Saturday, April 30, 2011

    Has education become an industry?

    "The sector has become a hotbed of differing schools of conflicting thoughts "

    KATHMANDU: With the new academic session around the corner, schools are once again the battle ground with stakeholders like the private schools, teachers, unions, students unions and the guardians association all fired up with conflicting stands on how the education sector in Nepal should move forward.

    Every year, during the new academic session, the education sector of Nepal is engulfed in a plethora of problems. This year is no exception; in fact the stakes are even higher with a group of human rights activists even seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention in controlling the fees charged by private schools and regulating the public and government run schools.

    The government of Nepal has fixed fees for ordinary schools at Rs 1,350 and 50 per cent more for ‘A’ grade schools, plus charges for the extracurricular activities being provided. However, the guardian’s association says this is being widely disregarded and the financial burden on parents is cumbersome.
    According to Suprabhat Bhandari, president of Guardian’s Association of Nepal (GAN), parents enrol their children in private schools because they feel that private school products are better equipped to compete in every sector and stand out in the crowd as the government schools are in a terrible state. But left with no option they feel cornered and cheated by the hike in tuition fees and other
    related activities. He says, “In the name of modernisation and updating curriculum, most private schools are cheating parents and there is no mechanism to monitor them.”
    During its fourth general assembly meeting, GAN had made four prominent demands — that government officials should compulsorily enrol at least one of their children in public schools, that fees of the private sector should be monitored and that a system for reward and punishment of private schools should be maintained to ensure transparency. The fact that this has not been possible raises the question of how feasible, realistic and justified are these demands. Can private schools be held responsible for providing quality education on par with international practices as well as forced to make it affordable for all? What is the responsibility of the government-run institutions and when the government has failed to deliver on this count should the private schools be burdened with such responsibilities?
    Geeta Rana, principal of Galaxy Public School claims that though Galaxy has hiked tuition by Rs 100, their monthly fees does not exceed
    Rs 2,900, whereas their annual fee is Rs 5,800. “We always hold discussions with teachers and parents before the fees are increased to make sure there are no hang-ups later on.”
    Speaking on this issue, Rana says, “Government should provide subsidies and come up with flexible packages for those who cannot afford higher fees in private schools. They should also make provisions for imparting free education for such children.” She also points out that there are numerous government schools in existence and questions their contribution to education in Nepal. “Why does the government not improve the quality of education in these public schools?” asks Rana, “It is just not possible for private educational
    institutions to provide free education.”
    One reason private schools feel pressured to hike tuition fees is due to demands to increase salary and facilities of teachers through their unions who have shutdown schools and opted for strikes in the past.
    Hom Kumar Thapa, president of Institutional School Teachers’ Union (ISTU) says, “Private schools are doing business in the name of service, and claiming unnecessary charges for different sections and extra activities.” According to him, in the name of increasing

    teachers’ salary, private schools are hiking tuition fees annually, but it is surprising that, teachers are not paid even the minimum salary as directed by the government. He also says to make education accessible for all they are demanding that the  government scrap the company act through which the private schools are mushrooming and making money rampantly.

    This year the fee monitoring committee has informed that there will be no increment in fees in Kathmandu valley and the same will be implemented in other districts in the days to come. “District Education Office (DEO) is the body responsible to increase fees and not the schools, although the latter can propose the fee structure,” says Bhandari, adding that schools are increasing fee indiscriminately against the Education Rule, 2059.

    Following complaints from parents, DEO has been monitoring two schools — Pathshala Nepal and Chelsea International — for unjustly increasing their fees. The committee has demanded clarifications from the said schools, which they are yet to receive.

    Private institutions, nonetheless, stand their ground and claim education in Nepal cannot be deemed expensive. “You see, any ordinary school in India would charge IRs 3,000 as its monthly fee. So, how can people say that our education is expensive?” questions Shiva Raj Pant, founder trustee of LRI School. Explaining the increase in fees, he says it is in line with the facilities provided to students, teachers and staffs.
    Echoing Rana’s statement, Pant says, “It is impossible for private institutions to provide free education to students.” Since the government made provisions for private schools to operate as a company and be taxed, education has flourished as a business. While some schools are truly of international standard and have even attracted students from other countries, there are others that have failed to deliver on the quality education that they charge for. While the minimum standard of education imparted should be enforced market forces cannot be ignored. The dismal performance of government schools has created a huge demand for private school education. The question that also arises is how to improve the quality of government schools and make them competitive as well as offer affordable and even free education where required.

    Mahashram Sharma, joint secretary of Ministry of Education says, “Government is monitoring government schools but has not been effective as it is not only the sole responsibility of the government. Other bodies like government school managements, parents and DEO are also accountable. Due to increase in number of government schools and in the absence of school invigilators, it is impossible to monitor it.”

    According to Department of Education, there are around 33,160 schools in Nepal, out of which 5,103 are private. Sharma feels that parents are more inclined to private schools and their involvement is greater as they pay higher fees. While in government schools, parents are less bothered about the responsibility towards the children.
    Clarifying about the quality in government schools, he reveals, “I disagree with the exaggerated self-praise of private schools as they equate educational excellence of their pupils to quality. However, government schools are equally capable and have given 100 per cent results.” He adds, “Both my children are enrolled at the university level. They both went to government schools and later into private not because of a problem in the quality but due to other
    circumstances.”

    source: The himalayan Times,23 April 2011

    Wednesday, April 20, 2011

    Speading Smiles on Power of Rs. 20

    Smile Falls is an initiative started by two MBA students of Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM). The aim of the initiative is to provide scholarship to financially weak students and to support differently-abled children, who otherwise would not be able to afford the education and facilities they are getting at present.

    Currently, Smile Falls is providing scholarship to two financially deprived students at Bal Deeksha Sadan Higher Secondary School, Gwarko, and supporting two differently-abled children at Patan Community Based Rehabilitation Organisation (CBRO). Besides, the dues of an SLC appearing student at Lok Smriti Secondary School have also been cleared by Smile Falls.

    Smile Falls collects money by collecting Rs 20 each from the students of KUSOM every month.
    There are around 180 students in MBA and BBA at KUSOM who are the major donors. Besides, the faculty members and students of EMBA and MPhil have been very supportive towards the initiative providing financial assistance and abundant suggestions for the growth and sustainability of the initiative.
    The main motive behind Smile Falls is not to beg for money from the supporters, but to increase the awareness of one's responsibility towards the deprived community.

    Smile Falls has also carried out various other activities. Last Tihar, a candle stall was put up on KUSOM premises where candles made by differently-abled children of Patan CBR were sold. A fund raising event was organised at Aarohan Gurukul on April 2 by staging a play.
    Currently it is operated under KUSOM Social Club. Smile Falls aims to add smiles to peoples' lives.
    -Subin Hachhethu,MBA IVth Trimester,KUSOM

    source: The Himalayan Times

    In a uniform world

    Sharada Adhikari

    Some people argue that making students wear uniform com pulsorily in the undergraduate level is a good thought because it allows everybody to feel equal. Meanwhile there are other people who oppose the idea arguing that uniforms do not play a significant role in the performances of students. Though most of the private colleges in Kathmandu have made uniform compulsory for students of undergraduate level, the situation is just the opposite in the case of government colleges. Only a few of the government colleges have made it mandatory for undergraduate level students to wear uniform. However, students have a mixed opinion regarding the provision of uniforms in the undergraduate level.

