the absence of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme, more than half school-aged children in South Asia drop out from school as they join unprepared.
"It is a terrible waste for the children," she said.
However, she said that Nepal has made tremendous progress in the ECD in the recent years.
Citing a study, she said that with the launch of the ECD programme, the number of children repeating the same grade has dropped from 40 percent in 2000 to 5.5 percent in 2003.
On the occasion, Chitra Lekha Yadav, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives appreciated the commendable services of Seto Gurans in the last 24 years.
However, she said that unless the government makes a huge investment on children’s holistic development, the country would continue to have a bleak future.
"It is necessary that the state invests on children to make them productive and informed citizens," she said while appreciating Seto Gurans for dedicating itself to the ECD programme in 46 districts.
Agatha Thapa, director of the Seto Gurans and Kunti Rana, training coordinator of the organization also spoke on the occasion.Posted on: 2003-11-01 09:02
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