Community Learning Center


Development of Community Learning Center in Nepal and Role of NRC-NFE

One of the serious weakness of Literacy and Non -Formal Education in Nepal is that it is adhoc and one shot affair. Usually literacy class is conducted for six or nine months and then they disappear. Similar is the case with out of school education classes. Due to the lack of a permanent institute at the village level, Literacy and Non-Formal Education (NFE) program could not provide functional education based on needs and problems of villagers. It was universally agreed that the Literacy and NFE program should be need based of the people and it should help the villagers to identify their real problems and help them to solve the problems through learning new knowledge and skills related to health, cleanliness, nutrition, family planning, environment etc. Similarly the functional literacy program should help the villagers to learn new skills and technology to improve their profession and their earning capacities. Therefore, the concept of a Community Learning Center (CLC) came about exactly to solve those problems. Actually CLC is a multipurpose institute of the people, by the people, and for the people to promote learning new knowledge, skills and behaviors to improve people's quality of life and living standard. At present many countries in Asia have set up such Community Learning Centers (CLCs). In Nepal a few CLCs have been set up. Some of them are showing good example what could be achieved through CLCs. So different national and international agencies are paying more attention in the promotion of the CLCs.

NRC-NFE/ CEFA Nepal has started Community Learning Center (CLC) in Kavre District since 1992. Subsequently, it established 6 CLCs in Lalitpur District. With those experiences, NRC-NFE started Literacy and Non-Formal Education Project under World Terakoya Movement (WTM) in Rupendehi and Kapilvastu District since 2002 with the help of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ). Later it had been expanded 6 CLCs in 6 VDCs of Rupendehi District, 6 CLCs in 6 VDCs of Kapilvastu District and four CLC in Kathmandu Valley (3 CLCs in Lalitpur and 1 CLC in Bhaktapur District) were established and operated. The project has been a model project for CLC promotion in Nepal.

Finally, the Government of Nepal realized that the CLC could be a very effective mechanism for promoting EFA and Poverty alleviation in the villages. So, the Government of Nepal established 1981 CLCs all over Nepal by 2009/2012. On top of that NGOs and INGOs have established about 200 CLCs. The Government of Nepal has made a plan to establish one CLC in each VDC and one in each of the wards of each Municipality. That way, the Government would establish about 4000 CLCs in Nepal in near future.

The NRC-NFE is working for the promotion of CLCs established by the Government of Nepal and other NGOs through trainings of Government personnel and NGO personnel and developing Guidebook for CLC management.

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The Concept of CLC
Activities Undertaken by CLCs