Strong Foundations: Early Education in Rural Nepal

You may be familiar with the expression "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." For those who are not, it means that the first meal you eat sets the tone for the rest of the day: It gives you the energy to do what you need to do, whether that be paid work, school, family and home care, or anything else. 

In the same way, early education is arguably the most important stage of a child's academic life. A child who enters primary school unprepared is less likely to do well in subsequent grades and eventually complete their high school education.

A recent UNICEF publication* indicates that in Province 1 of Nepal (the broad region that includes the villages where ETC began working in 2020**):

• Only 43% of children aged 7-14 have foundational reading skills, defined as the level of skill expected of a child in grades 2 and 3;
• Only 35% of children aged 7-14 have foundational math skills; and
• More than one-quarter of children do not complete lower secondary school (equivalent to grade 8 in the US).

These figures are typically lower yet for rural children from impoverished families, which is our target population.

While school attendance and completion rates are trending upwards in the villages we serve, there is still progress to be made. That's why it's so important that we continue to support and strengthen early childhood education classrooms through training teachers and providing classroom materials, furnishings, and intangibles such as networking opportunities and parent meetings. Please watch our short video for more information about ETC's early education activities.

These improved early education environments are already making a difference in our served villages, and will continue to do so for many years to come - thanks in large part to YOUR support! 

From all of us at ETC and program partner Save the Earth, a heartfelt thank you! 

* Data from Nepal Education Fact Sheets 2022

** Province 1 has a population of just under 5 million people. The wards/villages where ETC currently works have a total combined population of just over 20,000 people.

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