Inclusive Education Nepal (IEN), as a system-change organization, aims to transform how inclusive education is designed, governed, and practiced, rather than merely how it is delivered. The organization is committed to ensuring that education in Nepal is fully inclusive, equitable, and accessible, guided by the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Its work focuses on promoting inclusive education, universal design, special needs education, and inclusive safeguarding practices.
Since its establishment, IEN has been consistently organizing safeguarding workshops as part of its commitment to promoting safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments. These workshops aim to support schools, teachers, and staff members in understanding, implementing, and strengthening safeguarding policies within their institutions. In line with this initiative, IEN conducted a safeguarding workshop at Zenith Academy, Bhaktapur, for its teachers, administrative staff, and board members on 8 February 2026. The workshop focused on enhancing participants’ knowledge of safeguarding principles and highlighting their vital role in ensuring equitable and protective learning spaces for all students. A total of 26 participants attended the session.
The safeguarding workshop commenced with the introduction session facilitated by Mr. Ram Tiwari, Director of IEN. He began by introducing IEN, outlining its mission and ongoing efforts to promote safe and inclusive learning environments. The session opened with a thoughtful discussion on the types of punishment practiced in schools and their lasting impact on children’s emotional well-being and development. Emphasizing the increasing diversity within classrooms, Mr. Tiwari highlighted the urgent need to adapt teaching approaches and classroom management practices to ensure equity and inclusion. To encourage reflection and participation, teachers and board members engaged in interactive activities, including a perspective-based exercise on perception and a participant-matching task designed to foster collaboration and awareness.
In the second phase, participants were presented with an overview of the current educational context in Nepal, including data indicating that out of approximately 7 million students enrolled in around 35,000 schools, nearly 82% experience some form of violence in school. Participants were oriented on child rights and child protection provisions enshrined in the Constitution of Nepal, as well as global data, including the United Nations estimate that one in three children worldwide experiences bullying or some form of violence in their schools. The discussion further explored the various forms of violence present in educational settings and introduced the concept and principles of safeguarding.
Participants were then invited to reflect on their own school experiences by listing five reasons they wanted to attend school and five reasons they did not. This reflective exercise led to meaningful dialogue about the normalization of violence in schools and the concerning reality that many children do not report harmful experiences, sometimes even perceiving them as necessary for success. When asked to assess their own schools’ safeguarding practices on a scale of 10, with 10 representing strong policies and committed implementation, most participants rated their institutions at 7, acknowledging the presence of policies but gaps in effective implementation.
The session continued with a deeper exploration of safeguarding as a constitutional and legal obligation. Participants learned that Nepali law mandates the establishment of a Complaint Response Mechanism (CRM) committee in every school and the nomination of a Child Safeguarding Lead to oversee policy orientation, codes of conduct, and referral processes. The role of local governments in facilitating inter-sectoral child protection coordination was also discussed. Data was shared, highlighting where students are most at risk of violence and the common sources of such risks within school environments.
Following a brief coordination game to re-energize participants, the workshop introduced the 5R Framework for Safeguarding: Recognize (identify signs of distress or harm), Record (document factually and immediately), Report (follow formal reporting channels), Respond (ensure safety without escalation), and Refer (connect to appropriate support service).
