Children as change agents strengthening school governance
A school in southern Nepal witnesses a transformation thanks to a UNICEF-supported initiative to instill advocacy and governance skills among students
Saptari, Nepal: For over a decade, the Shree Mahabir Secondary School in Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality of Saptari District in Nepal’s southern plains had been struggling without a School Management Committee (SMC). The absence of this crucial body meant that the school faced significant challenges in managing the school, including the formulation of annual programmes, budget planning, and ensuring a safe, inclusive and disaster-resilient environment for its students and staff.
Headteacher Chhatra Narayan Das says the school was at a standstill without an SMC. However, although he knew the importance of community participation, conflicts, political instability and lack of awareness “made it seem impossible."
The breakthrough finally came with a UNICEF-supported initiative, undertaken in collaboration with Aasaman Nepal and Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality, made possible through funding from Let Us Learn. The initiative began with a seemingly simple but powerful idea: empowering students.
For this, a school-level child club was formed, providing students with a platform to voice their concerns and participate in decision-making. Through various training sessions, the club members learned about child rights, inclusive education, school safety and governance. This included understanding the significance of an SMC and its role in improving the quality of education and child welfare.
These sessions ignited a sense of advocacy among the students.
Inspired by the students' enthusiasm, headteacher Chhatra began promoting wider teacher and student involvement in school initiatives, fostering a sense of ownership. Students and teachers then started to reach out to parents and community members, emphasizing the critical role of the SMC.
These persistent efforts gradually won the trust and support of the community, highlighting the necessity of the SMC for the betterment of the school.
And so, on 1 March 2024, Shree Mahabir Secondary School celebrated a significant milestone: the formation of its School Management Committee. This achievement was the result of collaborative efforts, including meetings, workshops and community outreach facilitated by the Comprehensive School Safety Minimum Package (CSSMP) programme.
With the SMC and child club now in place, Shree Mahabir Secondary School has seen a transformation. These entities work together with the SMC monitoring activities and the child club providing feedback to ensure decisions are child-friendly and inclusive. These programmes have equipped students and SMC members with essential skills, instilling a sense of responsibility and accountability.
"The formation of the SMC after 13 years was indeed a challenging task," Chhatra reflects
"For over a decade, we struggled to manage without compromising the quality of education. We are immensely grateful to Aasaman Nepal and UNICEF for their unwavering support. I am particularly proud of our child club members who continuously advocated for the SMC and demonstrated its value in improving education and governance."
