First, the MAJOR issues with the image.
"Imagine if you will, 3 people —all the same goddamn size. [...] The foundation on which these people stand is unequal, [....]"
That is, the PEOPLE aren't the problem! Follow link for more. 2/n #Equality #Equity medium.com/@eec/this-equi…
"Imagine if you will, 3 people —all the same goddamn size. [...] The foundation on which these people stand is unequal, [....]"
That is, the PEOPLE aren't the problem! Follow link for more. 2/n #Equality #Equity medium.com/@eec/this-equi…
In d context of education in #Nepal, what lies beyond d wall is QUALITY education...education which imparts #CriticalThinking skills, among other things, to a majority or a significant percentage of students. What we have, on this side of the wall, in d country is... #equity 3/n
...abysmally poor quality of education, one that MOSTLY imparts d ability to regurgitate facts, figures, & answers to pre-set questions, verbatim, failing a VAST majority of our students. A majority of students don't even know what they are missing! 4/n
Our education system in #Nepal makes a mockery of education. Here's one evidence: The names the educators give their schools/college in the country. 5/n #NepaliEducationSystem
Another reason for our abysmally poor quality of education is d way it is understood/viewed & imparted: d way it was thought of & imparted in d (mythological) days of Aryan-Sanskritic tradition.
And what do MANY students learn? This. 6/n dorjegurung.com/blog/2018/04/o…
And what do MANY students learn? This. 6/n dorjegurung.com/blog/2018/04/o…
Not much different from d days of Aryan-Sanskritic system-- when ALL d teachers were Bahuns (Priestly Castes)--my feeling is that a MAJORITY of those involved in education are them even now in #Nepal,. (I would love for someone to do a study on this.) 7/n
Yet another reason behind our abysmally poor quality of education is, firstly, the fact that teachers teach from textbooks, and secondly, their horrendous quality. Txtbooks are outdated, like my little nephew's computer studies textbook. #Nepal 8/n dorjegurung.com/blog/2017/12/w…
Textbooks don't educate d population about some of d most important issues of d country. Forget teach, they deny their existence. Grade 8 Social Studies textbook, for eg, declares d caste system & religion to be "small issues"! 9/n #Nepal dorjegurung.com/blog/2018/07/g…
Returning to our education system making a mockery of education...the main goal of a majority of those involved appears to be to make MONEY. That appears to be true of producers of textbooks, for eg. 10/n #Nepal dorjegurung.com/blog/2018/06/r…
A majority of private schools too, for eg, appear to be interested mostly in making money.
Evidence 1. dorjegurung.com/blog/2016/08/k…
Evidence 2. dorjegurung.com/blog/2016/10/k…
11/n #Nepal
Evidence 1. dorjegurung.com/blog/2016/08/k…
Evidence 2. dorjegurung.com/blog/2016/10/k…
11/n #Nepal
Another way the textbooks are horrendous is their inappropriateness for the age group they are meant for. Here's an example of just such a science textbook & how it could be different. 12/n #Nepal #NepaliSchoolTextbook dorjegurung.com/blog/2019/02/n…
Yet another reason behind d abysmally poor quality of education: education system has been found to be d MOST corrupt system year after year. After administrative expenses, it's allocated d 2nd most funds in d national budget but corruption eats up a big chunk of it. #Nepal 13/n
D country has >35K schools. Vast majority of them are public/community schools. About 80% of students attend such schools & d rest private schools. A recent study of public/community schools by GoN found abt 85% to not be sufficiently good. #Nepal 14/n educationpati.com/newsdfrtt1
The national level high School diploma examinations are NOT anywhere good enough assessment of a student's ability. BUT the results of public/community school candidates have ALWAYS been poorer than those of private school candidates. #Nepal 15/n dorjegurung.com/blog/2014/06/s…
A recent GoN public/community school study:
"...72% of students in Grade V has failed to achieve basic minimum learning in mathematics.[...] 55% of students of the same grade are unable to construct a proper sentence in Nepali on their own." #Nepal 16/n myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/72-in-cla…
"...72% of students in Grade V has failed to achieve basic minimum learning in mathematics.[...] 55% of students of the same grade are unable to construct a proper sentence in Nepali on their own." #Nepal 16/n myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/72-in-cla…
That's indicative of more a failure of the system than d schools or teachers or students. I mean, when 5th graders w/ limited mastery of English are forced to learn Latin words he'll NEVER use in his daily life, for eg., of course they'll fail! #Nepal 17/n dorjegurung.com/blog/2019/02/n…
So finally, to get to the point....
While in general/on average d quality of education in d country is abysmally poor, d quality provided by private schools on average is BETTER than that provided by public/community schools. In other words, private schools have... 18/n
While in general/on average d quality of education in d country is abysmally poor, d quality provided by private schools on average is BETTER than that provided by public/community schools. In other words, private schools have... 18/n
...helped raise d standard of education in d country. They don't provide d quality that they could though.
