Just wanted to let everyone know that we are safe in Kathmandu. I can't say that the rest of the trip was uneventful, but you know how it goes. We found a cheap hoteland are poking around Kathmandu today. Tomorrow we will meet with Sudeep for a farewell meal and then depart for the Airport.
Also, this is actually our second accident that we have been on in Nepal. The first was when a Taxi cab hit our bus on the educational tour. It was pretty minor,although not for the taxi cab's body. It's hood was fairly mangled. Lol. It was very interesting to watch the resolution of that one. Everyone gathered round and cheered once a suitable agreement had been reached. Anyway, we will see people soon.All the best,David
Sarkuwa School
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Zack and David are in Kathmandu
Greetings everyone! I hope this message finds everyone well. We reached Kathmandu yesterday. I actually tried to send this from Pokhara, but it did not go through. One more full day in Nepal- what a mixture of emotions. See you soon! Here is the message I tried to send on Monday:
We had our farewell ceremony at the school yesterday. It was a very memorable experience. Several teachers gave speeches, we were presented with certificates and shiny Nepali drinking pitchers, and we received tika and flower garlands from the staff and students. It was a bit overwhelming to be given so many flowers and garlands. By the end of the ceremony, I had something akin to a floral lion's mane draped upon my neck and my face was red(der) with tika. It was a very moving experience. Here is the speech I gave: "Greetings my friends! Our time in Nepal is coming to an end. This makes me sad. People from different nations can learn much from one another. I have learned that many of you want Nepal to change; to become more developed. However, sometimes it takes a great deal of effort to create even a small change. So change is difficult, but it is still very important. Nepal has faced many hardships and difficulties recently. Difficulty can make a nation weak, but it can also make a nation strong. I hope our work here has made Nepal a better and stronger country. Ultimately though, for Nepal to become better and stronger, the work must be accomplished by Nepalis. This is your country. You should be proud of your country, and you should be proud to be Nepali. There are some parts of Nepal that I hope never change. Nepal is a beautiful country. Nepali khana deri deri mito cha (Nepali food tastes very, very good). Most importantly, Nepali people have good hearts. I believe this is more important than money, or material wealth. In some ways, since Nepali people have such good heart, Nepal is already a very developed country. You have shared your homes with us. Dhanyabad (thank you). We will always remember our Nepali friends. Namaskar." We rose early today and finished packing our things for our departure. It was a very sad and somber time as we prepared to leave the Dhakal house. Before we left, Megh's wife, Manikala, gave us tika and red flowers behind our ears for a safe journey. I sweated off the tika on the hike to Kushma and dropped the two red flowers- luckily I picked them up. This retrieval proved most fortuitous, as later in the day our bus swerved on a slick road to avoid an oncoming truck, flew into a ditch, and smashed into a tree. We are unhurt (repeat, no injuries), although some of the other passengers were a bit banged up. I am happy to be alive and everything, but I felt I was entitled to at least a partial refund. This proved impossible because the bus driver and conductor sprinted away immediately after the crash. While admittedly they did get us about halfway to Pokhara, they certainly did not fully render the agreed upon services. I would have liked at least fifty out of one hundred rupees back- sixty would have been nice, as our travel plans were delayed finding another bus. Regardless, I am very grateful for the flowers Manikala gave us- it seems they did indeed assure our safety.
Here is an e-mail I wrote about (five, six, ?) days ago but was unable to send due to connection problems at Sarkuwa (and Pokhara). Take a look....
Unfortunately, there is a problem concerning the school that I have been investigating. We were told earlier during our stay that Janata had given funds to an organization to provide a computer lab for the school. However, this has not materialized. Today Megh and I found and reviewed the school’s folder about this matter. Its contents are described below. I will qualify this in advance by saying 1) all documents were written in Devanagari (Nepali script), so all of the information here was translated to me by Megh and Krishna Icharya (10+ 2 English teacher). Furthermore, the teacher who is most directly involved in this matter is away from the school due to a family illness. I also have trouble communicating with him since we do not share a mutually intelligible language.
