The Kathmandu Post

Local News

Education Ministry must offer schools effective guidelines'
By Sushil Thapa

KATHMANDU, Feb 24- There is no denying the fact that the mushrooming of private schools over the last couple of years has boosted education prospects in the country.

However, lately, private schools have been severely criticised for failing to maintain a high academic standard and for working to gain personal benefits.

Mrs Geeta Rana, principal of Galaxy public school, a familiar name in the education sector, however, scoffs at the charges.

Eleven years ago, Rana started her school with just 9 students and 2 teachers. On the contrary, today, the school has over 3,500 students , 170 teachers and 130 non-teaching staff.

Rana, a former teacher of Adarsha Vidya Mandir and St Mary's is a strict disciplinarian and firmly believes in total education. Her 28-year-association with education has made her amatured academician

Rana's, a Masters in mathematics, ultimate dream is to open her own university .

In a free and frank conversation with The Kathmandu Post, Rana, shrewdly coped with the charges labelled against private schools.

Excerpts:

TKP- Most of the private schools are considered to be money making agencies. There are only a handful of schools that impart quality education.

GR- I don't quite agree to what you have said. It is simply a case of misinterpretation. Those who think so are ignorant of the facts. Private schools truly believe in quality education. The effort is always there to impart the best possible education on our part. Perhaps, a few schools might not be following the right kind of system and syllabus.

To ensure high academic standard, the Education Ministry must offer schools effective guidelines, syllabus and proper management and see that it is strictly followed. Then only schools' efforts to achieve quality education shall materialise.

Apart from that schools also need to work together to attain the objective.

TKP- School fees are generally exorbitant. Every year there is indiscriminate increment in fees in the name of inflation. Don't you feel schools are unnecessarily exploiting parents. The fact is that not all parents are in a position to meet the mounting school expenses.

GR- Although fees vary from school to school, students are charged on the actual cost of education. There will be no end to fees increment. I am aware that not all parents are financially sound. Neither are we exploiting parents nor we have the intention to do so.

The government can control the increasing fees by opening schools like Budhanilkantha ( where it shoulders fifty percent of the expenses) in a big number.

In our case, we are self- dependent and have to bear all expenses . Thus we need sufficient money to buy all necessary equipment to ensure good education.

TKP- What is the concept of re-admission ? Why do students have to readmit themselves every year with increased expenses? I think it is one of the tactics adopted by schools to generate revenue.

GR- I think parents have not been able to quite differentiate between re-admission and annual charge. As far to my knowledge no school charges students for re-admission. In the start of a new session students are charged for examinations, stationary and other useable items.

TKP- Students are heavily charged for extra- curricular activities. However, students are denied access to activities through out the year.

GR- It is the duty of the parents to draw the schools' attention if they feel that their wards are being denied access to extra-curricular activities. It is a small problem that can be easily solved if parents and school talk over it.

TKP- Students are compelled to buy books and copies from schools itself. Is this done to ensure school's commission.

GR- Parents are not compelled to buy books from the school. Rather they are free to buy from the book-store of their choice. We sell books at the school so that students can buy all books well on time. Sometimes books are not available in the market and they are kept waiting for weeks. As for the commission is concerned, it is for the people who look after the sales.

TKP- What has baffled many is the frequent change of books and syllabus. Is it important ?

GR - Before we prepare a new book list for every class, we probe into the shortcomings of books and syllabus of previous year. If we opt for everything the same, students have tendency to rely on old answers and notes which they obtain from friends. As a consequence, their learning capacity automatically erodes . Secondly, bright students will be made to suffer.

TKP- Classrooms are found to be over crowded. A class consists of more than 50 students. Under the circumstances teachers tend to become less effective since they have to concentrate on a big mass.

GR- You cannot judge teachers' performance by the size of the class. Their devotion and honesty play a greater role in determining quality of the education . We believe in mass education . We definitely like to restrict the size of the class to 20 to 25, but again it will mean more money for parents which they cannot afford.

TKP- Teaching methods are conventional. Students are forced to rely on readymade answers provided to them by teachers. Don't you think this seriously curbs students' creativity ?

