Kathmandu: Finland will launch a new bilateral project in Nepal focusing on the development of teacher education, embassy of Finland said on Thursday. The project will be implemented by the University of Helsinki’s company HY+, which provides education and development services.
The joint education project between Nepal and Finland, which will begin in June 2024, has received a significant amount of support from the European Union. The five-year-long Technical Support Cooperation to School Education Sector in Nepal (TECSES) project aims to improve the availability, quality and inclusivity of education in the regions of Nepal with the poorest learning outcomes. The TECSES project will provide substantial support for the Nepal Government’s Programme Education Sector Plan (SESP).
Cooperation between Finland and Nepal offers a unique opportunity to share best practices, expertise and solutions in the education sector, which will benefit both countries, the embassy said. The aim of the project is to improve the overall quality of education in Nepal as well as learning outcomes and to guarantee children fair access to education, taking in particular children with disabilities and other minorities into consideration. To achieve these objectives, the project will focus particularly on developing teacher education in cooperation with Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and universities.
The project’s funding totals EUR 10 million, half of which is covered by Finland’s appropriations for development cooperation and half by the European Union. The EU funding delegated to Finland will allow the project to expand its scope and impact. The cooperation project is a step towards sustainable development and a more equal education system for young people in Nepal, which in turn will have a positive impact on the country’s future on its path to becoming a lower middle-income country.
The project will further strengthen cooperation between Finland and Nepal in the education sector, which began in the 1990s, as well as strengthen Finland’s commitment to promoting education globally.
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