[:en]Friday Talk on Quality Education[:]

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VHS Bhaktapur, Community Learning Center, runs Bhaktapur Friday Talk to engage with experienced professions and introduce youth about both current problems and simultaneously discuss new ideas. Till date, 3 major challenges have been addressed: Gender inequality, Millennium Development Goals’ success and Education.

On the 5th of August 2016, two guest speakers gave the presentation on the topic Quality Education. One of the speakers is a renowned writer and educator Mr. Harihar Timilsina and the other speaker was Career Disha Nepal’s Mr. Sagar Ghimire. They both expanded on the hardship of achieving quality education for all and gave few solutions where education as a whole can be understood better for Nepal.

The 1st presenter Mr. Timilsina started his talk by questioning what quality education was. IMG_20160805_163946He further emphasized that our society has various presumptions about quality education. We, according to him, tend to believe that being fluent in speaking and writing skills (for example) is ‘Quality Education’. He also claimed that the western QUALITY EDUCATION (for Nepalese) has resulted in creation of inhuman, exploitative, self-centered and destructive manpower. Nepalese education system is to a high extend a replica of American educational system. Mr Timilsina then questioned what can be called quality education when even the developed countries have failed in achieving it.

According to the next speaker, Mr. Ghimire, most students fail both in creating enthusiasm and excitement in learning because the current system does not resonate with their learning pattern. According to him, this creates a multiplier effect which in the end results in a mass number of unemployed youth, failing students, and dispassionate workforce.

Through an example he explained how our education system is certificate oriented, and the society tend to limit the potential by grouping them according to their prowess in examination grade.

According to Mr Ghimire, education system needs to be seen more holistically. We too need to learn that education goes more than formal education -- informal and new approach IMG_3529non-formal (More Open Online Course) that is hierarchically structured chronologically graded general education system, training institution and online education system respectively.  He repeatedly questioned the audience about the means of education, career choices, and information

To develop a quality education, Mr Timilsina adds the terms “soft skill” and “kaizen”. Soft skill describe those personal attributes that indicate a high level of emotional intelligence and the Sino-Japanese word “kaizen” means change for better and every day improvement. If those aspects are integrated in either education or day-to-day lives, we will receive unprecedented amount of development.

At last he showed inspirational picture black dot in the big white space i.e. we are roaming around small problem which make individual unconfident and are able to recognize opportunities around us. He concluded his speech that quality education cannot be universal, it depends upon county: its culture, existing traditions and development level.

Both the talks could be concluded at we can’t change our education system to quality education overnight. So, take time to look thoroughly to find the root cause of failing education system and find the way to enhance education. We can find a way to make the current educational system more individual (to work for us) by choosing appropriate education in various combination.IMG_20160805_170727

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