GR- I do not blame the teachers for this. Research works have not been undertaken in the school sector to improve the quality of the teachers. We are lacking a proper system as well. The number of trained teachers here is very limited. Time and again , it has been found that they too commit minor mistakes. Therefore , in order to avoid mistakes in answers the school management makes the final correction before providing it to the students. Before students learn answers by heart, they must have a clear understanding of the answers. They have to memorise answers for examinations, otherwise, they cannot keep themselves within the time frame.

TKP- Schools have one common objective that is to excel in the SLC examinations. Motivated by this factor the rooster is planned accordingly including the selection of students. Under the system only intelligent and bright students derive benefit but the less intelligent students are neglected. Is this not discriminatory ?

GR- Of course, one of our objectives is to achieve good results in the SLC exams. There is no demarcation between intelligent and average students. We treat all students equally. Students are in the merit list not because of the school rather through their special creativity and talent. The school has nothing to do with it. Yes, the school sees that such brilliant students make full use of their qualities. However, they do not benefit extra care or facilities from the school as reported.

TKP- It is reported that schools influence District Education Office and SLC board members through member to achieve good results in SLC.

GR- This is baseless and impossible. I do not believe that money can buy good results. Had it been possible then businessmen could have come to this sector in a big way.

Good results can be achieved only through total commitment and hard work. It is like building the city of Rome.

TKP- What about corporal punishments meted out to students. The press (The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur) had booked one of your teachers for inhumanely battering an Upper KG student.

GR- Certainly, we are against corporal punishments. I admit that there has been cases of punishments. Parents can help us to solve the problem. It is their duty to educate their children with discipline and morale at home itself. The fact is that parents are engaged in the act of beating their children even before they admit them to schools. Then they expect their wards to excel in studies without being punished which under the circumstance is not quite possible. If parents have any kind of reservation about school and teachers, they should talk to the principal.

TKP- What flaws do you see in the present education system?

GR- The system lacks stability and direction. Even after completing school students are left wandering about their career.


Workshop on multi-media in education
By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - A one-day workshop on 'Multi-media in Education (ME)' was organized by Global Initiatives for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action in collaboration with Public Media Centre (PMC) in Bijeswori lower secondary school here on Friday, states Global Initiatives press release received here today.

The literacy initiative for children's freedom of creative expression, actively taken part by 185 students from Nursery to Class VII students, elaborated several aspects of life and the living by using multi-media (folk, audio-visual, information technology and print), the release says.

Story-telling and writing, fiction writing, joke telling, poetry writing and reciting, music, photography, art of delivering speech, painting, drawing, sketching, computer-based story telling and music, computer-based musical mathematics, and environmental and peace education through magic are covered in the workshop.

Opening the function, founder chairman of Global Initiatives and ME project leader Sichendra Bista said, "The first of its kind experimentation helps children to interpret their creativity who possess enormous creativity but subdued due to fear or interference by elders."

For the workshop, Cyber Media, Inc (CMI) supplied a latest multimedia computer and educational CD-ROMs Crosslines provided its editorial staffs and audiovisual equipments, and Foundation for Advancement of Magic for Edutainment (FAME) helped demonstration the advocacy magic, the release adds.

Principal of Bijeswori lower secondary school Mrs Bindu Tuladhar thanked the Global Initiatives and PMC team for selecting her school for the launch of the unique approach to children's personality development.

According to the organizers, personnel volunteered in the workshop were Sichendra Bista (journalist, ecologist and magician) Bhanu Man Joshi (music expert), Nati Kazi Maharjan (photographer), Sunil Silwal (HRD expert), Sugeeta Shrestha (child motivator), Pipa Bajimaya (programme coordinator), Kabindra Nepali (magician and computer expert), Janak Pandey (story teller and computer expert) as well as 15 teachers of Bijeswori lower secondary school.

"I never realized that children have so many things and forms to unaidedly express which my 185 students demonstrated in a few hours under ME project," remarked principal Tuladhar at the end of workshop, urging other educational and child welfare institutions to cooperate with the ME team as it benefits children the most.

 

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