Kathmandu, Dec. 22
Finland
and UNICEF have signed a partnership agreement to assist in Nepal’s education
sector for five-years period 2023-2027.
Riina-Riikka Heikka, Ambassador of Finland to Nepal,
and Usha Mishra, UNICEF Representative to Nepal, signed the partnership
agreement at a programme held in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Finland is committing 4.2 million euros (approximately
Rs. 590 million) for the enhancement of quality services for children in Nepal.
Finland and UNICEF have been collaborating in the education sector since 2019 –
the agreed support is a continuation of this partnership, they said in a
statement.
"The renewed partnership will focus on
strengthening school readiness, foundational learning and inclusive education
models, targeting particularly the most vulnerable children," read the
statement.
It also addresses those children who have been
particularly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic or other disasters e.g. floods, in
terms of their access to education participation and learning outcomes. The
partnership also supports the new School Education Sector Plan (SESP) of the
Government of Nepal, to which both Finland and UNICEF are contributing.
“Education is one of the key pillars of Finland’s
Country Programme for Development Cooperation in Nepal. We need strong
partnerships in order to jointly strive for inclusive quality education,” said Heikka.
Likewise, Mishra said that the strong and strategic
partnership with Finland over the previous years has allowed them to continue
supporting the government in their pursuit of expanding access and improving
the quality of public education in Nepal, so as to serve the children of the
country, especially those left behind.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 December 2022.
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