field visit report on Ganesh Secondary School
Dhurba Shrestha
Please find the field visit report on Ganesh Secondary School for your
kind reference.
With best Regards;
___________________
Dhurba Shrestha
Narayansthan-5, Baglung
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A Note on Baglung Visit
- Suresh Dhakal
Tribhuvan University, Kathamndu
This report is an observation note, based on a half-day visit to Shree
Ganesh High School, Naryansthan-5, Balewa, and interaction with school
teachers and School Management Committee, and guardians. Aasman Nepal
(ASN) coordinated the visit. Accompanied were Chairman of ASN, Durga
Shrestha, Executive Director of ASN, Nawal Kishor Yadav and Sushil Raj
Pandey, ex- regional director general of the Department of the
Education. We collectively observed the school infrastructure,
activities during the school assembly, classrooms and classroom
teaching, and had formal/ informal discussions- conversations with
school teachers. However, this note is based on my own personal
observations and reflections.
I will briefly highlights some factual overview in the beginning, and
will present my reflection and opinions.
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Shree Ganesh Madhyamik Vidhyalaya
Naryansthan-5, Balewa
Established in 2037 BS
Total number of students= 603 (Boys = 271, Girls = 332).
Number of students in Primary Level = 344
Catchment Area = 500 households, up to 45 minutes of walking distance
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Participants in the interactive meeting
Ms Subarna Shrestha, Principal
Jhalak Kumar Shrestha, Chiar, School Management Committee
N M Dhakal, Chair, Parents-Teachers Association
Surendra Kumar Acharya, School Management Committee, Member
Chudamani Subedi, Founding Teacher
Milan GC, Teacher
Bishal Prakash Poudyal, Teacher
Prem P Sharma Regmi, Teacher
Jainendra Poudyal, Teacher
Dhan Kumar Subba, Teacher
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Issues Discussed in the interaction
Shree Ganesh MV School is well established and well known for
providing quality education in the Balewa area, and appreciated in the
whole district and beyond. The school is growing and expanding its
scope. The school has done its best to ensure the quality education.
Parents are satisfied with the level of education their children are
getting in the school. Private boarding schools are displaced from
nearby, as this school has been able to provide the education that are
normally expected from privately owned, profit oriented boarding
schools. This has been an example that with a collective efforts of
community and teachers, quality education is possible even in the
public schools.
When we entered the school, just before 10 am in the morning, it was
school assembly time. Children were doing physical training (PT).
There was a sound system so that students in all corners of the school
ground could listen the instruction properly. There was a control
room, which operates the technical aspects, and the teacher gives the
instruction from. After the PT, four students representing different
classes were called upon. They came up near to a microphone. Each was
asked to tell something to the audience: students and teachers. They
spoke on, news of the day, thought for the day, quiz of the day,
elocutions, etc. This was a regular activity of the school, i.e., they
do this every morning. This is to enhance the creativity of the
students, to promote the learning aptitude of the students, and to
engage them in learning and sharing activities.
We observed the class room teaching, we were impressed with the
teaching methods, in the pre-primary sections, in particular. The way,
children are cared and the way the children are enjoying the learning
with their teachers, could have been possible only in the child-
friendly environment.
In the school, children are to be called with respectful word,
‘tapai’, where, ‘timi’ and ‘ta’ are not allowed. This is to respect
the humanity and to recognize the importance of a children as a ‘human
being’. This is one of the practical lessons that children would learn
from the very beginning: a lesson to respect all, regardless of their
age, castes or creeds.
Children love to come to school every day, teachers are proud of being
part of the school which is gaining more recognitions not only in the
local level but in the national level, too. Parents are satisfied with
the quality of education that their children are acquiring, and,
therefore, willing to contribute for the further improvement of the
school. School is trying to grow more and expand, in terms of the
physical infrastructure, network and quality.
One of the indicators of the better performance is the SLC results. In
this regard the school has stood on the top ranks within the
district.
Hence, this school has presented itself as an example, a role model. A
few schools in the vicinity are envious, many are enthusiastic to
learn from them, and imitating them. Therefore, performance of this
school could be utilized as a valuable lessons for other public
schools.
Following are some of my persons observations and reflections.
Some Observations and Reflections
A. Three decades is not much sufficient time for a school in a remote
village to arrive in what it is today. The achievement is remarkable,
both in terms of infrastructure development and in educational
performance. This could have been possible only in some specific
context. That specific context has been created in Narayansthan,
Balewa, so that the school could have made such an achievement.
B. It seemed to us that the village is not endowed with abundant
natural resources, no flat and fertile land with irrigation
facilities, but people had access to the diversified sources of income
for long, therefore, the parents could afford for the education of
their children. Hence, the education established as a value in the
village. Therefore, the initiatives for education got wider support in
the village.
C. Principal and most of the teachers are from the same village, or
around, and, they also had to send their children in the school
nearby, therefore, the quality education became everybody’s concern.
For teachers, it was not a “jaagir”, rather they could connect their
own future with the kind of education they provide to their children
in the school. Due to this particular reason, two private boarding
schools displaced during the conflict period could ever come back
again as they could see no ‘market’ for ‘boarding education’.
