Chitwan: As an innovative move geared towards attracting children to school, the Village Education Committee (VEC) at Gitanagar VDC in the district has announced an incentive of Rs 200 to those who bring their children to school.

“This provision is aimed at bringing children between the ages of five and 12 to school,” said Narendra KC, a resource person for schools in the area. The cash incentive was introduced as a lot of children are currently out of school in the district, KC said.

Likewise, the VEC has launched another campaign in which it visits each house in the area to collect data on children who are deprived of education.

Meanwhile, parents, teachers, students and local representatives of

various political parties have joined hands to implement the government’s Free and Compulsory Basic Education Programme. This programme, which aims to bring all children across the country to school by 2015, has been launched in 12 VDCs and one municipality in the district. According to the District Education Office (DEO), the programme will be launched in the remaining VDCs within the next month.

“Everyone has come together so the programme is becoming effective,” District Education Officer Ramakanta Sharma said.

The DEO has released up to Rs 143,000 to each VDC for the programme. Under it, each family will be provided with Rs 10,000 from the concerned VEC to begin an income generating business so that they can afford to send their children to school and not worry about making ends meet.

“The number of children who are out of school is on the decline. Everyone should unite so that every child will be admitted to a school,” said Sharma.

source: The Kathmandu Post,25 Nov 2012