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167

Human Rights Education Curriculum,
Methods and Materials for
School Level Education in Nepal:
Status and Issues 1
Basudha Pande

S

ince time immemorial, children in Nepal have been taught to respect older
persons, especially their parents and teachers. They were taught to remain
disciplined at all times. Children were taught to be considerate in theirtreatment of others and be helpful to those in difficult situation. These teachings
occurred without specifically mentioning "human rights.” Subjects of studies likephilosophy, history, civics and moral education prepared students to become responsible citizens. In the modern day school curriculum as well, students continue
to receive human rights education primarily through subjects like social studies (allgrades), civic and moral education (grades VI-VIII) and environmental education(all grades). Various government agencies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) havebeen organizing education and training programs on human rights education.
2.	Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to thestrengthening of respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendshipamong all nations, racial or religious groups,
and shall further the activities of the United
Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kindof education that shall be given to theirchildren.

As early as 1948, the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) drawing the attention of nations around the world to consider education as
everyone's right. Article 26 of UDHR states:
1.	Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementaryand fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical andprofessional education shall be made generally available and higher education shallbe equally accessible to all on the basis of
merit.

Progress towards the achievement of the
UDHR objectives in Nepal has been rather

167

168  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

slow. To date, primary education in Nepal is neither compulsory nor completely free. Moreover,according to 2004 data, net enrollment was 84.2
percent at primary level and literacy rate in 2001
was estimated at 53.7 percent. Performance ofmajority of community schools is consideredpoor. Repetition and dropout rates in primary
grades, especially in grade I, are high.
The Convention on the Rights of Child(CRC), adopted by the UNGA in 1989, reiterated the rights of everyone to receive education
free of cost at primary level. Articles 28 and 29of the CRC include clauses to ensure continuity
as well as human rights education components
in the education of children. Some of the more
relevant sections of these articles are quoted
below:
Article 28:
1.
States Parties recognize the right of thechild to education, and with a view to achieving
this right progressively and on the basis of equal
opportunity, they shall, in particular:(a) Make primary education compulsory andavailable free to all;(b)	Encourage the development of different
forms of secondary education, including
general and vocational education, makethem available and accessible to every child,and take appropriate measures such as theintroduction of free education and offering
financial assistance in case of need;(c) Make higher education accessible to all on
the basis of capacity by every appropriate
means;(d) Make educational and vocational informationand guidance available and accessible to all
children;(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of dropout rates.
2.
States Parties shall take all appropriate
measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s

human dignity and in conformity with the present
Convention.
Article 29:
1.
States Parties agree that the education of
the child shall be directed to:(a) The development of the child’s personality,
talents and mental and physical abilities totheir fullest potential;(b) The development of respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United
Nations;(c) The development of respect for the child’s
parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of
the country in which the child is living, thecountry from which he or she may originate,
and for civilizations different from his or herown;(d) The preparation of the child for responsible
life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding peace, tolerance, equality of sexes,
and friendship among all peoples, ethnic,
national and religious groups and persons ofindigenous origin;(e) The development of respect for the naturalenvironment.

Nepal became a party to CRC in 1990.
Nepal is also committed to the Millennium
Development Goals2 and Education for All.3

Human rights education and the school
curriculums
The last major revision in school curriculums
took place in 1992. The seven broad national
objectives of education are the following:
1.		Education should help to flourish the potentiality and the prospects of personality
development in everybody
2.		Education should help in the developmentof a healthy social life by inculcating in theHuman Rights Education Curriculum - Nepal  169

individual universal human values as well as
by enhancing national and social norms
3.		Education should strengthen social unity
by helping in an individual’s capacity tosocialization
4.		Education should help an individual inliving a harmonious life in the present-day
world by maintaining its own identity in thenational as well as international scenarios
5.		Education should develop human resources
required for building the nation by helping
in the modernization of the society
6.		Education should help in the conservationand proper utilization of natural environment and national heritage
7.		Education should help the backward sectionof the society to join the mainstream of thenation.
Most of the national objectives of education relate to human rights education. Manyof the statements included in the objectives
above like development of a "healthy social life,""strengthen social unity," "help an individual inliving a harmonious life," "conservation andproper utilization of natural environment andnational heritage," and "help the backward sections of the society to join the mainstream of
the nation" are the objectives of human rights
education as well.
The following is an analysis of the existing
school curriculums in Nepal. The objectives
and content areas in the existing primary, lower
secondary and secondary curriculums related tohuman rights education are highlighted in theparagraphs below.

