Lack of basic science literacy and the desire and tendency to copy western cultural practice has lead to, in Nepal, adoption of some questionable practices. This particular one is the celebration of birthdays but with Roman candles on the cake and use of foam spray even in the presence of naked flame! Why are they an issue? Roman candles contain toxic chemicals and canister sprays, in the presence of naked flame, is highly highly flammable!
Short history of the way the education system evolved with the introduction of private schools and even a private University from after 1980. Sadly, education was NOT valued as a means to acquire knowledge and skills, but for the paper degrees. Besides, the institutions themselves struggled to provide quality education -- many imparted no more than just the most basic of skills, that of memorization and regurgitation -- as they mostly functioned as for-profit businesses.
These extracts from Unleashing Nepal describe how, through education, the Rana Regime and the Shah autocrats furthered their ethnic and nationalistic agenda, enabling the social, political, and economic advancement of the hill so-called high caste Hindus (Khas Aryas) while oppressing -- and hindering the advancement of -- the others.
At a session last month with a little over four dozen parents from twenty-five schools, I shared three things they can do to fill the gap with their children's education in Nepal. Reproduced in the blog post are details of those three things and other important bits from that session.
Curiosity might kill the cat but Nepali culture and school culture kill curiosity in children as well as their innate sense of wonder they are born with. Education, quality education can change that.
The education system in Nepal is supposedly the most corrupt system in the country. If a system is corrupt and does not deliver what it's supposed to, one employs and implements best practices from around the world. In the education system in Nepal, it seems, the practice is to adopt the worst practices, with little or no regard for their negative impact on the education of our children. Here's one such practice prevalent in the system and what you as a parent can do to better prepare your children for the twenty-first century.