Education, education, education!

This afternoon's meeting was with Dr Chitraker (Chairman of ECCA) and Mrs Shrestha, the recent Under Secretary for Education. For our non regular readers, ECCA are the organisation who helped us to run the 5 day training programme on Water & Sanitation Education for 12 teachers in our schools. Unfortunately Dr Poudel, the current Under Secretary was called away to the Ministry so we are arranging a further meeting with him.
Our primary objectives were to develop understanding of the education system in Nepal and to seek influence to facilitate further State aid for our schools.
We spent some time outlining our background, our broad strategy and our current processes before making a summary of what we see our schools receiving and ..... what they appear to NOT be receiving from the State.
Much to our amazement Dr Chitraker explained that it was NOT the government's fault if the schools weren't receiving their full dues!! But, he explained that in Nepal the onus is on the schools to directly seek out government support based on a clear understanding of what they are entitled to. So, part of what ECCA do is to "educate" school heads about how to engage with government and work their way through Nepal's labyrinthine bureaucracy!!!! Amazing.
But, he immediately offered to show us some schools as examples who they have helped to help themselves AND to begin a programme of educating the Heads in our schools to do the same.
In addition we talked at some length about professional development for teachers and that despite having a National Teacher Development Centre outside Kathmandu and having 30 Regional Centre, the teacher development programme is "a pile of crap"! Well, Mrs Shrestha didn't actually say that but that was what she meant.
So, here's a possible deal: Can WE help to facilitate some UK Heads/teachers, maybe backed by their Education Authority, who would like to work on such a programme?
Are you there Janice, Nerissa, Stella? Anybody on Skype?