Primary education curriculum
The main objectives of primary education
include development of fruitful values, norms
and faiths and development of civic, scientificand environmental awareness by inculcating
qualities like honesty, self-help and industriousness in the students. The courses of study

offered at primary level, spanning grades one
to five, are:
1.	Nepali Language
2.	English Language
3. Mathematics
4. Social Studies
5.	Environmental Education
6. Health Education
7. Physical Education
8. Creative and Expressive Art.
Two of the nine specific objectives for primary level relate to human rights education.
Objective 7 states: "to develop in them a cooperative and responsible character by arousing
respect for social values and norms.” Objective
9 states: "to assist them in growing into proudand disciplined citizens with a view to enhancing
nation, nationality and national integrity."
It is primarily through their Social Studies
lessons that the students acquire some knowledge about and have the opportunity to develop
sensitivity towards human rights issues. Social
values and norms and civic sense are the two
broad areas covered. In Grade I, students aretaught to respect one's elders, to love younger
ones and to cooperate with friends. They arealso explained about the importance of listening to others attentively. They are taught that
it is not right to use others' belongings without
their permission. They are explained about theneed to stand in queue and wait for their turnin school, at the temple, bus stops, shops andso on. In Grade I, students learn that theyshould follow traffic rules while walking along
the path. With a view to inculcate the habit ofconserving national heritage, students are asked
to remember the name of the forest, wells, inns
and temples that lie in their surroundings orneighborhood.
Through their Social Studies course in GradeII, students learn to respect their relatives andguests. They are taught to obey their elders andrequest them for help. They are told to help the
helpless and the handicapped and be cooperativewith friends. By the end of Grade II, students170  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

are expected to tell about the life and mainachievements of poet Bhanubhakta. They are toparticipate in national festivals and other occasions. As part of their Environmental Education
subjects students in this grade are also required
to make a list of the public properties of theircommunity such as forests, rivers, inns, resting
places, and temples, and so on, and utilize themproperly. They are told to love and show tendercare towards the domesticated animals and also
take care of the plants at home and school.
After completion of Grade III, students are
expected to tell the reasons for observing certain
festivals in different religions and castes. They
are to utilize common objects (shared by all)with cooperation among all. They are encouraged to read the notice boards, sign boards,
traffic signs, pamphlets, posters and notices
given at public places and follow accordingly.
Students in Grade III are taught to conserve andutilize properly the natural resources available
in one's district and tell about the efforts being
made to protect them through barrage, wildlife
reserves, and control of soil erosion, and so on.
They are also to learn to help in the conservation of such public properties as temples, resting
places, spring spouts, lakes, wells, forests androads available in one's district and help others
to protect them. Students are to express theiropinion to the elders politely.
Through their social studies subjects in
Grade IV, students are encouraged to participate
in the extracurricular activities of their school.
They are taught to appreciate good work doneby others and to thank others for their help.
They are to tell about the consequences of indecent behavior (teasing, making noise, shouting,using vulgar words, scattering litter, defacing
objects and avoid doing these). The fourth
graders are enabled to describe the religionsin practice (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, andChristianity) and tell the importance of religious
tolerance. They are to talk about child rights.
They are to talk about the disadvantages ofsmoking cigarette, tobacco, and the like.
Students in Grade IV are expected to tell