    For uniform identity It is believed that dress reveals the personality of a person. “But all students are equal and this uniformity is reflected by the college uniform the students put on,“ opined Indra Prasad Subedi, principal of Trinity International College (TIC), Dillibazaar.

    It is compulsory for all undergraduate students at TIC to wear the college uniform. Srijana Pariyar, BBS Ist Year student here said, “Because all of us always put on uniform, I never find any kind of discrimination among my friends. I think it might have prevailed if there was no dress code. Students would each day be trying to look their best in the best dress and that would create problems.“

    Suchita Shrestha, BSc IInd year stu dent at Tri Chandra College, Ghantaghar sometimes faces problems as there is no particular uniform in her college. “As every student wears a different kind of dress, my friends always keep on comparing the quality and cost of dress with theirs which is really a problem.“
    Helpful to maintain discipline “If there is uniform in a college, it helps to develop an understanding of self-discipline among the students,“ pointed out Kamal Dev Dhakal, Campus Chief of Shankar Dev Campus, Putalisadak. It is compulsory for the BBA students here to wear uniforms whereas there are no dress codes for BBS level students in this college. Clarifying the two different provisions for the same level of students, Dhakal informed, “There are a large number of students in BBS because of which we are unable to impose a uniform code which has been possible for the students of BBA.“
    Informing that no efforts are made at Tri-Chandra College to set the dress code for students, Jujuman Tamrakar, Administrative Chief at the college stated, “Had there been rules for the students to put on a particular uniform in college, it would have been easier for us to identify the real students and maintain discipline in our college. We have a large number of students and they need to be identified from identity cards whenever they enter the college premises. And many times it becomes difficult to check the cards of all these students.

    Due to this many persons who are not our students are involved in breaking college rules and regulations here pre tending to be our students.“Freedom Vs responsibility Ramesh Prasad Bhandari, BSc IInd year student at TC, is happy that he is free to wear the clothes of his choice. “It is not practical to force students of undergraduate level to put on college uniforms. Now we are mature enough to realise our responsibility and I think we should have the freedom to put on whatever is comfortable,“ argued Bhandari who thinks that “uniforms never make an impact upon the academic performance of any student“.
    However, Sunu Thapa, a BBA IVth semester student at Shankar Dev Campus argued, “Wearing uniform at college level may make you feel like a school kid but if the students are given freedom to wear what they like, they will surely spend time on thinking about what to wear next to college.“
    Thapa who always reaches her college properly dressed in her college uniform further expressed, “And mostly it gives opportunity for the students to show off and do every possible thing just to look better than others. This always hampers our studies if we start focusing on some thing else rather than things to study.“
    Subedi also views dress codes as important medium to make the students realise their responsibilities. “Students should never feel that uniforms are made to restrict their freedom. Instead uniforms urge students to use their freedom being responsible.“

    Working students and uniforms Despite strict rules in his college to wear uniform, Sabin Adhikari, a BA Ist student at Trinity International College does not wear college uniform while going to college.
    “I have to go to my office directly from college and it is impossible for me to go home and change my dress. So, usually I do not go to college in my college uniform,“ stated Adhikari who thinks that “educational institutions should maintain the standard of education instead of focusing on dress codes.“
    Bhandari echoing similar views said, “Most of the students of our level are working in one place or another and it will not be practical to force the students to wear uniform as the students need to maintain balance between workplace and college.“

    source: The Himalayan Times, 20 April 2011

    Thursday, April 14, 2011

    Institutions Where Politics Matters

    The Kathmandu University has resumed its academic operation following the long interruption due to obstructions caused by the opposing camps of the students. That the nation’s only university widely recognized for its quality education in the competitive branches of knowledge is faced with political games and intrigues is itself a very disappointing degeneration. For quite a longer period, the Kathmandu University had managed to stay almost immune from the political infringement which was good for itself to run academic operation in a smooth and uninterrupted manner. But the recent developments indicate that the nation’s recognized shrine of learning where both national and international students compete for spaces and seats has been fully contracted by the viruses of political maneuvers and bickering. There has thus occurred sheer and unhealthy politicization of educational institution in the country where political party functionaries use it as an arena to fulfill their partisan interests. To further it, the party loyalists are preferred to the academicians and educationists specializing in the relevant disciplines and subjects. The situation in the public universities like the Tribhuvan University is more pathetic and poor. The bickering over what and whose party loyalists should be accorded preference to man the universities of the national importance has been allowed to come on the way of running, managing and administering the vital and appropriate educational institutions. The major educational institutions in the country are indeed destructively politicized, and the even the schools operating in the remote areas of the country face interference of the political groups. The academic performance and rationale of the educational institutions has been relegated to the background as some incidents show that the educational institutions are converted into political battlegrounds. The gang fights and violent brawls that have been occurring in the campuses and educational institutions during the contemporary times indicate that the political parties tend to use these forums to fulfill their own political ends and interests. There may be certain political incentives for the parties to use the educational institutions as an arena for conflict and contest, the priority should however be accorded to national needs for development. This can be achieved only if the educational institutions are allowed to remain and operate free from political games. The political parties should recognize to this and pursue ways and means to depoliticize the educational institutions.

    source: risingnepal

    The English Medium

    Some government schools of Kavre are improving their teaching and learning environment as they gird themselves for competition with private schools. They have started classroom instruction in English. They run nursery and kindergarten for kids. Eleven high schools provide older students and teachers with wireless access to the Internet. Guardians receive progress reports of their wards after regular tests and assessments. Libraries and labs are other priorities. All this is a laudable outcome of a local initiative which has now grown into a network of 53 schools in the south of the district. It involves 393 teachers and 9,908 students. The network has enlisted support from government agencies, non-government organisation officials and education experts. Well-known educationist Kedar Bhakta Mathema praised the initiative after he, along with other experts, visited a higher secondary school of the network. The school is becoming a centre of learning to challenge the efficacy of private schools, which are taken as synonymous with being English medium.

    Nepal’s education system draws criticism as producing two classes of people, mostly thanks to the language of instruction. English medium, that most private schools brag about being good at, sells. English school products are a proud lot of people, forget about whether they have a very good command over the English language, or not and a very good grasp of the subject matter, or not. A cursory look over the newspaper advertisements of vacancies shows how much in demand the English school products are. On the other hand, Nepali medium public school graduates are a low profile lot because they do not have the fashionable English school testimonials to dangle. Therefore, few go to Nepali medium schools as their first choice. The national language has lost its value. When teachers, students and politicians turn public schools into a battleground of their partisan interests, the little scope left there for learning and teaching is lost. The picture of a typical public school is a poor building, with congested classrooms, outside which is a balcony, where a lady teacher is weaving a sweater, and her male colleague is cracking jokes in class hours.

    The Kavre experiment, at its best, can be developed as a model bridge between the two classes of learned people of Nepal. Its incentives should help retain students in the public schools and lure prospective others to join in. Quality public education will be an exemplary achievement in itself. But ‘English’ is not quality. The precondition for quality is a commitment to developing an appropriate teaching and learning environment, where teachers, students, learning materials and aids are properly mobilised. Given financial and human resources, change can happen if well meaning people devote themselves to the cause. Sustaining the change, however, is a Herculean task.

    source: risingnepal

    Tuesday, April 12, 2011

    Student politics in Nepal: Wither it away?

