The Ministry of Education revised the school curriculum in 1978, to introduce population information in various subjects up to secondary level. For grades 4-7, the topic of causes of rapid population growth was introduced in social studies. Grades 8-10 students are required to study considerably more population—related topics. Physical development of the child, child care, and childhood diseases and nutrition are included in the subject of home science. In addition, the health curriculum includes topics on family life and human reproduction. All grade 10 students study topics on pregnancy and family planning.
Though population education has been formally included in the school curriculum, there is a lack of trained teachers. It is estimated that out of 23,000 primary school teachers (grades 1-3), only 37 percent have ever received any training; of 8,000 lower secondary teachers (grades 4—7) only 39 percent have ever been trained; and of 5,000 secondary teachers (grades 8-10), only 50 percent were trained as of 1979.
At the university level, the Tribhuvan University does not have a population course leading to a diploma or degree in demography, but population courses are available for students studying economics,
geography and law.
With respect to non-formal population education, a few organizations have population education programmes. Most of those that exist are new and are supported by UNFPA grants based on the recommendations submitted by the UNFPA Needs Assessment Mission to Nepal in April 1979. There are currently 19 different governmental and non-governmental agencies involved in Family Planning and Population Education programmes (see Table 5.1). The Department of Agriculture and the Agriculture Development Bank integrated the Family Planning and Population Education programmes into their agricultural education programmes. The Department of Labour with the help of the International Labour Organization and the Nepal Labour Organization conducts workshops and seminars on population and family planning for volunteers who distribute contraceptives in industrial districts. Employees who undergo sterilization get special benefits such as a few days of leave with pay after sterilization.
Co-operatives are widely scattered throughout the country, although the majority are in the Plains. There were 690 primary co-operative societies with more than 900,000 members in 1979. The co-operative societies operate one co-operative training institute in Kathmandu. Members of co-operatives are trained in the training centre and in field situations. Members are informed on topics such as agriculture, health and family planning. Recently, a short population course has been introduced into their regular training
TABLE 5.1: POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES IN NEPAL.
Agency Media and Method
1 . National Population Commission Formulation of population policies, research and evaluation,
publications, and training. 2. Nepal Family Planning Maternal
Child Health Project Project
Field Workers (1700), printed materials, radio, movie, video, exhbition, trainings, workshops, sterilization campaign, contraceptives distribution, child and mother's health care services, research and evaluation. 3. Deapartment of Health (Integrated
Health Project)
Radio, printed materials, field workers (1522), health care, integrating family planning services.
4. Family Planning Association of Nepal Printed materials, movie, exhibitions, radio, field workers (101)
training, workshops, seminar, sterilization campaign, services on sterilization and contraceptive distribution.
5. Curriculum Development Center (Ministry of Education)
Workshops and seminars for development and modification on population education, curriculum for higher secondary schools, radio and textbook.
6. Cooperative Training Center Trainings, workshops/seminars, publications- wall posters, news
letters, booklets and pamphlets.
7. Women's Training Center Trainings, workshops/seminars, teaching materials production.
8. Panchayat Training Center Trainings, workshops/seminars, teaching materials production.
9. Department of Labour Workshops/seminars, contraceptives distribution (Industrial
Labourers).
10.Nepal Women's Organization Training and services on family planning (training motivators
and distributing contraceptive through them).
11.Mother's Clubs Training members, distribute contraceptives (only in Dang, Kaski,
Bhojpur, Lalitpur).
12.Nepal Red-Cross Society Motivate people through members group discussions and posters
for family planning and sterilization.
13.Youth Clubs Training, workshops, sterilization camps, distribution of
contraceptives (only in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nuwakot, Bara, Parsa, Jhapa, and Kapilvastu).
14.Small Farmers Development Project (Agriculture Develoment Bank)
Posters, flip-charts, cassettes, flash-cards, group trainings, group discussions, dramas (limited to two pilot projects in Nuwakot and Dhanusha).
15.Contraceptive Retail Sales Project Posters, pamphlets, pictorial, booklets, radio ads, flip-charts,
outdoor displays, trainings, seminars, research, evaluation and promotional medias like point of purchase, display materials and commercial distribution of condom and pills through dealers and retailers in existing markets.
16.Department of Agriculture:
a. Extension and Training Division ‘Field workers (1600) trainings, workshops, field days, farmers
seminars, vegetable seed packages distribution.
b. Information Division ‘Community listenning centers, radios, cassettes.
17.Small Farmers Development Project (Agriculture Development Bank)
‘Radios, cassettees, posters, charts, group trainings, group discussions ( only in 8 districts).
18.Ministry of Education:
a. CTSDC
b. Adult Education
‘Textbooks, radio, training of teachers and school supervisors, instructional materials, and training packages, news-letter. 19.Institute of Education, Tribhuvan
University
•Teachers' training, radio.
Notes: * indicates that the programmes are in planning stage to integrate Population Education
course.
To assist, implement and coordinate population education activities, the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Division of the FP/MCH Project is acting as the multisectoral population education unit. The IEC Division of the FP/MCH Project is well equipped with trained manpower and sophisticated equipment such as video, printing press, etc.