With 34 per cent of the population illiterate, Nepal has been focusing on programmes to improve its literacy rate.

Nepal is celebrating International Literacy Day and National Education Day on September 8 by organising various programmes.

According to the government, only 95.3 per cent of school-age children have been enrolled in school and 3.15 million Nepalis between the age of 15 and 60 are still illiterate.

Speaking at an interaction organised by Education Journalists Network today in Kathmandu, Minister for Education Madhav Prasad Poudel said 34 per cent of the total population was still illiterate. “Nepal having such a high illiteracy rate is a shame for the country,” he said, adding, “Education is the fundamental right of every citizen. Therefore, it should be provided to every citizen.”

He stated that being the signatory country of international conventions such as Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Nepal government is obliged to provide education to all its citizens. He also urged the political parties, journalists, teachers, students and all concerned to support the government in accomplishing its mission of educating all its citizens.

Babu Ram Poudel, Director, Non-Formal Education Centre, said they had launched ‘Literate Nepal Mission’ last year to educate around 4 million illiterate Nepalis. “Last year, we had the target to educate 1.16 million people but we are yet to achieve the target,” he said.

He further said that they have set a target to educate around 1.7 million this year and 1.4 million next year to eradicate illiteracy altogether by 2015. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 84 per cent of the population of the world can read and write while only 65.9 per cent Nepali population are literate.

Reading and writing stats
> 95.3 per cent of school-age children have been enrolled in school
> 3.15 million Nepalis between the age of 15 and 60 are still illiterate
> 84 per cent of the world population can read and write, says UNICEF
> 34.1 per cent Nepali population literate

source: the himalayan times,5 Sep 2013