    PAMIR GAUTAM

    Students’ political activism has been a key political force in different parts of the world for a very long time. However, 1960s is often taken to be an important landmark in history in the western society with regard to student’s activism. Students’ activism has taken various shapes ranging from peaceful demonstration to militant student movement, like in the case of United States, where the Vietnam War became the key factor in stimulating the largest and most militant student movement in the American history. 


    Even in Japan, the renewing of the Security Treaty between Japan and the US in 1960 and various other issues initiated large scale of student protests ranging from peaceful demonstration to building break-ins and several physical confrontations with police. Almost all the Europrean countries have experienced strong students’ political movements. The issues taken up by the movements have also varied ranging from academic freedom, discriminatory policy practiced by the state and other institutions on various grounds, and opposition of state’s foreign policy. However, it is generally argued that in the western society, students’ movements died in 1970s and students since have not been actively involved in political movements.


    Even in the developing countries, student political activism has been an important force and there are hardly any political upheavals where students have not played a major part. Take, for example, the role of Iranian students in overthrowing the Shah, students’ movements against the autocratic rule in Indonesia, student’s movements in the Latin American countries against the system which show the importance of students in political development. This power of students has not gone unrecognized by the state. Thus, in many parts of the developing countries where autocratic/authoritarian regime exists, students’ union and student politics are banned for they are perceived as threats to the existing system. But in other parts of the world where students do possess such privilege, students continue to be politically active and involved not only in fighting for thier rights but also in matters of state affairs and, on occasions, contribute to political unrest.


    STUDENT POLITICS IN NEPAL


    Nepali students have significantly contributed in the democratization of Nepal, whether it be 1950 that saw the end of over a century long oligarchic Rana Regime, or 1990 which marked the end of three decades long Panchayati System and 2008 that ended 239 year old monarchy. In all these developments, students have played a crucial role. Moreover, it would be unfair not to say that in the last movement for democracy, students were in the forefront, and were ahead of any other group or organizations, including their parent parties. A reason for this farsightedness could be the realization that they are responsible for the future of their country. 


    Nevertheless, in a state like Nepal, characterized by poor literacy rate and lack of accountability in the political elites in the government as well as in the opposition, student community constitutes an important element of public opinion. In the words of Philip G. Altbach (1984) “student activism contributes to social change in the Third World and focuses national attention on political and social questions that might otherwise be ignored by the political system.” In this sense, students’ unions do not merely represent the ideology that they adhere to but they also represent the whole community and the state.


    However, a question that arises is, has students’ politics in Nepal lived up to its expectation? Many people doubt it and are of the view that political activism should be banned in educational institutions, for it has been the major element in the degradation of quality education in colleges and universities. Tribhuvan University, the largest university of Nepal which has been the hub of students’ politics since its establishment, today has been discredited for the same reason which has led to decreasing number of students’ enrollment over the years. Student politics, today in the view of general population, has become synonymous to goondagardi. 


    This accusation is difficult to be discarded because in the name of student politics many people are engaged in illegal activities, inter-party rivalries that often amount to serious violent conflicts in educational institutions, and regular strikes in colleges that often disrupt exams. But hardly any initiative is taken in developing college infrastructure. Moreover, few days back, one of the students’ organizations protested against the arrest of two people accused of being involved in serious crimes. 


    Instead of cooperating with the concerned authority to help find them the actual facts, the act clearly shows the disrespect of law by that particular student organization. The sad state of affair of the national politics combined with student politics has contributed to the growing detachment of the general public especially the youth. Student’s organizations have merely become an instrument of political parties to fulfill their petty interests. Student’s organizations have failed to live up to their expectation.


    WITHER STUDENT POLITICS?


    Student Politics is an integral part of political development and can play a crucial role in the process of nation building. As argued earlier, they constitute an important element of public opinion. Ideological differences among students’ organizations are natural but all ideology is committed to representing a community.Differences might be in terms of means. But the students’ unions in Nepal seem to be failing in contributing to wider population. Instead, they are serving as means to fulfill their parent organization’s interests. They seem to be following the footstep of the leaders of their parent organization, and in this case even if they emerge as national leaders tomorrow, we can hardly expect anything better from them. 


    It seems that students’ unions of Nepal need fundamental reorientation in their attitude. Students should be the ones to lead the nation and pave path for change and prosperity guide the political leaders who are lost in their own old perspectives. Merely registering for two or three courses (that has become a trend in student leaders to continue their college politics) does not make anyone an efficient leader. What matters is how you represent the voice of those illiterate, marginalised and poverty stricken population. It must be accepted that education forms the bedrock of development, so it is necessary that student politics, in no way, should obstruct it but instead fight for better quality education that is accessible to the mass. The student community should also make both general population and political elites aware of the consequences of various social, political and economic issues. In a country where the oppositions have failed to check-balance the government, students could emerge as such force.


    The biggest pain in life is to see our dream, hope and expectation dying. Nepali people have stopped expecting from the political leaders. But the new Nepal that Nepalis have dreamt of demands equality, liberty and social justice in all spheres of life. It is still possible only if students recognize their responsibility towards their state. So student leaders, set a path for development we all will collectively join our hands and follow you to help you build new Nepal. 


    Writer is a student of M.Phil in International Organization from the Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament (CIPOD), School of International Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.


    pmrgautam@gmail.com


    source:republica

    Experts find Kavre schools impressive

    Kavre, Apr. 12 - Remote government schools of Kavre have set an example by improving their teaching and learning, suggesting that improvement can be brought about in all schools if the will is there. 

    "We have been enlightened by some remote schools here," said education experts after visiting Kavrepalanchok’s schools.
    Educationalists; Tribhuban University’s former vice-chancellor Dr. Kedar Bhakta Mathema, Action-Aid International-Nepal (AAIN) director Bimal Phunyal, AAIN Educational Theme Leader Indira Gurung and Roshan Chitrakar visited Dedithumka Higher Secondary School, Mahadevasthan of Kavre, to see how the school was improving teaching learning there.
    The school is a center for 53 government schools across the district’s seven Village Development Committees in the south of Kavre. 

    Schools established the Center for Rural Educational Development (CRED) as a forum four years ago to bring about reforms in the quality of government schools.The network enlisted 53 schools of all levels as members covering 393 teachers and 9908 students. 

    Lawmaker and CRED chairperson Krishna Prasad Sapkota informed that the CRED was formed with the aim to enhance the competitiveness of the government schools at par with the private schools."Schools in the network are trying to be better than the private schools," he claimed. 

    "As we started instructing students in the English medium at the government schools, private schools are feeling the heat?" claimed Lom Prasad Sapkota, teacher of Dedithumka Lower Secondary School of Mahadevstan VDC-1.
    The government school started nursery classes, provided progress report cards to students in monthly exams, used projectors in high school teaching, the classrooms were improved to encourage face to face study by replacing the old desks and benches, started wall news papers, and established child health and eco clubs. 

    More than that four telecenters had been established, 11 high schools were equipped with wireless internet, library and dresses were introduced like in the private schools.A school that is under the CRED has also started giving the yearly prizes to mothers who sent their children regularly to school, helping improve the exam system. They also linked education with agriculture and health sectors. 

    "Our initiative is showing positive results, enrollment of students is at 98 percent, and dropout rate is very low at 8 to 9 percent," informed Shiva Kumar Paudel, member of CRED.The campaign to improve the government schools education was started by local civil society, teachers and guardians, and government agencies were also helping their initiatives.Education Ministry provided 42 computers; Information Technologies Center provided materials to establish the Information Center while Finance Ministry, and District Development Committee were also helping, informed lawmaker Sapkota.

