Schools Field Trip

Bhuvaneshwari School: Where students learn themselves; teachers just create environment.

Last week I had to facilitate a two days training program on Capacity Building and Good Governance of the schools in my resource center. Participants were principals and management related parents from 6 feeder schools around mine. The topics of the orientation were instructional and educational planning, child friendliness in schools, disaster management in education etc. I had to struggle hard to conduct the orientation. Major cause on the issue was the gap of the understanding level among the participants. Some of our participants were just literate and some post graduated even. So, in the second day, I proposed a field trip in two successful schools in the same district. I know observation can be one of the strategies which can enrich the learning and aware all level of learners. About the resources, I motivated the participants to pay themselves for a good work. They were ready to spend a little on it.

The 31st of Baishakh or the 14^th May was the fixed date to move. 22 among 28 participants were there in bust stop in time. We traveled up to Dharke (30 KM) by public bus. The group was diversified in all aspects.  

        Mr. Ramchandra Acharya, the principal of Bhuvaneshwari School was waiting us. He made us to visit all the classrooms, laboratory, libraries and office room. Our participants were excited to observe the lessons run, the decoration of the students works etc cleanliness and else. There were grade rules and all the information required on the walls. Teachers were not ‘teaching’ but trying to make students learnt.  After the observation of 20 mins all the participants were gathered in a meeting hall. Mr Ramchandra Acharya and Chandra Prakash KC led the discussion. They shared the background of the school, teachers training support by the Rato Bangalaw Foundation (RBF). The impact of the training, the financial status and income sources of the school, governing policies were discussed etc. Our participants raised questions and excited on the achievements of the school.

Major reflections of the observation for me;

1.      Nepalese schools need managers as school leaders than academicians.

2.      Schools can boom only with their own resources than the donations either by formal or non-formal sectors. Money doesn’t come alone and fees paid by the parents bring pressure to reform.

3.       Teachers can make the change and students lead the changes.

4.      Rules regulates the situations, rules made by ruled is diamond rule.

5.       Private schools are side product of malpractices of public education system. They diminish in the process of education reforms in public schools.

6.      We teachers can learn more from the schools than from the trainings run now a days and universities classrooms.

 

 

 

Janajagriti: Dreams come true here

Just a decade back, I had conducted training in Janajagriti School few young teachers. It was the response of excitement with the orientation on Child friendly schooling in Dhulikhel. I was amazed with the dreams on their eyes. They had started a school for local stone breakers kids there in a small market, Mahadevbensi at the banks of the stream. Already there was a private school. It was beyond their economic level. They had a small hut left by the Chinese Road constructors here. It was in debate of ownership and at least they had to pay nearly a million rupees to get the land and the hut but they had not. Most of them were not from education background and higher degrees. They were doing as they had seen their teachers in their own classrooms. All the attempts were old and outdated strategies in classroom. I was new trainer on the topics and the discussions held there was valuable for me too. I had to travel many venues of the country as I was nominated as one of national trainers for.

I have been visiting Janajagriti for many times. Those teachers are matured now. They have more than a thousand students from different 27 districts. They have many facilities gathered in school. Day care centers, class for blind students. Open school up to SLC level.   More than 300 students get different educational supports from this school. School has a very good relation with more than a dozen INGOs and NGOs working for education and development.

 

We had our second trip of the day in Janajagriti. Mr Ramchandra Rupakheti led the discussion with our participants. He focused the learning culture of the teachers of this school. The various strategies to raise fund in the public education system was discussed. Rupakheti told,” restless effort towards the reformation can change the situation”. HE responded the queries raised by different participants.

Reflections of the participants

1.      Janajagriti can be one of the best practices of the underprivileged students schooling with the outsourcing modality.

2.      People are ready to pay for quality. Schools should address the real poverty level kids.

3.      Dream is essential. Changes come within it.

4.      Learning should be the essential characteristic of the schools not only students but all the stakeholders.     

    Lastly, we took lunch in a restaurant in Mahadevbenshi. We discussed findings of the trip. All the participants were excited and head teachers were discussing for the planning to reform their situation. Conclusion of the lunch discussion was infrastructure, trainings and learn from the experiences were to move together. Dream and passion of work was the major drive for changes.

My Reflection of the trip

1.      Field trip can be one of the best strategies to address the diversified learners.

2.      Best performing schools can participate as content for the learners of other school’s decision makers.

3.      Hands on experience can be the best experience of all experiences.

4.      School should plan the infrastructure, human resources development, policy development and monitoring and follow up is necessary for reformation in education.  

5.      If chosen best strategies our parents are ready to pay, stipends or allowances for education reforms should be critically analyzed.

6.      Better performing public schools can generate certain resources sharing their experiences and efforts. They should develop some tools like brochures, PPT slides and other hands outs. They can use high technology like web sites, pages blogs etc to communicate their situation and experiences.