D. Generally discrimination in the society is seen and created through
the education system. Those who could send their children in the
private boarding schools and those who could not afford therefore send
their children to the public schools are seen differently. It not only
differentiates and fragments the society but in the long run, produces
two different types of citizens. But, this school, though in a small
scale, has contributed to reduce the gaps between those who ‘could
afford’ and those who ‘could not afford’. This has also created a
harmony in the society, and given the feeling that all are equal, at
least in sending their children to the schools. Education for all, and
equal access to the education have been demonstrated in this village.
E. In many parts of the country, school has remained as one of the
central ‘arena’ where party politics is imposed, executed, at least
tried to secure the influence. Formation of school management
committee and parents-teachers associations becomes highly politically
charged activities. Similarly, hiring and promotion of teachers are
much influenced by party politics, therefore, teachers also overtly
take part in the politics and divide according to their party
affiliation. Consequently, teaching and quality education become the
matter of secondary importance, whereas in this school, party politics
has no space. Teachers, SMC and PTA members, together reiterated that
they don’t let party politics to ruin the education quality in this
school. This could be one of the most important lessons to learn from,
with regard to improve and maintain the quality of the education in
the schools.
F. We were informed that teachers and parents from neighboring
villages and schools visit this school, enquire about the process on
how this school has been constantly maintain and progress in terms of
infrastructure development, expanding networks and providing good
quality of education. Those parents and teachers from the neighboring
villages/schools report them back that they are trying to the same,
and getting some success. Hence, this school has been able to set so
many examples, therefore, a leader institution in the area.
Apparently, the school has been able to create a wave of movement in
the area for the quality education.
G. Networking and garnering cooperation has been done skillfully.
Thanks to the strategic diplomacy of the school family. ASN is one of
the members in the school’s network. School principal and teachers
explained that ASN not only has provided some scholarship, furniture,
computers, books for the library, teaching and other education
materials, etc. but most importantly the ‘ideas’ and their
facilitation to coordinate the school with department of education and
other institutions, in the districts and ministry in the centre.
H. The school recognizes and felicitates the local ‘donors’ who have
contributed to the school. Photographs and the names of those
‘donors’ are displayed in the school offices and in the front wall of
the school building. This is not only to recognize and respect the
donors but also to make the process public and transparent. The school
is against the performing religious rites, ‘Yangya’, or any kind of
religious worship in order to raise the fund. “There can be no other
pious works than building school and providing good education”,
teachers and parents together explained this to us. The school family
has been able to communicate this to its parents and well wishers. We
appreciated this approach and attitude.
I. Thanks to Durga Shrestha (Chairman of ASN) and his “Gaun Farkau”,
literally, let’s get back to village movement. The movement has been
launched to gather and organize people of Balewas living elsewhere,
within country or abroad. Collecting some supports, funds from them
and send/invest them for the development of the village. Mr Shrestha
expressed that he would like to see this as an expanded movement in
other parts of the country, as well.
J. We could see or feel no discrimination in the schools for ‘Dalits’,
as there is a substantial proportion of Dalits in the village and in
the schools. A transformed social relations leading to a transformed
society is in the making, and the school has been one of the catalysts
of this process.
K. The school organizes parents meetings four times a year. The
meetings are organized in an interactive mode, so that parents could
express their concerns and suggest school family for the further
improvements. School family makes the progress, initiatives and
achievements transparent. This becomes a kind of ‘public auditing’ of
the school. Parents could participate even in the teacher selection
process. Since the whole process is transparent, their concerns and
opinions are well taken up during the decision making process, the
parents are willing to pay certain regular fees to the school, despite
the fact that the government schools are free up to some level.
Areas to be improved
A. A significant proportion of Dalit students are present in the
school, however, there is no single Dalit member in SMC and PTA. The
physical representation of Dalits in such decision making bodies has
to be ensured. As the discourse on ‘social inclusion’ gaining
prominence, the PTA and SMC should be formed with the proportional
representation of the number of students, and, also considering the
number of households in the catchment areas. As this can be a better
way to communicate with the different sections of the population, and
to make the institution equally accessible and representative.
B. The theme for the elocution, news and quiz are freely selected by
the students themselves, however, it is better if they are oriented to
choose the topic which are more relevant, more local and immediate,
and more interesting to all of them, so that, they not only learn
public speaking, at the same time also learn to think. ‘How to think’
is the most precious education that one can ever learn in their
school, but many schools (up to the university level), students are
told to imitate, recite, and follow somebody than to let them think
independently. For example, if they start debating on, the impacts of
the road (as the village is recently connected with motor road) on
their society, culture, relationships, economy, etc. could have been
their topics. Future of the commercial farming, off-farm income, etc.
should have been more local and immediate issues for them, etc.
C. School should not be contended and confined only with its
performance within, it has to take lead in the district to show how a
public school with a limited resources can do much better than any
other school. School can invite government agencies, NGOs, media,
neighboring schools and share them the experiences: what they are
doing and how they are doing, and encourage and pressurize how a
better school is possible .
Finally, the government has been able to provide much little than what
is needed to develop an institution in the resource poor villages.
But, this is possible to make a school better through the collective
efforts of the community and the teachers. If the community and the
teachers work together, it is possible to make a school better place
to learn for the children. The example set by this school has to be
disseminated to other areas, and, the district education department,
NGOs working in the field of school education, should promote this
movement and try to replicate the process in other areas.
Thanks to the leadership of Ms Subarna Shrestha, all the teachers, SMC
and PTA members, and all those supportive hands who made this possible
despites all odds imposed in the sector of the school education.