We were told that Janata gave app. 60,000 rupees to an American NGO for five computers last year. The staff informed us these computers have never been delivered, nor has an explanation been given by this organization. Here is the information about the organization/s involved:
Committee for the Promotion of Public Awareness and Development Studies (COPPADES) [I was told this is actually a Nepali organization/company]
Supposedly this organization is working in some relation with Nepal ICT Project (I was unable to discern what this acronym represents). The telephone number provided for COPPADES is 01-4355873
The address provided for Nepal ICT Project is: G.P.O. Box No. 5926 (or possibly 5928, 5826, or 5828- I took this information from a grainy, photocopied sheet), Kathmandu, Nepal. Telephone no. 977- 1- 353573
Internet info:e-mail- coppades@ntc.net.npURL http://www.interconnection.org/coppades
When I was asking Megh about this matter yesterday, I specifically asked if there were any written documents that people had signed. There is in fact a contract/ agreement between the school and the aforementioned organization. I think this may be the most important document in this twisted tale. Its contents are divided into two sections: the obligations of Janata School, and the reciprocal obligations of COPPADES.School’s obligations (I have added parenthesis to certain points):
1) Must have electrical supply.
2) Must possess minimum 1 telephone line.
3) Must possess suitable area for computer lab, including appropriate furniture (i.e. chairs, desks, etc.)
4) Must submit a letter from the district education office (in Janata’s case, this office is located in Baglung). This letter must certify that 1) school meets physical prerequisites for a computer lab and 2) the school needs a computer lab.
5) The company to provide the computers is World Computer Exchange, USA (“World Computer Exchange, USA” is written in English). The monetary amount required is 58,500 rupees, with the conditional statement that that price is variable 2,000 rupees (dependent upon ?). Janata submitted 59,500 rupees to COPPADES. The stated fees of 58,500 rupees was to pay for:
Sourcing cost [administrative]
Ocean shipping
Land Shipping [including customs tax and commercial tax]
Administrative and computer installation costs
6) One teacher will travel (somewhere) for computer training. The school is responsible for paying this teacher’s room and board during training.
7) If a computer is damaged, it must be stored in an environment where it will not incur further damage.
COPPADES obligations (parenthesis added again):
1) The organization will send a representative to observe the school’s infrastructure. A school will be selected on the basis of this observation (this is first mention of “selection”).
2) The organization will provide training for one instructor from the school. This includes training instruction, instruments, and fees.
3) The organization will provide the school with:
5 computers
1 printer
instruments needed for network, network cord, etc.
cables
minimum 1 modem
software CDs, according to necessity
4)Within 3 months of computer installation, the organization will provide a representative for supervision, observation, and repair. Representatives will then visit the school a minimum of once a year afterwards.
Signed: Prakash Nepali Narayan Paudel
School supervisor (COPPADES) Head teacher(JanataHSS)
63- 06- 07 (Nepali date) 63- 06- 07
Apparently, the company did send a representative to observe Janata for selection. One instructor, Prem Thapa, also received approximately three months of computer training in Pokhara (training began early December ’06, possibly at NITT in Pokhara [once again, unsure what this acronym [NITT] represents]). COPPADES has not delivered any hardware or software to the school. So, the organization has fulfilled its first two obligations. It has not fulfilled the third, and therefore obviously not the fourth. Janata has documents (from COPPADES) certifying that COPPADES has received all necessary forms and fees from the school. Janata also has photocopies of forms they sent describing:
Janata School’s physical infrastructure
Demographic information: student info (age, sex), instructor info (names, addresses, subjects taught), and school management committee info (names, addresses).
I did not see a copy of the recommendation letter from Baglung, though this does not mean it was not sent.
As I said earlier, all of these forms were written in Devanagiri. Megh also told me that Mr. Thapa phoned the organization approximately a month and a half ago. Megh says they informed him that the organization had no materials for Janata School. As I said before, Mr. Thapa is out of town due to a family illness.
