TTQE focuses on training teachers in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal with the goal to ensure that children have better opportunities in life through an inclusive, high quality education. The program has supported capacity building of over 1700 teachers in 300 schools and enhances the quality of education for around 30,000 school children in Solukhumbu, with an expected far reaching impact on the broader community.
The program also provides education support to marginalized and vulnerable children who for various reasons may not be attending school. In 2016/17, this educational support enabled 550 students to attend school, including children with a disability.
Together with continuing the capacity building of the rural school teachers on improved teaching practice, the project piloted the development of Namuna or model schools. These schools reported increased motivation and accountability of teachers and committees. Parental engagement is increasing.
An early grades literacy program in Nepali language commenced in 8 schools. Training teachers was supplemented by appropriate learning materials and intensive follow up. The average learning achievement in Nepali language in the past year increased dramatically by 12.46% in these schools against the district average of 59.24%. Model schools and literacy improvements will be expanded to more schools in the next year.
Project feedback
Ms. Keshari Shrestha is a grade 3 teacher in Nepal. She received training from the project and said that
“The literacy improvement program is really effective and showing early results. Children are more engaged and enjoying learning. They are also becoming closer to the teachers and confiding their interests and worries as teachers work individually with them.”
Ms Keshari Shrestha, Grade 3 Teacher, Janajagriti Basic school in Solududhkunda, Nepal
What's next?
TTQE is an ongoing project based in Solukhumbu Nepal.
Can I visit the project
AHF can make special arrangements for supported visits to projects depending on the current priorities and resources of our NGO partner and the schools at the time.
Project Background
The Australian Himalayan Foundation’s (AHF) first Teacher Training and Quality Education Program was inspired by the work of Sir Edmund Hillary that has benefited the Everest (Khumbu) district of Nepal since 1961.
Nepal faces large disparities in literacy rates between urban and rural areas. In addition, teachers in rural Nepal receive little or no training and regularly resort to basic rote-learning methods.
Without access to a quality education, children in remote communities like the Everest region of Nepal remain deprived of the life skills and knowledge gained from education and are more likely to remain trapped in the cycle of poverty. In response to this need, the Australian Himalayan Foundation’s (AHF) flagship Teacher Training Quality Education (TTQE) Program is helping to ensure that all children have access to a quality education that can lift them out of poverty.
Project Overview
TTQE focuses on training teachers in the remote Solukhumbu district of Nepal with the goal to ensure that children have better opportunities in life through an inclusive, high quality education. The program currently builds the capacities of over 1700 teachers in 300 schools and enhances the quality of education for around 30,000 school children in Solukhumbu, with an expected far reaching impact on the broader community.
The long-term objective of the TTQE program is to help over 42,000 children and 1700 teachers in over 300 schools in remote, rural areas.
The program also provides education support to marginalised and vulnerable children who for various reasons may not be attending school. Last year, this educational support enabled 550 students including 346 girls and 25 children with a disability to attend school.
The following outcomes were achieved in 2017:
- 29,643 students benefitted from the program
- 1864 teachers benefitted from teacher training or mentoring and/or educational materials
- 5085 parents and community members attended community engagement workshops designed to inform parents and the broader community of the importance of children receiving education
- 1186 children benefitted from attending local child clubs designed to empower children and give them a voice in their community
What's Covered in Project Costs
Funds raised for this project support AHF’s community partner REED in Nepal to travel to the Everest region to provide training and in-school support to the teachers and schools of the Solukhumbu region. Project activities include:
- holding subject-specific training workshops;
- provision of relevant training materials;
- travel costs and fees for trainers;
- teaching aids and resources; and
- monitoring and evaluation of the program.
Project Partners & Community Involvement
Accredited by the Nepalese Government’s National Centre for Education Development and implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Education, AHF’s Teacher Training and Quality Education program is recognised as one of the most comprehensive education programs in Nepal.
TTQE is implemented on the ground by the AHF’s Nepalese NGO partner REED Nepal with the technical support from the AHF in program design, management, monitoring and evaluation.
Monitoring and evaluation systems targeting under-performing schools and closely monitoring teachers to encourage better outcomes through in-school support continues to be an effective means of supporting implementation of the training. Trainers from REED visit the schools in remote communities to observe the training in-school and provide valuable feedback and ongoing support.
The Australian Himalayan Foundation is a registered charitable organisation, a member of the Australian Council for International Development and accredited by the official Australian Aid program (DFAT).
Part of a Larger Strategy
The TTQE program now operates in every single district and reaches every single school in the lower Solukhumbu or Everest region. This achievement is part of a fifteen-year vision the AHF has for the region - one aimed squarely at improving the quality of and the access to a life changing education.
One of only two teacher training programs formally accredited by the Nepal Department of Education, the fifteen-year old TTQE program has been described as one of the most comprehensive training programs undertaken in rural Nepal. The program aims to help over 42,000 children and 1,700 teachers in over 300 schools resulting in:
- Increased primary school attendance
- Increased girls' enrolment rates
- Increased retention rates of students through to secondary school