about the importance of natural resources likesoil, water, forest and minerals and describe
simple techniques of their conservation. They
are also to tell about the importance of religious, historical and cultural properties in one's
development region. Students are expected also
to take care of all the animals, show love andaffection towards them and protect them. They
are to plant saplings, protect and take care ofthem.
The Social Studies subject in Grade V aims
at preparing the students to take responsibilityof doing something at home with cooperationand help in the roles of one's family in social life.
Students are expected to differentiate between
the good and bad aspects of traditional social
norm, to adopt only good ones, and express
one's own views. They are to respect everyone
equally without discrimination in favor of any
religion, sex and caste.
Through their Social Studies course thefifth graders are to remain conscious of theirfundamental rights and tell others about one's
own rights and duties. They are to utilize andhelp in utilizing services offered by local organizations. Students learn about the loss to thesociety resulting from bad habits like drinking,smoking, gambling and playing card and todescribe ways of protecting one’s self and others from them.
The fifth graders develop an understandingof peace and cooperation at the international
level. They acquire basic information on SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries including their economic,
social and geographic situation and tell the areasof cooperation among them. They are also tofamiliarize with United Nations Organization(UNO) and its main functions.
Through their environmental education
course students are expected to be able to show
relationship between living beings and plants.
They are to make a list of various human activities that effect the environment.

Human Rights Education Curriculum - Nepal  171

Lower secondary school curriculums
The objectives for lower secondary school(Grades VI-VIII) include preparation of citizens
with positive attitude towards labor, self-reliant
and high moral character. The subjects taught
at this level of education are:
1.	Nepali Language
2. Mathematics
3.	English Language
4. Social Studies
5. Science
6. Health and Physical Education
7. Sanskrit\Civic and Moral Education
8. Population and Environmental Education
9. Art or Pre-vocational.
While Population and Environmental
Education (fifty marks) course includes somecomponents of human rights education, it is theSocial Studies course carrying one hundred of
the total of seven hundred marks and Civic andMoral Education carrying the weight of fifty
marks which contain the heaviest componentsof human rights education.
A specific objective for this level of education is to prepare students who are conscious of
citizens' rights and responsibilities and are able
to tell functions, duties and rights of the constitutional bodies by enhancing their knowledge
and awareness about citizenship.

Human rights content areas in Grade VI
Through the Social Studies unit on Nepali
traditions, social norms and values, students
in Grade VI are taught not to discriminate on
grounds of caste, sex and occupation and treat
all on an equal basis. They are encouraged toparticipate in their religious rites and festivities.
They are to express respect towards those whomthey should respect.
Through the unit on society, social problems
and deviations, the sixth graders learn about
evolution of society, its development, signs ofsocial problems, social problems and deviations,and ways of resolving social problems.
In the unit entitled citizens' obligations, thestudents learn about the meaning of being a
citizen, ways of securing citizenship, rights of acitizen, protection of citizens' rights, and about
citizen's obligations.
Through the unit on human civilization
and Nepali past, children learn about social,economic and political reforms during Kirat
and Lichhavi eras. They also learn about social
reforms and about world civilizations such as
the Egyptian and Indus civilizations. The students are exposed also to social, political andeconomic structures in ancient Nepal. Theyacquire knowledge about art and culture of
Nepal in ancient times.
The optional course on Civic and Moral
Education carrying fifty marks at the lower
secondary level complement the human rights
education components of the Social Studies
course. After the completion of Grade VI,
students are expected to take pride in being a
Nepali, be able to tell about the constitution anddemocracy, tell about one's duties within one's
family. Additionally, students are expected tofamiliarize with the various religious practices in
Nepal, meaning and importance of moral duties
and self discipline, meaning of social values andnorms, and art and artifacts.
The Population and Environmental Education Curriculum for Grade VI aims at enabling
the students to explain about the concept ofenvironment and its importance. They are topoint out the present status of natural resources
and cultural heritage. They are to acquire
knowledge about environmental degradation,effects of such degradation and methods ofconserving environment. Students are required
to learn also about the efforts of local agencies
in environmental conservation.

