The monitoring mechanism for assessing the impact of the food, fuel and financial (3F) crisis on children's education in Nepal is facilitated by RIDA, with support from UNICEF and in coordination with the Department of Education1, District Education Offices, and schools. Monitoring takes place at three levels: (i) community (through focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers, children and teachers); (ii) household (based on household survey data2 from the World Food Programme‘s (WFP) quarterly Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) of around 40 districts)3; and (iii) school (through monthly information collected from a sample of 22 schools in 11 districts4). This situational analysis report covers the last quarter of 2009 (October–December).