Kathmandu - This week most of the news on education dealt with the growing threat of increasing COVID cases and the discussion on needed response. The other news discussed the most was about the physical punishment cases. 

 

- News stated that teachers working on private sources in various community schools have been agitating in Sigash Rural Municipality, Baitadi. Volunteer Teachers’ Struggle Committee was reported stating that they were forced to start agitation as teachers were deprived of their salary for the past nine months. 

 

- News stated that e-learning platform ‘My Second Teacher’ was launched by Innovate Technology, an association of tech-savvy individuals in the country. The online platform offers interactive video-based subject matters for Grade 10 students in three compulsory subjects, namely Mathematics, Science, and English along with optional Economics. Although the technology is available from April 9 with education content, customers will be required to make a minimum payment via digital wallet Khalti, to reap its maximum benefits starting from April 14, stated the news.

 

- A piece of news reported that child marriage is rampant in Musikot Village of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, Bajura due to deprivation of opportunities for higher studies due to lack of colleges in the area. The village is recognised for its abject poverty. The children are compelled to quit their studies after the completion of Grade X. Locals said that the children’s first choice was to get married after the completion of Grade X, stated the news. 

 

- An editorial expressed that making laws banning child marriage isn’t going to solve the problem, setting up vocational and technical schools in the rural municipalities might also go a long way in discouraging child marriage. 

 

- Reports on continuation of physical punishment continued to be reported in the nepali media this week as well. Reports about physical punishment practices from Kathmandu and Aacham were covered in the media. 

 

- News stating the school administration of Saraswati Secondary School expelled nine students after they thrashed a teacher at Brindaban Municipality, Rautahat was reported in the media. It stated that the school rusticated the students and initiated legal action against a guardian, after they attacked a teacher. The teacher had punished the students for making noise in the class, reported the news.  

 

- News stated India extended their grant of Rs 42.95 million for construction of a new building of Shree Bal Mandir Secondary School in Triyuga Municipality.

 

- News about reports of conflicts in the community causing loss of community collected funds in school without sufficient quotas for teachers was also reported. 

 

- A letter to the editor stated that until teachers commit themselves to recognizing the diversity of the interest and capacity of students and commit to space for creativity in the learning process, the present school system will fail to bring the full potential of the students. 

 

- A news quoted experts stating that schools are becoming a risky zone which could cause the spread of COVID, as cases arise in larger cities. 

 

- Private and Boarding Schools Organization Nepal (PABSON) has urged the government not to close educational institutions across the country. The Ministry of Health has proposed to close educational institutions. PABSON protested that the closure of schools across the country would have a major impact on the education sector. The Ministry of Education has stated that the decision will be taken only after consulting the stakeholders. PABSON issued a statement on Sunday urging the government to create a conducive environment for school operations. PABSON said students, teachers and staff should be vaccinated, fully compliant with health standards but not discontinued.

 

Abbreviations:  COVID- Corona Virus Disease, RM- Rural Municipality, TU- Tribhuvan University, KU-Kathmandu University, AFU- Agriculture and Forestry University, MoEST- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, TUSC- Tribhuvan University Service Commission, NGOs- Non-Governmental Organizations, TUSC- Tribhuvan University Service Commission, CDC: Curriculum Development Centre, ECD- Early Childhood Development, SEE- Secondary Education Examination, PABSON-Private and Boarding Schools Organization Nepal

'Education this Week' is a joint effort to analyze the press coverage of education in Nepal’s selected print media published in Kathmandu. The main aim of this effort is to identify and explain major education issues picked up by the media and give back and foreground the news. This, we believe, will help policy makers and other responsible people to keep abreast with ongoing concerns and discussions on and around education. EduKhabar, in collaboration with the Center for Educational Policies and Practices (CEPP), has produced this analysis based on the news printed in Kantipur (Nepali) and The Himalayan Times (English) between 7-13 April 2021 (25-31 Chaitra, 2077) - Editor.

Read this analysis in Nepali : बढ्दै कोभिडको त्रास