So what does this all amount to? I was considering some possibilities. My first question was whether the money Janata gave COPPADES covered only the expenses of computer instruction in Pokhara. The contract states otherwise. David noted that the school had neither consistent electrical supply nor telephone line (or a very safe area for a lab) upon our arrival. Perhaps this negated any COPPADES obligations? However, if the fees submitted by the school were for computer delivery charges, Janata’s money should have been refunded. Instead, they have received no refund nor any computers. From what I was told, nothing was said about non- refundable fees. Another thought is that something was lost in the translation I was given, or that there was some informal personal communication that abrogated the agreement (would such an exchange be legally binding?) There was also a mention of “selection”- perhaps another school was chosen instead, but Janata was neither informed nor recompensated? Though I am far from expert in these matters, it seems like this entity may be trying to take advantage of the school. An isolated school in a developing country (struggling to modernize) seems like an appealing target for a technology scam. While 59,500 rupees is not a gargantuan monetary amount, it could be used to provide many materials for the school. It is also distressing to think that this organization (if in fact it is predatory) takes advantage of vulnerable, underprivileged schools. Unfortunately, we have little time left here, and I am not sure what can be done from outside Nepal (or inside Nepal for that matter). Maybe some of the other members of the Sarkuwa Project could check out the web listings this organization/s, and see if they seem legitimate. Please share your thoughts on this situation. From my experience, analysis from a single perspective is often deficient.
Much love, Zack
We had our farewell ceremony at the school yesterday. It was a very memorable experience. Several teachers gave speeches, we were presented with certificates and shiny Nepali drinking pitchers, and we received tika and flower garlands from the staff and students. It was a bit overwhelming to be given so many flowers and garlands. By the end of the ceremony, I had something akin to a floral lion's mane draped upon my neck and my face was red(der) with tika. It was a very moving experience. Here is the speech I gave: "Greetings my friends! Our time in Nepal is coming to an end. This makes me sad. People from different nations can learn much from one another. I have learned that many of you want Nepal to change; to become more developed. However, sometimes it takes a great deal of effort to create even a small change. So change is difficult, but it is still very important. Nepal has faced many hardships and difficulties recently. Difficulty can make a nation weak, but it can also make a nation strong. I hope our work here has made Nepal a better and stronger country. Ultimately though, for Nepal to become better and stronger, the work must be accomplished by Nepalis. This is your country. You should be proud of your country, and you should be proud to be Nepali. There are some parts of Nepal that I hope never change. Nepal is a beautiful country. Nepali khana deri deri mito cha (Nepali food tastes very, very good). Most importantly, Nepali people have good hearts. I believe this is more important than money, or material wealth. In some ways, since Nepali people have such good heart, Nepal is already a very developed country. You have shared your homes with us. Dhanyabad (thank you). We will always remember our Nepali friends. Namaskar." We rose early today and finished packing our things for our departure. It was a very sad and somber time as we prepared to leave the Dhakal house. Before we left, Megh's wife, Manikala, gave us tika and red flowers behind our ears for a safe journey. I sweated off the tika on the hike to Kushma and dropped the two red flowers- luckily I picked them up. This retrieval proved most fortuitous, as later in the day our bus swerved on a slick road to avoid an oncoming truck, flew into a ditch, and smashed into a tree. We are unhurt (repeat, no injuries), although some of the other passengers were a bit banged up. I am happy to be alive and everything, but I felt I was entitled to at least a partial refund. This proved impossible because the bus driver and conductor sprinted away immediately after the crash. While admittedly they did get us about halfway to Pokhara, they certainly did not fully render the agreed upon services. I would have liked at least fifty out of one hundred rupees back- sixty would have been nice, as our travel plans were delayed finding another bus. Regardless, I am very grateful for the flowers Manikala gave us- it seems they did indeed assure our safety.
Here is an e-mail I wrote about (five, six, ?) days ago but was unable to send due to connection problems at Sarkuwa (and Pokhara). Take a look....
Unfortunately, there is a problem concerning the school that I have been investigating. We were told earlier during our stay that Janata had given funds to an organization to provide a computer lab for the school. However, this has not materialized. Today Megh and I found and reviewed the school’s folder about this matter. Its contents are described below. I will qualify this in advance by saying 1) all documents were written in Devanagari (Nepali script), so all of the information here was translated to me by Megh and Krishna Icharya (10+ 2 English teacher). Furthermore, the teacher who is most directly involved in this matter is away from the school due to a family illness. I also have trouble communicating with him since we do not share a mutually intelligible language.
