Thanks to the additional funds raised from the appeal we have been able to supply a huge range of much needed fiction and non-fiction books to 3 of our supported schools in the Solukhumbu region!  Over 1,300 books, targeted at children between 4 and 12 years ,are currently being distributed to Shree Padmakanya, Shree Chandrodaya, and Shree Bakhapalam Schools.  

Nepal has one of the world’s lowest literacy rates with an estimated 6.7 million adults classed as illiterate across the country. We believe that learning to read is fundamental in breaking the cycle of poverty and as such CITC [Classrooms in the Clouds] promotes literacy in schools by building and stocking libraries and working with school leaders to help children to access books and develop a love of reading. 

 Llami Sherpa [the teacher we support] is currently teaching in Year 2 as a ‘Grade Teacher’ as well as having the responsibility of being the Early Years Leader at Shree Sagarmatha School.  Grade teaching is a new concept in rural Nepal, with most primary schools having ‘subject based’ teachers, even from the Early Years.  This means that even the very youngest children can see multiple teachers in a day which makes it difficult for the teachers to get to know the children well and tailor their teaching to meet individual needs.

CITC strongly promotes the concept of grade teaching for primary aged children as a child-friendly approach, enabling the teachers to build better relationships with the children and allowing for a cross curricular approach to their learning. 

CITC has provided Llami with specific training in grade teaching and she is very proud that since her school adopted this approach 4 years ago, she has not only been able to raise her class average learning achievement by over 20% in the first year, but has subsequently kept her students’ average attainment above 80% every year since.  Performing as a grade teacher has enabled her to form greater relationships with her students and their families and she continues to be an excellent role model to her teaching peers.