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Statement delivered by UNDP Nepal Deputy Country Director for Programme Jorn Sorensen on the occassion of the inauguration of Adarsha Saul Higher Secondary School, Bungamati, Bhaktapur

July 18, 2011

 

Honourable Minister for Physical Planning and Works

Senior Government Officials,

All the stakeholders and partners,

Students of the School,

Ladies and Gentlemen

 I am both honoured and privileged to be here today, addressing this auspicious occasion— the inauguration of the newly constructed earthquake resistant building of Adarsha Saula Yubak Higher Secondary School in Bhaktapur.

I would also like to congratulate the students and teachers of this school for the outstanding School Leaving Certificate (SLC) Examination result !

Hello students - how's everybody doing today? I'm glad you all could join us for this important event today.

 We’ve got students here who have special needs. The school is offering conducive environment for education to 35 disabled children.

UNDP stands proud today to have supported the construction and strengthening of this school so that these children with special needs are protected and they can acquire education in a safe environment. We entered into a full-fledged partnership with this school through our Earthquake Risk Reduction Programme (ERRP) for re-strengthening and extension of hostel block, the extension of existing school block and the interior layout of the school and hostel block.

We are proud to be associated with the school most importantly because this school is managed by the community themselves and the School Management Committee deserves applaud for completing this project on time by mobilizing funds from various sources.

If we are to make significant progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals of achieving universal primary education, eliminating gender disparity in secondary education and tertiary level of education, then concerted efforts must be made to ensure that this group of children has access to a quality, relevant, and effective education.

The preamble of Disabled Persons Protection and Welfare Act 2039 of Nepal states that, “it is essential that the disabled persons are transformed into efficient and active members of the society so as to make them productive citizens by making arrangement for health, education, nursing care, training, employment and the enjoyment of right to equality…………” This shows that the argument in favour of the disabled has been there on papers in Nepal for almost 30 years but looking at the current pace of progress, the active implementation is yet to take place.

According to UNESCO, one third of the 75 million children worldwide who are out of school are disabled and some evidence suggests that only 2% of disabled children in developing countries receive an education.  Reports have held that disability has a greater impact on access to education than gender, household economic status or the rural/urban divide. 

I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation and thanks to NSET for making the initial design of the school building following the Nepal Building Code. I wish to thank the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction for providing technical guidance and support to the School Management Committee.

Last but not the least; I thank the Chief Guest for today, all the Government officials present, the school administration, the teachers, my colleagues from UN, all the parents and students who have contributed to make this day a memorable one!

We hope that the school can set an example not only in this community but that it will be replicated by other communities for a larger number of disabled children in the country.

Thank-you!