    Educationist Dr. Mathema said that it was a good initiative to improve the government education system but this needs to be sustainable."The local initiative to draw the people’s attention to the government school was good, it can positively impact quality in the future" He said.

    Phnuyal informed that the movement was great but the need was government education must be linked with agriculture, human rights, and social justice.He also announced that the AAIN would help train teachers who were involved in the campaign.AAIN’s Gurung informed that the campaign was very new and his organization would take it across the 32 districts where it was working in the education sector. 

    Educational activist Roshan Chitrakar urged educational experts and government to work towards improving the government education across the country. 

    source:Ram Prasad Daha, 12 April 2011

    Sunday, April 10, 2011

    Open University . Will it open in Nepal?

    MANA PRASAD WAGLEY
    In the past, several efforts have been made to establish an Open University in Nepal, but all in vain. In 1993, when an open school proposal to the Minister of Education was presented, his first question was “Would it help us earn votes?” The team explained to the minister the importance of open education in Nepal, and returned. The minister sent that proposal to the Ministry of Education (MoE)which took almost a decade to study the proposal. Then it was heard that the MoE was not positive towards that.

    In 1997-98, a proposal for open education was submitted to the Vice-Chancelllor of Tribhuvan University to start open mode in education, management and humanities and social sciences. The proposal outlined the major activities to be carried out with a promise of reducing TU’s load within three years.

    The then VC of TU Kedar Bhakta Mathema talked this matter with the Chancellor (then King ) and also to

    the Indian Embassy for resource support.

    However, his attempt proved futile, and he responded to the person who submitted the proposal “Mana, your proposal was very good…existing TU can not afford resources for that… I tried my best with the chancellor and the Indian Embassy…but no positive response, sorry for this….”. Well, the second attempt also failed.


    Later, a group of like-minded experts wanted to try it through their NGO ‘CHIRAG’, to initiate open learning and distance education in Nepal. They worked with Canadian colleagues and with the COL experts, with funds from CIDA for Open University. They conducted a feasibility study and suggested Nepal government to do a list of things to establish such a University in Nepal. Rounds of talks with the MoE and NPC were held.

    People seemed excited and responded positively that added fuel to the initiators. That is the reason why the same group also prepared a detailed plan of physical, human and monetary resources for Open University in Nepal. For the first initiative, they proposed Open Learning and Distance Education Center (OLDEC) in Nepal, utilizing the then Distance Education Center premises at Sanothimi, linking it with Nepal Television at Singha Durbar.

    Rounds of talks were also held with the authorities of NTV and Space Time management to use television technology in education. Both the TV stations gave their nod to the proposal. In the mean time, a group of people outside the government took initiative for the Open University. They organized several consultative meetings with concerned stakeholders and came up with “Open University Bill”, which they submitted to the MoE for further action. The MoE authorities including the Minister for Education congratulated the team for their effort in doing such an important task, and promised to get the bill approved by the parliament. The MoE itself constituted an Open Learning and Distance Education (OLDE) Committee in 1999 under the chairpersonship of then Secretary of Education to suggest the government with modalities of OLDE in Nepal. The committee comprising OLDE experts suggested the government with alternatives of programs and resources. The report must be gathering dust in some cabinet of the MOE even today. Despite the effort, the MoE merged the Distance Education Center (DEC) in NCED in early 2000, erasing Nepal’s history of distance education effort of more than two decades. The DEC was named to institutionalize Radio Education Teacher Training Center which had launched teacher education through radio since 1980. Meanwhile, a group of people outside the MoE, basically the same advocates of OLDE, gave the much-needed pressure on the MoE to establish an Open University in Nepal. As a result the government showed its commitment in the Ninth Plan to do so. In the announcement of government program in the Parliament, the then king said, “There will be an open university in Nepal, the work of which will start immediately”. People were happy that they had attained success in such an important endeavor for the development of the country. However, to their despair, the MoE delayed it, and to their surprise the then education secretary threw the file of Open University under the drawer, and forwarded bills of other universities to the parliament.

    The education minister makes the commitment, but how long will he stay in the MoE? By the time the university bill is passed by the parliament, he may already have been out of the government because of the fluid politics of Nepal. That means another minister would have to understand the whole process again. So, the commitment from the minister is temporary. The bureaucracy should be strong towards this end, and push the matter forward, but our history shows that it is also not trustworthy. Unless the government itself is seriously committed, Open University will not open in Nepal. At this point, we can only wish “Let an Open University be established in Nepal”.

    Dr. Wagley is an educationist

    source: The Himalayan Times(2011), 10 April 2011

    Voices Of The Oppressed And The Excluded In Nepali Literature

    Ram Dayal Rakesh
    SAARC Festival of Writers and Literature was organized in Siri Fort in New Delhi, India by the Foundation of SAARC writers and litterateurs from 25th March to 27th March 2011. The first ever SAARC writers’ conference was organized in April 2000. From then on it is organized every year in one of the SAARC countries. It is declared in 2000 Resolution, "We are the mad dreamers of the SAARC region. Let governments do their political and diplomatic work. Let us, the writers and the creative fraternity of the region, endeavour to create bridges of friendship across and beyond borders."

    The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Litterateurs (FOSWAL) is the only organization in eight SAARC countries - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Afganistan - legally authorized to use the acronym ‘SAARC’ and the SAARC Logo to organize literary and cultural interactions, seminars, conferences, festivals, youth outreach programmes, and all else. FOSWAL launched its vision of cultural bonding among the neighboring countries in 1986, and emerged as the first and the only non-government organization working for Track II cultural connectivity through a think tank of intellectuals and writers, creative fraternity and peace activists, folklore Buddhist and Sufi scholars, folk and tribal scholars, folk performers and artists, theatre and film artistes, and painters, dancers and musicians who have common sensitivities and common concerns for the socio-cultural, political-economic and tribal-gender issues of the region. Besides the participants of eight SAARC countries, poets from Burma (Myanmar) also participated in SAARC Festival of Literature in Agra in 2009.

    This time, the focus of the academic seminars were on contemporary creativity and political social conflicts, voices of the oppressed and the excluded, literary legacy of Tagore, Nazrul Islam, Faiz, Ghalib, new voices of young writers, SAARC identity and global culture, literature and ground realities.

    I had an opportunity to present a paper on voices of OBC in Nepali literature. OBC people in Nepal are mostly the inhabitants of Nepal’s Terai Madhesh. They make up 18 per cent of the total population of the country. They are living in 26 districts of Nepal. They speak Mathili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Magahi and Urdu in their respective places. Hindi is used as their link language. There is very little literature written on the problems and challenges which they face in their day to day life. There are also OBC people in India. They also face the same problems and challenges. There is a Minority Commission in Delhi which looks after their problems. The Nepal government has also constituted a central committee to look after the welfare of OBC. There is a lot of literature about Dalits in India but there is little literature on OBC. I would like to quote some lines of poet N.D. Rajkumar which has been translated by Anushiya Sivanarayanan. It was written originally in Tamil:

    "We have to wash all the dishes,

    The menstrual clothing,

    It is the way we survive.

    If the master is at home

    His wife or children

    Cannot laugh out loud.

    You cannot touch the master

    At other times

    Even when he asks for water.

    You serve him

    Then duck by the wall

    And hide.