Private school education, especially at the top tier ones, however are prohibitively expensive. So, access to quality education is a function of ones bank balance. 19/n
Private school education, especially at the top tier ones, however are prohibitively expensive. So, access to quality education is a function of ones bank balance. 19/n
To make education "affordable," GoN has implemented programs, such as free education until grade 8, financial incentive to marginalized groups for sending children to school etc., BUT all at public/community schools, of course. 20/n
#Nepal dorjegurung.com/blog/2014/07/e…
#Nepal dorjegurung.com/blog/2014/07/e…
A little over a year ago, in d name of #EducationEquity I assume, The High Level Education Commission determined that private schools were "against the spirit of the constitution, which ensures free and compulsory education to every citizen." 21/n #Nepal
kathmandupost.com/valley/2019/01…
kathmandupost.com/valley/2019/01…
The Commission recommended that they be converted into trusts, a not-for-profit organization. They gave private schools 10 yrs to complete that.
BUT the education policy endorsed by The Cabinet in Nov. 2019 made NO mention of that at all! 22/n #Nepal kathmandupost.com/2/2020/01/26/t…
BUT the education policy endorsed by The Cabinet in Nov. 2019 made NO mention of that at all! 22/n #Nepal kathmandupost.com/2/2020/01/26/t…
In spite of that, in Jan., an association of private school teachers--YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT, TEACHERS!!--DEMANDED all private schools BEGIN d process of conversion to trusts, threatening to hold "hostage" d education of THEIR students! #Nepal 23/n
kathmandupost.com/2/2020/01/26/t…
kathmandupost.com/2/2020/01/26/t…
Recognizing d ridiculousness of it--that teachers would work AGAINST d best interest of d students they are supposed to be serving--I blogged touching on d issues d association appeared to have ignored & pointing out their mistakes! #Nepal 24/n dorjegurung.com/blog/2020/01/a…
What d Commission & d teachers are demanding, in d name of #EducationEquity, is d elimination of private schools to increase d % of students who can afford to attend such schools BUT in d process reduce d overall quality. In other words, sacrifice quality for affordability. 25/n
That is NOT to say that we don't have issues with #EducationEquity. We do...A HUUUGE one! Were we to break d population down along #caste lines by ability to afford &/or access education d BCNs (Bahun-Chettri-Newars) would be at top & #Dalits at bottom! Evidence? 26/n
Evidence 1. Literacy & income in 1996 by #caste, language. #Nepal #EducationEquity #CasteSystem 27/n
Evidence 3. In 2017, we analyzed applicants to our jobs by education & caste. Informal as it was, not surprisingly BCNs were disproportionately highly represented in those with advanced degrees & d #Dalits least! 29/n #Nepal #EducationEquity #caste dorjegurung.com/blog/2017/09/n…
Now enter Pokhara Municipal City. It asks private schools to cancel online classes because "not everyone has access to the internet and this creates mental pressure among parents who can't afford it." 30/n #Nepal #EducationEquity
There were users that responded to the tweet I shared above who were in agreement with Pokhara Municipal City's action! Here's one example. #Nepal #EducationEquity 31/n (Tweet: ) 
Not unlike d Commission & d teachers' association, these Joes & Janes also appear to support their version of #EducationEquity. They oppose d "haves" (w/ internet at home) availing online classes private schools offered using flawed arguments. 32/n
Another Jane who agrees with Pokhara Municipal City sayng how online classes would get the "privileged" (those with internet access at home) ahead. #Nepal #EducationEquity 33/n
So, no different from d Commission & d Teachers' Association, Joes & Janes advocated AGAINST students advancing their education through d use of technology, for d sake of their version of #EducationEquity. They supported holding the students back! #Nepal 34/n
I tried to counter their flawed argument w/ an analogy. (But at least ONE person in the thread didn't seem to understand the analogy at all. You'll have to following the link to find out.) #Nepal #EducationEquity 35/n
Now, to return to d image in d 1st tweet & d point of this thread!
What d Commission, d teachers' association, & at least a few users on Twitter are advocating, in the name of #EducationEquity, amounts to is what's depicted in d image on d right! #Nepal 36/n
What d Commission, d teachers' association, & at least a few users on Twitter are advocating, in the name of #EducationEquity, amounts to is what's depicted in d image on d right! #Nepal 36/n
I defined what's on this side of the wall as d poor quality of education we have in Nepal. They appear to be arguing, in the name of #EduationEquity, what students should be able to afford & access is that poor quality of education. Those w/ means, shouldn't be... #Nepal #37/n
...able to access opportunities that might be available out there (like through technology), again because #EducationEquity! Its like everyone should be as worse off educationally as everyone else! #Nepal 38/n
There is an alternative too of course! #EducationEquity does NOT have to be pulling anyone down, "cutting people down to size" as it were. It could involve pulling those who are "down below" up! In other words, improving access & affordability of education for those it... 39/n
...historically hasn't been, like for d #Dalits, d POOREST caste! Modify #systems & #structures to counter #privileges #structurallyPrivileged (d hill so-called high caste Hindus) enjoy & ensure other also get ahead! Raise d quality of education... #Nepal #EducationEquity 40/n
...IN GENERAL!
As for now, during these times of d #coronavirus #pandemic #Lockdown, government could provide alternatives to families without internet access by partnering with telecom companies etc. #Nepal #EducationEquity #covid19nepal #lockdownnepal #COVID19 #COVID_19 41/41
As for now, during these times of d #coronavirus #pandemic #Lockdown, government could provide alternatives to families without internet access by partnering with telecom companies etc. #Nepal #EducationEquity #covid19nepal #lockdownnepal #COVID19 #COVID_19 41/41
