Nepal: Privilege and Entitlement Fostered Myopic Arrogance

There are many many consequences of Nepali society being highly patriarchal and stratified. The Bhramanical patriarchal system stratified along caste lines, for example, has resulted in high caste Hindu men having a monopoly over in position of power and influence. Being there for as long as they have been, they have established a culture that works for them, a culture based, among other things, their arrogance. In blog post, I share one example of how that arrogance translates into what otherwise would be a professional relationship and professional interactions.

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Nepali Education System Teaches Students to NOT Think

Math education in Nepal is limited to committing to memory formulae after formulae and, using them, how to solve problems that have been attempted over and over again using rules and steps also committed to memory. Little to nothing about WHERE the formula came from, WHY they work, and HOW they reflect something in or about life and the real world is taught. But all that can be taught and therefore how to think. For the details of HOW to do that, read on!

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“Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear”: Want Respect? Show Respect!

In Nepal, respect for teachers and administrators is instilled in student through the threat of violence, i.e. fear! That, of course, is despicable, just as Albert Camus says. Getting students to respect teachers is easy: just show them respect by listening to them.

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Questioning the Questions Grade 11-12 Students Must Tackle, And My Solution

Even NOW as someone who majored in and taught chemistry, were I to pretend to be a grade 11 or 12 Science student in Nepal and take their Chemistry examination, I will likely not get a good grade. I wouldn't be surprised if I even fail. The reason? The questions are just completely off and what is expected as responses are also ridiculous.

What many in Nepal still struggle to understand is that if we teach students how to think, they can learn, on their own, ways to commit to memory what they must to pass examinations, something I am trying to get across in my teacher education program.

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