Education

Umbrella knows that the best gift you can give a child to secure their future is a good education. For this reason education has always been at the forefront of Umbrella's priorities. Education is a basic human right and it is the fundamental tool in reducing poverty, discrimination and injustice.

For many years the children of Umbrella were sent to private, English medium schools. As the children grew older and the time came for them to leave school and progress onto the next steps of their education it became apparent that their expectations matched that of the standard of education they had received thus far and did not correlate with the standard of further education Umbrella was in a position to give. 
 

It was decided to move all the children to Government, Nepli medium schools in April of 2011. 

Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. In Nepal child traffickers prey on uneducated and vulnerable families in the rural districts of Nepal. They offer the families the promise of an education in Kathmandu and take the children away from their homes. By sending the children to government schools, like those available in the children's home districts, we are helping to dispell the illusion that education can only be found in the capital. By offering the child the same education as the parent can provide we can encourage more families to take back their children and bring them up within their own family unit.    

We still value education and believe that the children will learn to work hard and earn their high grades in these government schools. Every house in Umbrella has live-in-tutors who help the children with their homework, and their studies. The method of teaching and learning in Nepal relies heavily on rote learning, in order to ensure that our children are getting the full benefit from their education we have introduced in house testing. These exams are held three times a year and are designed by the Umbrella tutors. The results of these tests help us see the children's development and help us address problem areas. 

With the help of the Indian Embassy's Women's Club, Umbrella has opened up a Montessori style school for these three classes. It is the hope that by giving the children a solid foundation in their education and training them in good learning practices, we are giving them an extra advantage for when they enter main stream school.

Education does not end when you finish school. Umbrella wish to provide a rounded education and equip the children with the necessary tools for adult life and the skills they will need to take the next steps out of Umbrella. Our Next Steps Youth Programme is designed to prepare our older children for the demands of Nepal's competitive work place.