Human rights content areas in Grade VII
The knowledge that the sixth graders
gained on human rights issues through their172  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

social studies subject is further consolidated in
Grade VII. The objectives for this subject are
to make the students respect all ethnic groups'
languages, culture, religious festivals, nation andnationality. The students are also to familiarize
with social workers of national and international
stature and social organizations. With regard
to social problems, the students are to identify
the causes of social problems, ways of keeping
themselves away from bad habits and the roleof individuals, family and school to preventsocial ills.
Through the unit on citizens' obligations theseventh graders learn about the qualities thatcitizens should possess, proper use of citizens'rights and adherence to obligations.
Through the course on Civic and Moral
Education, the students in Grade VII aretaught about the basis of Nepali national unity,
equality, non-discrimination, citizens' obligations towards the nation including obligation
to pay taxes, protection of national wealthand adherence to the country’s laws, rules andregulations.
The unit on constitution and democracy
intends to make the students become aware of
the fundamentals of child rights, rule of law
and constitutional provisions. The students
learn about the role that citizens should play ina democracy. The students are encouraged to
get themselves involved in social work, be helpful to others, get used to manual work and beaware of such socially discriminatory behaviors
as exploitation of child labor, trafficking of girls
and exploitation on the basis of caste.
The course on Civic and Moral Educationin Grade VII also exposes the students to theconcept of religion and religious tolerance. The
students are taught that "god" is common to all.
They learn that people following a particularreligion should be tolerant of other religions.
The unit on morality aims at explaining
the students about moral obligations, moral
qualities and self-discipline. The content areas covered under moral obligations include
meaning and importance of moral obligations,

not to lie, not to steal and not to indulge incorruption, drug use, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and other bad habits. The topics
covered under moral qualities include kindness,
humility, tolerance, patience, cooperation, social
services, courtesy and healthy living. The aspects
covered under self-discipline include truth,
courtesy, loyalty, unselfishness, humility, not to
be arrogant and jealous, forgiving, trustful andinnocent character. The students learn aboutsuch personal benefits of self-discipline as physical development, mental development of goodsocial �����������������������������������������
behavior���������������������������������
, development of self-confidence
and self-control. They learn that self-discipline
helps in the development of a good and peaceful society.
Through the unit on social values and norms
the students in Grade VII learn about the importance of respecting one's parents, teachers,
guests and being helpful to the elderly, thedisabled, and children. The students are madeaware also of the need for social coexistence, notto believe in superstitions and learning to live
without hatred and enmity. They are to develop
respect toward labor. Finally, the students aretaught that citizens should play an importantrole in making the best use and conservationof such national heritage as temples, palaces
and other monuments of national importance.
From the course on Population and Environmental Education the students learn about
natural and humanmade environment and about
the status of natural resources and cultural
heritage. They acquire knowledge on Nepal's
national parks and reserves, water sources andwatersheds, wildlife, forests, herbs, flowers andfruits. The students learn about the causes ofenvironmental degradation such as destructionof forests, floods, landslides, erosion, urbanization, industrialization, pollution and misuseof pesticides. They are made aware about thesocio-cultural, natural and economic effect ofenvironmental degradation. The students learn
that the environment can be conserved andpromoted by conserving water and soil, controlling pollution, environmental sanitation andHuman Rights Education Curriculum - Nepal  173

conservation of cultural heritage. They learn also
about the efforts of national agencies, related
ministries, departments, hospitals, clinics, Red
Cross Society, and Scouts.