    The anguish has been described very well by the poet and this is the pitiable plight of OBC in both Nepal and India.

    One Punjabi poet Surjit Patar is right to express his ideas here:

    "Words do not always liberate

    Sometimes they also imprison

    I am in search of such a line

    That will set me free

    From the web of suffocating sentences.

    Words cannot express fully the grievances of the other backward castes and there is no literature on OBC in Nepal. Some writers have tried their level best to express their grievances and demands in the genre of novel and short stories. In this context, one masterpiece collection of short stories has been published which has been named Tarai Madhesh Ka Katha (Stories of Tarai Madesh) in which there are many short stories by Madheshi writers like Bhavani Bhikshu, Dhireshwor Jha Dhirendra, Rajendra Vimal, Ram Bharoskapadi Bhramor, Gopal Ashka and Ramesh Ranjan. Likewise, there are several famous Nepali writers who have raised their voices in favour of minority people. They are Bisheshwor Prasad Koirala, Madanmani Dikshit, Ramesh Vikal, Manu Brajaki, Murari Adhikari, Dhruba Chandra Gautam, Parshu Pradhan, Bhaupanthi, Binod Dikshit, Shailendra Sakar, Sanat Regmi, Ram Mani Pokharel, Banmali Nirakar, Punya Prasad Kharel, Gorakh Bahadur Singh, Hari Adhikari, Rishi Raj Baral, Chandra Prasad Bhattrai, Pradeep Nepal, Rajab, Narayan Tiwari, Ismali, Kishor Pahadi, Indira Prasai, Vivas Pokhrel, Sita Pandey, Krishna Dharabashi, Dhir Kumar Shrestha, Rajendra Parajuli, Mahesh Vikram Shah, Nayan Raj Pandey, Sharmila Khadka (Dahal), Vasu Jamarkattel, Trishna Kunwar, Ratna Mani Nepal.

    This collection has been edited by Parshu Pradhan and Narayan Tiwari. This has appeared in second edition very recently. These short story writers have very keenly observed the wretched conditions of the OBC people and have expressed their concerns about them. They have also used their languages. So this is a testimony to the poverty, racial discrimination and racial sufferings of these people. They have been oppressed and suppressed for so many centuries. They have been deprived of their democratic rights. They are not in a position to enjoy their human rights also.

    There is a novel named Mayur Times written by Narayan Wagle. Parag Yadav is the protagonist in it; she is a true representative of OBC.

    Sanjeev Uprety has also written a novel named Ghanchakkar (Quagmire) in which he has picked up a character from his native district Jhapa. He is a black rickshaw puller who comes to Kathmandu and faces many problems. Most of the OBC people are black complexioned.

    There is another novel named Lal Chudi (Red Bangles) by Krishna Aviral in which he has raised the problem of dowry system which is still prevalent in Terai Madhesh. This is a good novel which throws sufficient light on various problems which OBC people face in their daily lives.

    Trishna Kunwar has raised multifarious problems of Madhesh in her short stories collection named ‘Seraj Ahmed’. There are 19 stories in this collection. Most of the stories are the mouthpieces of the Muslim community which also belongs to OBC. There are few good short stories namely, Seraj Ahmed and Burka, which throw sufficient light on OBC problems. Most of her stories depict the deplorable financial condition of these people.

    Rishi Pandey has written a beautiful story entitled Nikah in the latest issue of Garima, a Nepali varnacular monthly. It sheds light on the burning issue in the Muslim community.

    Banira Giri in her collection of essays Parbat Ko Arko Nam Parbati (The Other Name of Parbat is Parbati). There is one essay named Bipatiya Mantutiya Dukhak Jad Aachi (Bipatiya Mantutiya is the Root of Sorrow). Essayist Giri has expressed the impoverished situation of the people living in a village named Kapileshwor in Dhanusha district.

    Dhirkumar Shrestha in his novel ‘Ghur’ (Fire Place) where generally OBC people gather, tell folktales and talk about their own genuine problems under the starry sky, written on the basis of experience during the Madheshi Movement, has described the ground reality of Terai Madhesh. Shila Yadav, protagonist of the novel belongs to OBC. She narrates her own painful tale as well as the tale of racial discrimination which is prevalent till today. Though we celebrate international day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21st March, there is still rampant racial discrimination in the whole Terai Madhesh region.

    Some writers have distorted the culture of OBC. Dhrubchandra is one of them. He, in his novel Alikhit (Unwritten), has condemned the very culture of OBC. He has only phony sympathy for them. Some other writers also claim that they write about the prominent problems of OBC but they are not justifying the genuine problems in their writings.

    S.T. Hertige has written in his article ‘The Subaltern Speaks the Literature of the Marginalized,’ "Today many of these groups do not need enlightened and sympathetic non-subaltern interpreters to highlight their predicament. This does not mean that there are no voiceless, powerless and oppressed subaltern groups in these societies. It seems that production and reproduction of subaltern groups through cultural, social, political and economic process is an unending process in the contemporary world. This is what we learn from literary and other writings from around the world. We witness such process through these writings." But this is not true in the context of OBC groups in Nepal because they are still voiceless, powerless, oppressed and suppressed. No prominent Nepali writer has touched upon their prominent problems in their writings. Most of the literary works that we read dealing with OBC groups are written by non-OBC writers. This disparity may be critical from the point of view of postmodernist writers.

    Postmodernism is the pillar of pluralism in any society of the world. According to postmodernist principles, OBC group would remain alienated from the mainstream and would have no access to channels of communication and public discourse. It is true that Marxist literature played a historically vital role in bringing the proletariat to the foreground in many parts of the world and provided the basis for racial, social reforms and even social revolutions that often empowered the voiceless workers and enabled them to speak through their own channels of communication, such as political parties, trade unions, etc.

    Hertige is right in his opinion when he says and supports the causes of backward castes and tribal groups, marginalized racial and ethnic groups, women, disadvantaged youths and a host of others. Today many of these groups do not need enlightened and sympathetic non-OBC, interpreters to highlight their predicaments. Now OBC people are trying to come up with new courage, new energy and new conviction in the centre of polities. Likewise, their culture is also crossing its limited border and joining the mainstream culture. They are also fighting for their right to languages. Sanskrit was dominating language once upon a time, which was meant for forward people but now Sanskrit is considered as a dead language and other regional languages are flourishing rapidly because they are spoken by the majority of the people of OBC groups.

    So their literature is also becoming rich day by day. These writers are writing in every genre of literature. Other writers are also motivated towards the moving situation of these groups. So they are bound to write about their genuine problems which are plaguing OBC people. These writers and concerned intellectuals are empathetic to the prominent problems of OBC. This is an unending agendum. They are narrating their sorry state in their stories, essays, novels and poems but these volumes do not speak everything about OBC people’s sufferings. Nobody knows the language of their griefs and grievance. Kahlil Zibran has rightly expressed the exact ground reality of OBC groups in the following lines:

    "I am a stranger

    In this world,

    And there is no one

    In the universe

    Who understands

    The language I speak."

    Chinese scholar Chuang Tzu has also expressed the agony and anguish of the oppressed and the excluded groups in the following lines:

    "Where can I find a man

    Who has lost words

    He is the one I would like to talk to."

    Therefore I draw the attention of SAARC writers to highlight the genuine problems of OBC in their writings. FOSWAL can be a good forum for discussing their problems and writing about their wretched condition. There are countless people who suffer in silence, denied of their opportunities to tell their stories.