We were told that Janata gave app. 60,000 rupees to an American NGO for five computers last year. The staff informed us these computers have never been delivered, nor has an explanation been given by this organization. Here is the information about the organization/s involved:
Committee for the Promotion of Public Awareness and Development Studies (COPPADES) [I was told this is actually a Nepali organization/company]
Supposedly this organization is working in some relation with Nepal ICT Project (I was unable to discern what this acronym represents). The telephone number provided for COPPADES is 01-4355873
The address provided for Nepal ICT Project is: G.P.O. Box No. 5926 (or possibly 5928, 5826, or 5828- I took this information from a grainy, photocopied sheet), Kathmandu, Nepal. Telephone no. 977- 1- 353573
Internet info:e-mail- coppades@ntc.net.npURL http://www.interconnection.org/coppades
When I was asking Megh about this matter yesterday, I specifically asked if there were any written documents that people had signed. There is in fact a contract/ agreement between the school and the aforementioned organization. I think this may be the most important document in this twisted tale. Its contents are divided into two sections: the obligations of Janata School, and the reciprocal obligations of COPPADES.School’s obligations (I have added parenthesis to certain points):
1) Must have electrical supply.
2) Must possess minimum 1 telephone line.
3) Must possess suitable area for computer lab, including appropriate furniture (i.e. chairs, desks, etc.)
4) Must submit a letter from the district education office (in Janata’s case, this office is located in Baglung). This letter must certify that 1) school meets physical prerequisites for a computer lab and 2) the school needs a computer lab.
5) The company to provide the computers is World Computer Exchange, USA (“World Computer Exchange, USA” is written in English). The monetary amount required is 58,500 rupees, with the conditional statement that that price is variable 2,000 rupees (dependent upon ?). Janata submitted 59,500 rupees to COPPADES. The stated fees of 58,500 rupees was to pay for:
Sourcing cost [administrative]
Ocean shipping
Land Shipping [including customs tax and commercial tax]
Administrative and computer installation costs
6) One teacher will travel (somewhere) for computer training. The school is responsible for paying this teacher’s room and board during training.
7) If a computer is damaged, it must be stored in an environment where it will not incur further damage.
COPPADES obligations (parenthesis added again):
1) The organization will send a representative to observe the school’s infrastructure. A school will be selected on the basis of this observation (this is first mention of “selection”).
2) The organization will provide training for one instructor from the school. This includes training instruction, instruments, and fees.
3) The organization will provide the school with:
5 computers
1 printer
instruments needed for network, network cord, etc.
cables
minimum 1 modem
software CDs, according to necessity
4)Within 3 months of computer installation, the organization will provide a representative for supervision, observation, and repair. Representatives will then visit the school a minimum of once a year afterwards.
Signed: Prakash Nepali Narayan Paudel
School supervisor (COPPADES) Head teacher(JanataHSS)
63- 06- 07 (Nepali date) 63- 06- 07
Apparently, the company did send a representative to observe Janata for selection. One instructor, Prem Thapa, also received approximately three months of computer training in Pokhara (training began early December ’06, possibly at NITT in Pokhara [once again, unsure what this acronym [NITT] represents]). COPPADES has not delivered any hardware or software to the school. So, the organization has fulfilled its first two obligations. It has not fulfilled the third, and therefore obviously not the fourth. Janata has documents (from COPPADES) certifying that COPPADES has received all necessary forms and fees from the school. Janata also has photocopies of forms they sent describing:
Janata School’s physical infrastructure
Demographic information: student info (age, sex), instructor info (names, addresses, subjects taught), and school management committee info (names, addresses).
I did not see a copy of the recommendation letter from Baglung, though this does not mean it was not sent.
As I said earlier, all of these forms were written in Devanagiri. Megh also told me that Mr. Thapa phoned the organization approximately a month and a half ago. Megh says they informed him that the organization had no materials for Janata School. As I said before, Mr. Thapa is out of town due to a family illness.
So what does this all amount to? I was considering some possibilities. My first question was whether the money Janata gave COPPADES covered only the expenses of computer instruction in Pokhara. The contract states otherwise. David noted that the school had neither consistent electrical supply nor telephone line (or a very safe area for a lab) upon our arrival. Perhaps this negated any COPPADES obligations? However, if the fees submitted by the school were for computer delivery charges, Janata’s money should have been refunded. Instead, they have received no refund nor any computers. From what I was told, nothing was said about non- refundable fees. Another thought is that something was lost in the translation I was given, or that there was some informal personal communication that abrogated the agreement (would such an exchange be legally binding?) There was also a mention of “selection”- perhaps another school was chosen instead, but Janata was neither informed nor recompensated? Though I am far from expert in these matters, it seems like this entity may be trying to take advantage of the school. An isolated school in a developing country (struggling to modernize) seems like an appealing target for a technology scam. While 59,500 rupees is not a gargantuan monetary amount, it could be used to provide many materials for the school. It is also distressing to think that this organization (if in fact it is predatory) takes advantage of vulnerable, underprivileged schools. Unfortunately, we have little time left here, and I am not sure what can be done from outside Nepal (or inside Nepal for that matter). Maybe some of the other members of the Sarkuwa Project could check out the web listings this organization/s, and see if they seem legitimate. Please share your thoughts on this situation. From my experience, analysis from a single perspective is often deficient.
