The government of Nepal is all set to construct girl-friendly toilets in 5,500 community schools, or almost one in six schools throughout the country to enroll more girl students in the schools.
Published on: 16/02/2011
The government has allocated Rs. 1.1 billion [US$ 15 million] for the purpose. According to Department of Education, the dropout rate of girl students has increased due to lack of girl-friendly toilet in schools. The school enrollment rate of girl students is 87 per cent in primary level and 84 percent in secondary level. However, the dropout rate is 7 per cent in primary level and 11 percent in secondary level (class 10).
Deputy Director and chief of Gender Equity Section at Department of Education Ganesh Prasad Poudel told that the government is allocating Rs. 200,000 [US$ 2,730) to each community school for constructing a toilet. “In the absence of separate toilets for girls and boys, many girl students do not attend school regularly. Therefore, the government has given priority to construction of girl-friendly toilet,” said Poudel, adding, “We will construct necessary infrastructures so that girl students can change their sanitary pads during their menstruation period and maintain personal hygiene.” There are 32,000 community schools throughout the country.
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Related web site: WASH in Schools
Source: Kantipur / NGO Forum, 31 Jan 2011 http://www.ngoforum.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10724&Itemid=6