    Many prominent writers of today see and describe their pains and pleasures, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, smiles and tears with jaundiced eyes which is not appreciable. They should be fair and impartial in their writings, only then OBC people will get proper justice.


    source: risingnepal,10 april 2011

    Tuesday, April 5, 2011

    TU STUDENTS' SUCCESSFUL STAGING OF FENCES

    The Central Department of Eng lish, Tribhuvan University, produced and staged August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play Fences at Gurukul from March 14 to 17.This was the Department's first attempt at taking a play from page to stage.

    The play begins on payday with two friends Troy (Ramesh Sharma) and Bono (Bhaskar Dhakal), drinking and talking. Troy, a middle aged African-American man, struggles with providing for his family. Troy used to be great baseball player, but this was before the colour barrier came to an end. He now lives as a garbage collector along with his wife, Rose, and sons -Lyons and Cory. Troy had an affair with Alberta, who dies while giving birth to Raynell, their daughter. Rose wants to get the fences built to strengthen the bond of her family. The final act is Troy's funeral, but Cory who has come home from the war refuses to go to his father's funeral. However, Rose convinces him to go. And here Raynell is shown as a happy seven-year-old.
    Fences shows the transitional times in America during the fifties when people were living with the orthodox psyche without accepting the changed atmosphere. Though America had officially declared abolition of racial discrimination, the African-Americans were still being deprived of various opportunities.All the actors were students rom the department. Sharma was bold but the monotonous dialogue delivery with a few gestures was a bit boring.

    Rose's character enacted by Rebija Adhikari and Laxmi Shrestha could have been better. Bharat Kandel as Cory, Dhakal and Mahendra Rayamajhi as Lyons were fine, while Prakesh Sindhuliya as Gabriel and Reena Gurung /Neela Adhikary as Raynell were the stars of the show though they had short roles.
    Bluesy number like Hit the Road between the scenes managed to evoke the perfect ambience on stage.
    Bal Bahadur Thapa, a drama teacher at the department, made a promising beginning not only as a director but also as someone who can fill the gap between theoretical study of the plays and their staging.

    -Umesh Chandra Lamsal,MA IInd Year, Central Department of English,TU

    source: The Himalayan Times, 6 april 2011

    Studying conflict management


    Conflict and people's aspiration for peace are unavoidable fea tures of human soci ety. As conflict can happen in any place, at any time and in any form, there is not a single way of understanding peace and conflict. To understand this process of conflict, peace and development in national and international context and pursue their career in same direction, some students are pursuing their Master's level on Conflict, Peace and Development Studies (CPDS) at the Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies.
    Understanding conflict and peace CPDS is the latest programme under Humanities and Social Sciences faculty of Tribhuwan University that started in 2007.

    "CPDS is a multi-disciplinary programme designed to develop analytical and practical skills of students to help them examine, research and offer solutions to various aspects of conflict and peace in various context," opined Dr Hem Raj Subedee, programme coordinator of the department.

    At present, there is no other institution offering this course in Nepal. And some students seem excited to study peace and con flict. "I am interested in cultural conflict, especially conflict between different groups. I feel this course will help me understand this conflict together with different aspects related to peace process," argued Rajendra Sunchury, a IInd semester student at the department.

    International collaboration Currently located at the building of Global College, midBaneshwor, CPDS is a regional Master's level programme funded by Norway. "Getting together with good friends of Nepal and Sri Lanka in Norway, we decided to address peace in a more professional way. As such we developed this curriculum collaboratively," informed Prof Dr Bishal K Sitaula from Norweign University of Life Sciences, who was present as guest lecturer at the department.

    Seven students from Nepal and seven students from Sri Lanka under this programme are funded by Norway to pursue their study in CPDS. Situala further informed, "We have a regular students exchange programme between the students here and University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka."There is also exchange of faculties and students between Eastern University, Batticola, Sri Lanka and University of Life Sciences (UMB), in Aas, Norway.

    Comparative approach for multi-disciplinary course "CPDS programme has comparative approach as its innovative feature," explained Situala according to whom, the curriculum is designed incorporating cases from conflict and peace processes that happened in Nepal and other places of world.

    The students seemed to be satisfied with approach taken by the CPDS programme. "We are studying the Nepali scenario while comaring it in the international context," opined Alka Acharya, another IInd semester student.

    Further the students should study different subjects and issues. "The course is a multi-disciplinary one where students can learn about political science, en vironment, security, gender and others. Studying these disci plines will provide students a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena of conflict, peace and development," Sitaula stated.

    However one of the students disagreed, "Everything has been put in one discipline and the course is not refined. As a stu dent I feel the course should be more specific addressing the need of our context and time so that we can get better insight of what we are exactly learning about."

    Students from diverse sector CPDS that began its classes with 38 students in 2007 now has 50 students in each batch. And according to Subedee, the num ber of applicants is increasing every year. They take in new stu dents once a year. But Subedee informed, "Once we have our own building, we will open ad mission every six months."

    The students comprise fresh undergraduates, security sector officers, teachers, development practitioners and seven students from Sri Lanka in each semester."It is fun to study together with people from different sectors, having different interests and ex periences," opined Shanti Bar mashkha, a IInd semester stu dent who is also pursuing her Master's Degree in Economics.

    A fresh undergraduate Sunchury however argued, "The course contents are tough and as a fresher, you really need to work hard to meet the level of those who are experienced."Future prospects "I have a dream of becoming an international mediator of conflict," Sunchury said reveal ing his aim.

    The faculties too are preparing their students in such a way to make them competent and effi cient. "Besides regular teaching, we hold several workshops, run field laboratories and send stu dents for internship, so that they will not face difficulties and will accomplish their responsibilities with ease once they start work ing," explained Subedee.

    However Acharya expressed, "We do not have any specific sec tor to go to and have to search for a job once we complete our course which is sad. However, we have realised that we should cre ate our own opportunities."

    Eligibility for admission ·
    Bachelor's Degree in any faculty with second division marks ·
    Proficiency in written and spoken English ·
    Related work, research, and publica tion experience is given priority.
    Fee structure (per course) Nepali students: Rs 1,10,000
    SAARC countries: Rs 1,48,500 For other students: NRs 1,65,000

    source: The Himalayan Times, 6 April 2011

    Monday, April 4, 2011

    An uncertain future


    Anik Yadav

    What would you choose if you were given an option between a Harvard degree and a wasted life in any third world country? The former would certainly prove useful and esteemed in today’s society. But the price that a nation pays due to the brain drain cannot be compensated. Nonetheless, the reason why we all assume the latter one a wasted is obvious.

    In Nepal’s context, only children with robust economic backgrounds get the opportunity to attain quality education—the lucky ones. But their admission to good schools doesn’t guarantee success. Many spoil either their academics or themselves, lots get lost in the run and meanwhile the rest hover under the poverty line. Others who aim higher and defy all limitations opt for foreign degrees. So how correct are we in deciding our future? And how fair are we to our nation?

    Students of every batch must have written paragraphs full of clichés about their love for their country and scored a ten out of ten. But this happens only in high school exam papers. Patriotism is required in real life, not only in written essays. It is required, to some extent, in order to preserve our culture, language and nationality. But the dire need the country currently faces are those of the youth and their

    innovations. It is at this point where patriotism must shine. However foreign certificates still weigh more than any from national universities. With intelligent brains allured abroad and talents gone, our nation incurs a huge loss.