Human rights content areas in Grade VIII
Just as in Grade VI and Grade VII, thestudents in Grade VIII also acquire further
knowledge on various aspects of human rights
through their Social Studies course. They are
first introduced to the need for and importanceof development regions. The students consolidate their knowledge of Nepal's socio-culturaland religious traditions. They learn more about
Nepal's national heritage and social organizations involved in their conservation. Here thestudents learn also about the existing inequalities
in Nepali societies. They are required to thinkfurther about social problems and the role ofNGOs and CBOs to resolve those problems.
Through the unit on citizen's obligations,the students learn about the children's rights
and duties. They develop understanding about
citizens' obligations toward the children. They
also learn about Nepal's legislative, executive
and judiciary systems.
Under the unit on "human civilization andour past," the students of Social Studies in
Grade VIII acquire information about the developments during Shah and Rana eras. Theygain knowledge about Roman Civilization andRenaissance.
The final unit on "our international relations
and cooperation" intends to introduce the students about Nepal's relationship and cooperation with China, Japan, France, Germany, theUnited States and the United Kingdom. They
are also familiarized with Nepal's contributions
to the international community.
Through the course on Civic and Moral
Education the students in Grade VIII are
expected to consolidate their attitude towards
nation and nationality. They are told that it is
the obligation of every citizen to pay taxes to thenation, to conserve national property, to abideby the set rules and regulations and to involvein activities that benefit the country.
The eighth graders acquire information on
voting rights, parliamentary rule, constitutionalmonarchy, and multi-party democracy. They also
learn that those eligible to vote should vote sothat appropriate candidates are selected. They
are made aware of the fundamentals of childrights. The students are encouraged to be helpful to others, be active in social work, and haverespect for labor and refrain from discriminatory practices (e.g., exploitation of child labor,
exploitation of women, trafficking of girls andexploitation on the basis of caste and ethnicity).
The students are encouraged to be convincedthat god is common to all so there should be
religious tolerance and a close relationshipamong all religions.
Through the unit on "morality" the students
further consolidate their knowledge acquired inprevious grades. More specifically, they learn
about various aspects of self-discipline and thebenefits of self-discipline.
In the unit on social values and norms thestudents are explained that it is important tomaintain social harmony, not to be superstitious, not to hate or be jealous of others andhave respect for ����������������������������������
labor�����������������������������
. The students also learn toappreciate art and the importance of conserving
temples, palaces and national monuments.
From the course on Population and Environmental Education the students in Grade
VIII learn that human beings are dependent
on the environment and human activities canadversely affect the environment. They acquire
knowledge about the nature of change in naturaland cultural heritage due to human interference.
They learn about Nepal's world heritage sites aswell. The students learn about the main causesof environmental degradation in Nepal and also
about the extent of pollution in the country.
They are made aware about the importance of
maintaining environmental balance to bring an
improvement in the quality of life. They are explained that such programs as awareness-raising,174  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

forestation, environmental sanitation and renovation, and preservation of cultural heritage arehelpful for the conservation of the environment.
Finally, the students gain knowledge about theefforts of such organizations in conservation of
the environment as Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World
Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Human rights curriculums in secondary
schools
Human rights education at secondary
school level is offered primarily through thecompulsory courses on Social Studies, Scienceand Health, Population and Environmental
Education. The optional courses entitled Civics, Sociology, Health and Physical Education,
History and Environmental Science also include
some components of human rights education.
The following paragraphs provide grade-wise
description and analyses of these components.

Human rights content areas in Grade IX
a. Compulsory subjects
The course on Science covers content areasin biology imparting knowledge to students on
selected plants, animals and ecosystem. Throughthe course on Social Studies the students areprovided with the opportunity to consolidate
their knowledge gained in junior grades insuch areas as "our tradition, social values andnorms," 'citizens’ awareness," and "international
understanding, peace and cooperation." Thestudents are taught about the importance ofreligious tolerance, respect for labor, respect
for governance and government, national andinternational personalities and contributions ofnational personalities. The students are introduced to the Constitution, salient features of

the contribution of the political event in Nepal
in 1991 (2047 B.S.) and the present Constitution. They learn also about Nepal's cooperation
with Germany, Canada and Italy. The nature andextent of cooperation with SAARC countries isalso explained to the students. They are madeaware also about Nepal's contributions in maintaining peace in the world as a whole.
The course on Health, Population and Environmental Education familiarizes the students
with the concept of natural resources, types ofnatural resources and their status and the needfor and principal conservation-related activities.
In similar manner, the students are introduced to
cultural and religious heritage by geographicalregion. They are made aware about the relationship between people and cultural heritage. They
learn about Nepal's cultural heritage listed in theWorld Heritage Site. They acquire knowledge
about the various agencies involved in conservation of cultural heritage. They learn about the
impact of degradation in values and norms andrelationship between cultural heritage, religion
and environment.
The textbook for Nepali Language reinforces contents covered by Social Studies and
Health, Population and Environmental Education. Lesson 12 is on a debate entitled "Ourresponsibilities towards disabled." Lesson 18
is in the form of an appeal to District Forest
Officer to conserve forest in Dhungrebas areaof Sindhuli District. Lesson 5 is on a nationalhero, Lesson 8 is on a Nepal's national flag andLesson 13 is on the biography of a well-known
Nepali female writer.

