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During 1960s and 70s, donors’ support was to help Nepal develop its
educa� on planning and basic government mechanism to deliver educa� on
services in the country. Then, 1980s experienced an integrated rural
development program. But from 1990s policy interven� on became the
educa� onal aid strategy. Basic and Primary Educa� on Program (BPEP, 1992-
2004) Educa� on for all (2004 – 2009) and School Sector Reform Program
(SSRP, 2010-2015) are the examples. The World Bank, ADB, FINIDA, NORAD,
JICA, and DANIDA are other major donors and the SWAP (sector wide
approach) and basket fund modality are being implemented. It is noteworthy
that even the foreign aid contributes around one-sixth of total educa� on
expenditure of the country, it infl uences the total educa� on investment of
the country. Since 1990s, the target of educa� on aid is to intervene in policy
levels. It means, the role of foreign aid has been vital for the development
of the educa� on sector of the country. But the ques� on is could we get
substan� al benefi t from the foreign aid in educa� on? Herein below are
some of the examples:
1. Nepal invested foreign aid on teacher training. The stocktaking of the
research on it shows that teachers are made confi dent, they knew
teaching techniques, and yet they did not apply the learnt skills in the
classroom (Subedi et. al., 2009).
2. Foreign aid was invested in university in a hope that its cons� tuent
campuses will be autonomous; now University Grants Commission
has given the money to the affi liated private campuses meaning that
public campuses cannot use the foreign aid properly.
3. Foreign aid was also poured in for the support of technical and
voca� onal educa� on. But the result shows that none of the
government owned technical and voca� onal educa� on centers could
be independent. Only the foreign aid based project work have been
found "successful"
4. Nepal invested the foreign aid in school/classroom construc� on.
But the experience shows that none of these "fortunate schools" could
develop maintenance fund so far: an eff ort towards ins� tu� onaliza� on
of the foreign aid.
5. Foreign aid encouraged government to transfer management of the
public school to the community. A substan� al number of schools
have received the "package" to be transferred. But the ques� on is
how many schools will be interested to transfer their management to
the community without this package. And how many schools could
ensure quality educa� on with this "package" and how many of them
con� nued that zeal so far is yet to be known.
Philosophy of aid: Incompa� bility between culture of donors and
recipient
There is contras� ng philosophical diff erence between donors and
Changing paradigms of aid eff ec� veness in Nepal 133