Nepal's Adult Learning & Education Review.pdf

- Adult Learning & Education (ALE) in Nepal:
- Broad, autonomous learning by adults for personal growth or livelihood.
- Evolved from initial literacy focus to include diverse programs like teacher training, parenting education, TVET, non-formal education.
- Adult literacy programs are the most recognized ALE initiatives.

- Literacy Rates & Challenges:
- Nepal's literacy rate is growing slowly, with 87% (above 6 years), 95% (15-24 years), and 75% (above 17 years).
- Disparities exist: 12% of poorest quintile's children are developmentally on track vs. 65% from the richest.
- Low adult literacy, especially among females and marginalized groups, hinders education participation and socio-economic development.

- Youth Population & Education:
- Nepal's largest generation (10-24 years) lacks access to education and health services, with poor job prospects.
- New constitution (2015) delegates education responsibilities to local governments, with efforts to achieve SDGs.

- Voluntary National Review (VNR) Report 2017:
- Nepal's VNR report didn't mention SDG4 (Quality Education) or adult learning.
- It reviewed goals 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 17, but not from an adult education perspective.
- Civil society organizations were not consulted during the VNR process.

- Review & Recommendations:
- The review analyzed Nepal's VNR report from an ALE perspective, using related documents and stakeholder feedback.
- It recommended strengthening youth and adult education to meet SDGs, as the large youth population could be a demographic dividend.