b. Optional subjects
The curriculum on History highlights theachievements of various dynasties and also
provides brief biography of a few noted political figures. The curriculum also introduces thestudents to some of the major civilizations onearth.
The curriculum on Sociology contains asubstantial amount of concepts and contents

Human Rights Education Curriculum - Nepal  175

indirectly related to human rights. Topics covered under "fundamental concepts of sociology"
include society, community, culture, social organization, social structure, social values, social
rules, castes and sub-castes and ethnic groups,social class, and custom, morality, social rewards
and punishment, and social behavior.
The curriculum on Health and Physical
Education exposes the students to the concept ofenvironmental health, and food and nutrition.
The curriculum on Environmental Science
provides the students with the opportunity tolearn more about natural resources and environment. The content areas include air, water,
forests, land, and people and environment.

Human rights content areas in Grade X
a. Compulsory subjects
In the course on Science, students learn toclassify plants and animals. They also learn toprepare a list of animals found on land and inwater. Students are required to study the history of the earth to gain insight into the evolution of species. They acquire information on
atmosphere and learn about ozone layer, effectof chloro-floro-carbon on the ozone layer andgreenhouse effect on the natural environment.
Through the course on Social Studies
students undergo a comparative study of thefive development regions of the country. Theyacquire knowledge about the difficulties ofthe development regions and ways to resolve
them. Under the sub-topic "our traditions,social values and norms," they develop an understanding about the importance of selflessservice and leadership. They acquire the conceptof self-confidence, self-control and patience.
They familiarize themselves with Nepal's dance,
songs and music. They acquire knowledge about
Nepal's national festivals and about national andinternational figures. The students get informed
about the agencies involved in resolving Nepal'ssocial problems. The students are introduced toconstitutional bodies, principal political parties
of Nepal and their role, election and the role ofcitizens in an election. Through the sub-topic
on international understanding, peace and cooperation, students learn about the benefits Nepal
has derived from the various United Nations
agencies. They learn also about the financial
management of SAARC and its achievements.
Through the course on Health, Populationand Environmental Education, the tenth graders consolidate their learning about natural
resources and their importance. In addition tothat, they learn about linkage between environment and population. They familiarize withthe concept of quality of life, environment anddevelopment and sustainable development. The
students are made aware of the environmental
status of Nepal, biodiversity and the need totake a good care of the earth. They learn toappreciate interrelationship between cultural
heritage, religion and environment.

b. Optional subjects
Students who take the optional course,
Sociology, are informed about such social problems as drug abuse, child labor, illegal trade,
prostitution and HIV/AIDS. They learn also
about the agencies involved in controlling these
problems. The students are introduced to someof the contemporary social traditions in Nepal
considered as social problems. They familiarize
also with the ethnic communities of Nepal.
From the course on Environmental Science,
students learn about greenhouse effect andefforts to resolve this problem. They acquire
information on wetland ecosystem, ozone layer,energy, birds and animals.
The course on Education has a unit on childdevelopment that provides information about
the children's physical and mental development
during infancy and childhood. The students
learn about teaching techniques as well. This
course is useful for those who opt to teach at
primary level after getting through their School
Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination. The

176  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

course also gives a brief description of the various agencies of the Ministry of Education andSports.
The course on Civics introduces the conceptof sovereignty and explains to students what
freedom and equality meant. The students also
learn about ethic concept and the purpose oflaw, election, referendum and local self-governance. The students familiarize themselves with
SAARC, its objectives and functions. They learn
about such bodies of the United Nations as theGeneral Assembly, Security Council, Economic
and Social Council, International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat.
The optional course on History traces historical developments in Nepal dating back tosome two hundred years when Bhimsen Thapa
served as Nepal's Prime Minister. The students
learn about major developments in the country
after 1951 when the Rana rulers were thrownout of power. The course covers the period up
to 1990 when democracy was restored in the
country with people's revolution. The second
part of the curriculum is on world history covering major events in Asia and Europe datingback to evolution of democratic practices in the
United Kingdom.