Much love, Zack
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Greetings from Megh Raj Dhakal
Greetings friends of Sarkuwa,
I thank Mr. Pramod, Mrs. Donna & Mr. Tom for the managing of volunteer teachers in Sarkuwa. Your initiation towards Sarkuwa is appreciated and I am grateful to you & for your efforts. I also thank all those who have concern for Sarkuwa.
I am enjoying here with David & Zack receiving as teachers and friends. I am happy to receive them as a family member. All of our school family and my family are also happy. They are becoming close friends for me, my family, and our school.
Now Internet system is connected in my house and it is going to connect in our school also. Our newly constructed school building is going to be plastered by cement tomorrow. Due to the lack of classroom for grade 11 and 12 class we are not able to manage a separate computer lab. After about one month we will shift our class to new building and we will manage a computer lab.
Everything is good.
Cordially,
Megh Raj Dhakal
I thank Mr. Pramod, Mrs. Donna & Mr. Tom for the managing of volunteer teachers in Sarkuwa. Your initiation towards Sarkuwa is appreciated and I am grateful to you & for your efforts. I also thank all those who have concern for Sarkuwa.
I am enjoying here with David & Zack receiving as teachers and friends. I am happy to receive them as a family member. All of our school family and my family are also happy. They are becoming close friends for me, my family, and our school.
Now Internet system is connected in my house and it is going to connect in our school also. Our newly constructed school building is going to be plastered by cement tomorrow. Due to the lack of classroom for grade 11 and 12 class we are not able to manage a separate computer lab. After about one month we will shift our class to new building and we will manage a computer lab.
Everything is good.
Cordially,
Megh Raj Dhakal
Challenges for the English Curriculum
As you know, Grades 11 and 12 were founded at Janata Higher Secondary School on the basis of the support of Tom and Donna. This program has been very beneficial for the school in some aspects. Many students who were too poor to study away from home at a private school or boarding school were enabled to receive a higher level of education. I will now outline the situation as I see because there is a crisis with Grade 12.
After the Tiffin interval yesterday, AKA lunch, I walked outside of the teachers lounge after losing a match of chess to get some sun and warmth. The bell had just rung, and so the students were expected to go back to class. A bunch of my 12th graders were hanging around and lingering in a large group outside the school. I walked up to them and asked why they weren’t going to class, and one of the students said in a defeated tone, “We all failed sir.”
This was shocking to hear of course. Of the 21 currently enrolled students in 12th grade, only 2 have passed the requisite nationwide standardized test they must take in April to carry on from Grade 11 to 12. So in effect, they were not eligible to be in 12 at all…
However, there is some good news regarding this. 11 of the students only failed in one exam. They must take 5 exams, of which they must score 35 out of 100 to pass. The 5 exams cover subjects such as compulsory English, compulsory Nepali, Economics, Sociology, Introduction to Education, Educational Pedagogy, Mathematics, optional English, and optional Nepali. Those are all courses they may take. The course every student that failed was compulsary English.
So, 11 students may be able to stay within the 12th grade by taking a supplementary exam. Hopefully a few of them may pass this exam, but the odds are slim. The score of the highest failing student was a 22, 13 below the required 35. Too many of the students did not even have scores in the double digits. This obviously highlights a central problem that is afflicting Janata, that is how can you offer successful Higher Secondary Schooling if the students cannot pass the national examination?
This Grade 12 is the first class of HSS at Janata. Obviously you would expect problems with the first class, but this situation seems fairly severe. Here are a few of the troubles facing the school:
· Students failing one or even two subjects may still carry on to the next grade. In this way, a student may never catch up once they fall behind in a given subject. This carries on up until Grade 10, when they may officially graduate.
