I came to Nepal to work as a VSO volunteer after 45 years in the education world, both in the classroom and in management. I was allocated to the DEO office in Hetauda.
My brief was sufficiently loose to enable me to step in to a need which was :
a) already identified and being addressed – happily with assistance.
Or
b) a need identified by myself – after discussion with colleagues on the spot
This was a trusting brief and enabled many volunteers in the education sector to contribute in very different areas of development.
I would like to draw from this experience some view-points and principles of practical education which I see can apply to the specific context of Nepal as well as to other parts of the developing world.
THE QUALITY SCHOOL
A - COMMUNITY MEMEBERS
Any organization within a Nepali village has the immediate advantage of exposure. Extra hands, with the many skills they hold, are available. Everyone is aware that a school building will offer children a service, but the nature of that service and the sacrifices which will have to be made in order to benefit from it, will not become evident for some time.
The research which I did for my MA dissertation touched upon this initial adjustment within the village. With the hierarchal structure, the responsibility for conveying facts, understanding -and subsequent good-will - lies with the people who are listened to and carry the respect of the villagers. I have seen schools roaring ahead with tight management and out-reach functions, and I have seen schools that have been a desert of isolation and absenteeism. With appropriate questioning the reason for this dichotomy becomes evident.
When a new venture is undertaken, usually the ‘expert’ is near at hand with the enthusiasm and the answers. In Nepal with the expansion of education, the experts are undertaking a development scheme of such vast proportions that they are not long at any one school. The day to day running of the emergent school is handed to the headteacher often with minimal facilities . It is easy for other concerns outside the immediate needs of the students to take preference.
But in actual fact the stage is set for a wonderful communal effort ! A school building is an empty shell . It has been said that effective education takes place outside the classroom ! What an education it is to watch adults co-operating in the building of more than stone! What an exciting way to start a school by bringing into the arena those in the community who have the time and willingness to ‘lend a hand’. It is not only practical concerns which need attention, but discussion amongst the prospective parents and artisans can bring to the task a wealth of skills and support. This combination of their experiences with the school’s objectives is invaluable at a time of such urgent requirements.
The more trusted those outside the paid school staff are, the greater the catchment of ideas and community contribution. Parents especially are a vital element of a school. They can support in the classroom as well as out on school trips and sports days. Teachers need this extra help especially with large classes.
There is a factor in schools which ‘use’ parents. When these helpers see the work that the teachers in their classrooms and daily duties do, the parents appreciate the enormity of the task that teachers face and are less likely to complain about the day to day routines and school rules.
The contribution to a vibrant school by the community will need to be well structured and monitored. This takes us to one of the many tasks assigned to the Head teacher .
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