    Imagine a country gifted with tons of natural resources that others crave—the prospect of development higher than that of any conglomerate. Yet rank wise, it stands last in line. The leaders change as frequently as clothes, plans never turn into programmes, the budget hardly reaches its specified target and infrastructure is outmoded before their construction is completed. I know that every cloud has its silver lining but the grieved dark cloud we are imagining doesn’t. Instead it is known as a well established manpower exporting giant.

    When I was 10, unaware of the politics around me, optimistic thoughts often came to my mind. I then wanted to be a doctor and serve the nation. Doctors were always taken as reputed and responsible citizens from the juvenile viewpoint of my childhood days. Later the nation was plagued with another disease called load shedding. So I made my mind to work as a hydro-electric engineer and relieve everyone of the national affliction. Now I see daily political turmoil and the nation in limbo. Within those years, all that changed is the name of the government offices, national anthem and holidays. Of course, the price of petroleum has soared, inflation has skyrocketed, electricity has

    diminished and we moved into the afterlife of the constitution drafting timeline. Except these, the conditions are still the same as they were when I wanted to become a doctor. Now all that’s left is price hike in electricity and a whooping 24 hours a day of power outages. The only good thing after reaching that point will be more electricity bills to pay.

    source: The Kathmandu Post, 2 April 2011

    The toughest competition


    Bijay Pandit
    Do you think your child is competitive? If yes, then how constructive is their spirit of competition? Many people may wonder about this. A few days ago, I went to watch a race competition at a nearby school. The front runner in the race was a boy that I knew. He was my friend.

    I was confident that he would win the race as he was leading the next boy in line by an ample margin. The other competitors were far behind. Everybody was cheering for him. Unfortunately, just as he approached

    the finish line, he made a great mistake. He turned back to watch how far the second runner and other competitors were from him. Though he was in the lead, the competition was tight until the end. In that split second of distracted impulse, the second boy bounded ahead into first place and won the race. My friend felt very bad.

    In any competition, we wish to have more than others. We don’t try to give our best; instead, we focus on how to beat out our competitors. This is a poor way to compete as the entire focus is on others. We rarely try to excel and push ourselves without someone to beat—such competitions are usually the most difficult. Unfortunately, from childhood, this is only the way that we have been taught. We are all told “You have to win!” but nobody ever tells us how. When a child scores 60 percent on his exam, he shouldn’t be scolded immediately. He should be inspired to achieve more. For this, a goal of 70 percent or even more marks can be set. He can improve himself and correct his mistakes. He should be given suggestions when necessary. When he achieves, the bar can then be set even higher. This will help him to improve and compete with others.

    This kind of process can be repeated in various fields like sports or other activities as well. This can help in improving performance and encourage children to excel. A player can learn to give his best and win the race rather than just trying his best to beat others. A student can learn to improve in his studies and exams rather than simply trying to beat the rest of the class and stand first.

    Once this dexterity to compete with oneself becomes implanted, many benefits and opportunities will present themselves. The students will be able to recognise and unleash their own ultimate potential. In the future, they may try to beak their own record. They can be capable and excellent in their own field. Such a person can achieve more greatness in their lives than those who are always wondering what others are doing.

    So, we should always try to improve ourselves rather than focus on how others are doing.

    source: The Kathmandu Post, 4 April 2011

    Sunday, April 3, 2011

    The end of books


    Binaya Ghimire

    Of late, my reading habit is changing from turning the pages to touching the screen.  Now, when it comes to reading I opt for eBooks. They can be easily downloaded. Sometimes they don’t even cost you money—the only thing you need to have is an active internet connection. And eBooks are easy to store—they don’t hog space in your room.

    I inherited my admiration for books from my father—I buy books, I read books, and I don’t let a chance go to waste whenever there is a book exhibition or sale. My childhood ambition was to grow up and traverse the land my dad had travelled, read the books my dad had read, and learn the things my dad knows?

    I never believed that anyone would remain famished or wear frayed apparel just to be able to buy books, as my father said he had done as a student. One day I waited for him to come from the hospital with loads of medicine, but instead he popped in with a stack of books. It’s true that buying books can be akin to an addiction and in some cases, with rising prices, it can be quite serious. Traditional publishing—words printed on paper and the pages tagged and bound in a cover—is getting costlier day-by-day. The days are gone when you could buy a couple of titles, even those from foreign publishers, for just Rs. 500. These days that amount of money means nothing when it comes to purchasing books.

    We won’t stop reading even though books are getting more expensive. So what to do? The answer lies on the cheaper technology of publishing that is emerging: eBooks. But it will take time in Nepal for publishers and a greater mass of readers to opt for eBooks.

    I have been buying books since I was in kindergarten—I even saved my pocket money just to buy books. It wasn’t that my father didn’t buy his children any reading material, but I wanted to visit the book store myself, see the colourful covers and wonder who wrote all these works and who has read all these titles. Since the school I attended had no library, the only library I had seen was my father’s personal collection, and it was very small compared to the books stores. There was a bookstore on the corner in Anamnagar that sold Russian children books translated into Nepali and English with colourful pictures. I could buy books for just two rupees each. The bookstore was on the way to my school, and I managed to sneak a peak every Friday. It was my favourite hangout until it closed (USSR had collapsed). Later I found out that the man had been selling Russian books which the Soviet government distributed for free. To satiate your palate for reading you have to buy books. Of course, you can always borrow from the libraries, but collecting books brings a great feeling.  However, in the changing times collecting books is becoming an expensive hobby. The cheap and handy solution: the World Wide Web.

    source: The Kathmandu Post, 1 April 2011

    Education to awaken leadership


    R Manandhar

    If we want a better country, we need our people to become leaders of their lives and their society

    Does education produce leaders? The answer could be `yes' and `no'. If education helps to solve societal problems, it is `yes'; if not, it is `no'. Every year, we hear about break out of diarrhoeal diseases in Bajura, food scarcity in Karnali, flood devastation in Tarai districts, problems of waste disposal in cities, among others. What is the role of edu cation in responding to these prob lems? Is there any change in the way problems are addressed since more and more people are getting educated?

    We know what normal ly happens when a problem arises. People become anxious and start asking for support from the government and NGOs.As usual, government mechanism is so sluggish that by the time it responds, people would already have suffered a lot. And there is lots of criticism about the negligence and inefficiency . But once the problem is temporarily gone, everyone forgets everything.

    Even media coverage is limited to when the problem is intense. My supposition is that if education awakens leadership in people, they should be able to feel the problem and think for a change.The question is not only about societal problems but also management in organi sations. Peter Singe quotes Edwards Deming in his management classic The Fifth Discipline, "We will never transform our prevailing system of management without transforming our prevailing system of education." Deming further says, "The relation between a boss and subordinate is the same as that of a teacher and student. The teacher sets the aims, to which the student responds.

    The teacher has the answer, the student works to get the answer. Students know when they have succeeded because the teacher tells them. By the time all children are 10, they know what it takes to get ahead in school and please the teacher -a lesson they carry forward through their careers to please bosses while they fail to improve the system that serves customers."
    American economists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis find the social relationship in schools mirroring hierarchical division of labour in the work place. In both places, motivation is extrinsic -in schools you get grades and at workplace you get pay and promotion.
    Our education system mainly focuses on reproduction of knowledge. Stale knowledge is ineffective in making a change. A live example is that knowing bribery is wrong does not stop it from happening. Ability to think is more important.We hear teachers complain that students are copying answers from class notes, books and now from the internet.