· The school is a government school. The difference is that parents are willing to pay more money when they send their child to boarding school, but not so for government schools. A boarding school student may receive 900 Rs of textbooks and workbooks, whereas a government school student may receive 200-300 Rs of textbooks and workbooks.
· The English teachers may not be fulfilling the needs of the children to prepare them for the road ahead. English is taught in English and Nepali. However, very little spoken English is actually used in the classroom, and nearly everything is explained in Nepali.
· There are no media outlets here that provide English media such as magazines, newspapers, books, TV, or what have you. There is a 15-minute English news segment on Radio Nepal. There are few people who speak passable conversational English and little opportunity to practice, imitate, or model speech.
· In Grade 12 I have a student that is 23, and students that are 16. A seven- year age gap seems quite significant.
I may have missed some other elements but I think you will get the idea of why 19 out of 21 failed. It is fairly discouraging but there are several ways of addressing the issue. This most likely involves changing the way that English is taught and convincing the headmaster that this is necessary. If they must pass compulsory English in Higher Secondary School, the problem is not just within the HSS curriculum but within the secondary curriculum and perhaps even primary too.
It takes many years to acquire and master a language, and after looking at a study guide for an SLC exam for 9th and 10th grade I can safely say that the current 10th graders are nowhere near the level of comprehension required to successfully complete the test. During our travels we would encounter many young persons in cities who would come up to us and start talking to us. Generally their English was much better than the students at Sarkuwa. There is a nationwide standard but I have a feeling that the standard for English is unfair for the rural areas.
They suffer from a poverty of information in English and a lack of English speakers, which is more prevalent in the developed areas. I get the feeling most volunteer English teachers, of which there are a lot, teach in the cities such as Pokhara or Kathmandu. So how can we attempt to remedy the situation? English speakers obviously help, but the length of our stay and the month long vacation add up to a small change.
Supplemental materials such as audio books or perhaps educational DVD movies could greatly benefit the students if they were used. Of course proper textbooks would go a long way towards advancing them towards their goal, but the trouble here is that a lot of books are required and they must match up with nationwide course expectations. Students that fail English should not be passed onto the next grade if the school is serious about preparing students properly for HSS and university or college. As much as I hate to say it, a certain amount of teaching the exams wouldn’t hurt either. The students must be fully prepared for what will be on the test.
Anyhow, this is my feeling at the near end of our time here. It came as quite a shock when we learned of this yesterday, and had we known some of the problems facing Janata perhaps we could have come better prepared.
Now onto some much lighter news. Today there was a wedding near the school and one of the teachers, Tila, was the bride! We were invited by a gift of a packet of sweets that is the customary individual invitation. The wedding began at 11:00 AM although I am not sure what this actually entailed besides loud music drifting into the classrooms. Then, near Tiffin interval, the sound of a rampaging pack of elephants could be heard coming down the mountain! Ok, it was not in fact a rampaging pack of elephants but the groom’s procession, accompanied by a traditional Nepali wedding band.
A long line of men in Topis streamed down the mountain to the bride’s families’ house. Zach and I followed them down with the other teachers and watched as the arriving men from the groom’s side received a special Tika upon entering a banana leaf gate. Everyone clustered around the Bride and Groom and red rice was passed around. Some rite was performed and then everyone threw the red rice into the air as a celebration. Then they were taken away, the music started and an older man began to dance, looking graceful at times and like his legs were about to buckle at others.
We were taken down past the party to eat which is a customary requirement of participating in the wedding. So all the teachers sat down and dined on straw mats. They served us Dalbhat with some curried goat meat and curried vegetables. For desert there were little balls of millet that were very sweet and tasted like Raxi, sort of like those brandy candies.
After eating we went and looked at the Bride and Groom for a while. She looked beautiful and was wearing exquisite clothes laced with gold thread and had her hair done up. She did not look up though. I guess the bride is not allowed to do so. The groom was looking pretty spiffy as well in a fancy Topi, suit, and sunglasses. There were many bowls of spices and brightly colored mixtures laying around. Opposite them were the brides parents and perhaps the grooms parents. It wasn’t explained and everything happened very quickly.