Human rights education content areas andadequacy of methods and materials
The issues
A series of meetings with the concerned officials of Curriculum Development Centre andNational Centre for Educational Developmentof the Ministry of Education and Sports, the
UNESCO Country Office and consultative
meetings with the representatives of communityand private schools, District Education Offices,Teacher Unions and human rights NGOs unfolded many issues and problems with regard
to human rights teaching in the schools of
Nepal. Some conclusions on the adequacy, andmethods and materials of human rights educa-tion in Nepali schools based on consultations
with the concerned individuals and review ofschool curriculums and textbooks are summarized below.
1. Inadequate coverage of human rights
contents in school level curriculum
The school curriculums in all levels of education (primary, lower secondary, secondary)include human-rights-related contents ranging
from respect for the elderly, to child rights,
to international cooperation. However, thesecontent areas are not arranged in a logical andsequential manner. Moreover, important topics like confidence-building, resolving conflict,building trust, protecting life, war, peace andhuman rights, the right to privacy, confronting
discrimination and the right to education are
missing altogether.
2. Lack of basic facilities in schools to makelearning meaningful
Many schools in Nepal are devoid of basic
physical facilities necessary to make learning
productive and joyful. Classrooms lack adequate
desks and benches, they have inadequate ventilation, rooms are frequently dark and damp,
and roofs leak. The school physical facilities are
not fit for students with disabilities. Student
needs regarding health, hygiene and academic
deficiencies are hardly cared for. There is noadequate provision for co-curricular activities sothat students enjoy learning. Games and sports
materials are lacking and students have limited
opportunity for other amusements.
This is partly responsible for lack of attraction to get enrolled in schools in the first placeand high drop-out and repetition rates once thechildren are enrolled.
3. Lack of awareness on the part of parents
and guardians about child rights
Some parents, mostly in rural areas, do notHuman Rights Education Curriculum - Nepal  177

see the value of getting their children enrolled
in school. They see it more important to havetheir children attend to their siblings and carefor domestic animals. Even when the children
are sent to schools, the parents hardly try tomeet their stationery and clothing needs andgive enough time for homework. In urban areas,
many children attending schools work as domestic helpers in other people’s homes. These
children also lack basic facilities and time to dowell in their studies. The parents and guardians
hardly raise voices if the children are physicallypunished and mentally harassed in school byteachers and school administrators.

5. Lack of qualified and trained teachers

4. Lack of child rights in school

EndnotesChildren in community as well as private
schools are sometimes physically punished for
not finishing homework or violating school
rules and regulations. They are mentally harassed for similar reasons. Such harassments
can have long-term physical and mental effects
on children.

Only about a half of the teachers have received any kind of training. Those trained havelittle or no exposure to human rights education
contents and methodology. The teachers would
not have had any formal degree or training program solely focused on human rights education.
This is the reason why a number of teachers
are reported to have employed physical punishment on their students for not completing
homework on time or not following the rules
and regulations set by the teachers or school
administrators.
1
The author prepared this report for the National
Human Rights Commission of Nepal and the
UNESCO Nepal Office.
2
Adopted as a global blueprint by heads of Stateand Government (United Nations Headquarters, New
York, September 2000) to substantially achieve by2015 seven major global goals including eradication of
extreme poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS andachieving universal primary education. United Nations
General Assembly Resolution number 55/2 (2000).
3
The concept of “Education for All” was adopted
at the World Conference on Education for All on 5-9
March 1990, Jomtien, Thailand.