    My question is, why give questions to which answers can be copied from somewhere? Why not ask questions that require original and individual thinking?The other important power of a human being is `feeling'.
    This is an important factor for leadership. Democrats in our country are against militarisation of civilians, but our school system itself resembles martial arrangement. Without feelings, how will educated population think for their communities?

    They would prefer escaping to new places. Nepal's education is producing cheap labour for rich countries.
    If we want a better country , we need our people to become leaders of their lives and their society. Education can do this, but it needs a shift from the present system of overloading information to encouraging people to think and feel freely. Hence, as Deming advises, "Education needs to stress on love rather than fear, curiosity rather than an insistence on `right' answers, learning rather than controlling."

    (The author is a leadership trainer and consultant associated with `Kabule -The Wise Leader'.He can be contacted through kabule@mos.com.np)
    EMAIL
    kabule@mos.com.np


    source: The Himalayan Times, 3 April 2011

    Can we transform public schools?

    NITYA NANDA TIMSINA

    Education has been affected both directly and indirectly by the changes in the global economy. The direct impact is seen in the case of those least developed nations whose education system has been shaped by the lending policies of the World Bank and the demands of structural adjustments. The indirect effects have been in the cases of advanced countries striving to cope with the aggregated effects of the decline of the Keynesian welfare-state settlement to the point where public funding of services like education seems no longer feasible at previous levels.

    One of the commonest problems education systems around the world are facing as a consequence of globalization is the shift away from state control to privatization and decentralization. Coming back to Nepal, one of the world’s least developed countries, more parents are sending their children to private schools than ever before. Nepal is not the only country in this fray. The effects of globalization, marketization and privatization have transcended all the national borders. Since 1995, the number of students enrolled in higher education in Brazil has grown more than 70 percent, with most of this increasing accruing in private colleges and universities, which now account for 71 percent of higher education enrolment. In China, which is even more rigid a state, 500 new institutions of higher education were established between 1995 and 19992. In Australia, nearly one student in three is now enrolled privately. Poland alone has 195 private educational institutes which educate more than 377,000 students. Private business schools unheard of in Europe, are also thriving today, complementing and challenging traditional institutions.

    Today, parents pay for schooling rather than the governments signifying that the state is withdrawing away from its role of providing education to the masses. This is happening because private schools give more wide range of choices and the parents make their choice based on their preference and the state-run enterprises tend to be more bureaucratic, with high level of inefficiency, corruption, slow to change and full of red-tape. They cannot meet all the demands of the modern-fast changing world, including the use of new technology without an up-to-date knowledge. In his book, The State & the Governance of Education: An analysis of the Restructuring of the State-Education Relationship, Roger Dale writes: “There is a fast restructuring of the state-education relationship in Western societies.” This is further articulated by other Western researchers who view that in certain policy areas, the state capacity to act is severely limited in the present social and economic climate.

    Thus, privatization has become an undeniable reality. The basic reason behind the sudden increase in privatization of education in Nepal is due to increasing pressure of finances on the state to respond to changing needs of education and training in today’s highly competitive world.

    Nature of privatization of education differs from country to country. For instance, in The Netherlands, a majority of schools are privately run but the government regulation of these schools is very strict. Also in Denmark, the state specifies the curriculum and use of materials. Undoubtedly privatization of education has opened up the massification process in Nepal enabling more children to go to schools. But at the same time, it has threatening connotations: it conjures up ideas of cost-cutting, making profits from children and the breakdown of the social ethos of education. One of the dangers of unbridled privatization of education in a country like Nepal lies in the social inequality it creates among the masses. The perceived large gap in quality between the private schools, catering to the rich and public schools catering to the poor section, suggests that there is a virtual segregation of education along wealth status. As a consequence of privatization of education, there are already huge disparities in gains of literacy in terms of region, ethnic and linguistic minorities and population groups in Nepal.

    The social assessment study conducted by CERID in 1997 had identified 24 educationally disadvantaged groups, which constitute 45 percent of the total population in Nepal. These linguistic and ethnic minority groups tend to have lower school completion rates than the socially dominant groups as they have little or no access to schooling owing to financial pressures. Study on SLC conducted by Kedar Bhakta Mathema & Min Bista in 2006 shows that Yadav, Tamang, Tharu, Muslim, Magar and Rai, among others, are not achieving comparable levels of academic success when compared with socially dominant groups such as Brahmin, Chhetri and Newar.

    This is because the lower income groups cannot afford the cost of education –neither tuition fee nor opportunistic costs – as higher income groups can do. In most remote and hard-to-reach districts in Nepal, the situation is much worse. The education levels of people differ widely according to their income level: Higher the income greater the opportunity and access to education and vice-versa. Thus, there is a direct relationship between education and income, social structure and student achievement.

    Improving equity, which is at the core of the government policy and donors’ agenda in Nepal, means that every citizen gets a fair chance to complete an education regardless of income. But how can this be achieved when the English-style private schools are catering to the rich and the poor are left to attend the schools neglected by the state? This will further increase the persistent social inequality in Nepal among cultural, linguistic, ethnic and regional populations. Therefore, to ensure greater equality in access to learning opportunities, especially among traditionally excluded groups, a serious rethinking is required to reform and restructure the state education system.

    To begin with, what is needed at the outset is localization or empowering local teachers and communities to create a sense of empowerment among teachers and local stakeholders to have a strong motivational influence on improving the traditionally structured management of public schools. Empirical researches and studies in many Western democratic nations and developing countries show that a new look is necessary as to the role of communities and parents in the educational management and ownership of schools in the light of state failing to take control of all the public enterprises in the 21st century.

    There are ample evidences of how community or parental involvement can compliment state in effective management and operation of public enterprises. In Nepal, for instance, community forestry and community-owned primary education are two successful examples of community intervention. The assumption that parental influence and home environment also plays an important role in cognitive development and educational achievement is supported by recent theories and research findings. Empirical research on Puerto Rico in the 1990s conducted by Harris and Chrispeels showed parental involvement in schools had interesting outcomes. Parents had previously been involved in a range of practical activities as well, such as painting of schools, gardening and improving buildings in Puerto Rican schools.

    The teachers reviewed this relationship of parents and considered how parents could also be involved in schools and bring them to observe classes. The parents were taught computing in schools. They observed that it had significant effect on schooling outcomes. It shows that a small local intervention also solves the problems of a complicated nature, including changing the thinking of teachers by involving them in groups and projects.

    In an increasing number of countries, the school reform is aimed at the involvement of parents in the management of the school, by means of school boards and where the upbringing of child has become a common responsibility of all, and not only of the state.

    Participation of parents and local communities in school affairs means that school principals, managers, teachers and parents collaborate in attempting to give shape to the modernization of education on the basis of a common responsibility for the upbringing of the children.

    Given the profound changes in Nepal brought by the recent democratic movement, parents and civil society can no longer be viewed as merely passive spectators but should be accepted as active partners of the state.

    Though community schools concept is different from one context to another, there are certain common features of this term in literature. Probably the most widely used term for community management of schools is decentralized school management or school-based management. It is also called site-based management in the US, delegated or devolved management, school autonomy or, in England it is called local management of schools. To conclude, let me quote noted educational researcher Michael Fullan: “Strategies to involve parents represent one of the most powerful and underutilized instruments for educational reform.”

    source: republica, 2 april 2011



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