September 2009 - Nepal's School Sector Reform Plan (SSRP) was endorsed by the FTI Partnership this month. Nepal becomes the first country in the South Asia Region to join EFA - FTI. The SSRP aims to bring the hardest to reach children into schools with access to a good quality education. With an annual per capita income of about US$ 470 (FY2008), Nepal remains among the poorest countries in the region (142nd out of 177 on the Human Development Index). Nearly 8 percent of primary-school aged children do not participate in schooling, and these shares increase sharply for higher levels of schooling, with a 30 percent drop out in primary grades. Nine local donors and other development partners will pool their resources with the Government of Nepal to support the SSRP. With the endorsement of Nepal's education strategy, the number of EFA FTI countries totals now 38. Nepal's endorsement documents will be published on this website shortly.