We were then taken back to the main party where small groups of people would take turns dancing. Of course, everyone upon seeing us immediately insisted that we dance to honor the newlyweds. So Zach and I danced to the rampaging elephant music, complete with atonal trumpeting, and then the music became faster and faster so we danced faster and crazier, and then it slowed to a halt as did we. Everyone was cheering, and feeling like we had done our part, we tried slinking back into the crowd but the initial older dancer insisted that we dance a second time. So we did! After we had honored the wedding in such a manner it was time to get back to school, although the whole way we were accompanied by swathes of our screaming students requesting that we dance more. Apparently we were a hit.
We finished up the day at school as the wedding continued below. All the students and teachers were complimenting our dancing and requesting more. I danced for the 12th grade after they got a hard question right. After school we were summoned backed down to the wedding, where immediately they wanted us to dance some more. So we danced three more dances in front of the band and crowd to much cheering and revelry.
Everyone wanted to shake our hands, and then the band got up and everyone began moving towards where the Bride and Groom were. The band played and lots of people were dancing now, and then we saw the Groom carrying the Bride on his back. He led the procession up the mountain, and most of the wedding-goers followed them up the mountain, with the Brides family remaining. He took her to his house somewhere up Sarkuwa, where she will now live. Probably there will be much revelry tonight.
That’s all I have for today. THAT’S ALL? You say. Yes. It is. One more computer is on it’s way out so we are back down to two in term of functionality. I am trying to fix this computer but so far cannot figure out what is wrong with it. It has no CD drive so I can’t use the repair tools. Disk Check has been performed successfully. It blue screens after 5-10 minutes of use or sometimes gives a blue screen on startup that says that the BIOS software is incompatible with the . It may have a virus, as foreign software has been installed but it has no virus protection. Probably fixable if Windows is replaced with Linux. Ok That’s All Folks!
David
PS Prem Thapa at Sarkuwa has the most computer training and seems most able. However he speaks little English. Next up is Tek Thapa. His English is better, but not by much. He does not have training but is learning quite fast and is very enthusiastic. Also, if it could be arranged for Hari Paudel to be there when they arrive, I am sure that it would be extremely beneficial for both the Janata staff and the GCI and Shanti. He is very knowledgable about computers and speaks decent English, two qualities that are not shared in any other person I’ve met in this area.
PSS Hopefully when I send this I will have remembered to actually attach the Google Earth locations. I didn’t last time, which is why it didn’t work. As always, this is a prerecorded message and will be sent in a blitz of internet usage to reduce modem time. Sayanara.
After the Tiffin interval yesterday, AKA lunch, I walked outside of the teachers lounge after losing a match of chess to get some sun and warmth. The bell had just rung, and so the students were expected to go back to class. A bunch of my 12th graders were hanging around and lingering in a large group outside the school. I walked up to them and asked why they weren’t going to class, and one of the students said in a defeated tone, “We all failed sir.”
This was shocking to hear of course. Of the 21 currently enrolled students in 12th grade, only 2 have passed the requisite nationwide standardized test they must take in April to carry on from Grade 11 to 12. So in effect, they were not eligible to be in 12 at all…
However, there is some good news regarding this. 11 of the students only failed in one exam. They must take 5 exams, of which they must score 35 out of 100 to pass. The 5 exams cover subjects such as compulsory English, compulsory Nepali, Economics, Sociology, Introduction to Education, Educational Pedagogy, Mathematics, optional English, and optional Nepali. Those are all courses they may take. The course every student that failed was compulsary English.
So, 11 students may be able to stay within the 12th grade by taking a supplementary exam. Hopefully a few of them may pass this exam, but the odds are slim. The score of the highest failing student was a 22, 13 below the required 35. Too many of the students did not even have scores in the double digits. This obviously highlights a central problem that is afflicting Janata, that is how can you offer successful Higher Secondary Schooling if the students cannot pass the national examination?
This Grade 12 is the first class of HSS at Janata. Obviously you would expect problems with the first class, but this situation seems fairly severe. Here are a few of the troubles facing the school:
· Students failing one or even two subjects may still carry on to the next grade. In this way, a student may never catch up once they fall behind in a given subject. This carries on up until Grade 10, when they may officially graduate.
· The school is a government school. The difference is that parents are willing to pay more money when they send their child to boarding school, but not so for government schools. A boarding school student may receive 900 Rs of textbooks and workbooks, whereas a government school student may receive 200-300 Rs of textbooks and workbooks.
· The English teachers may not be fulfilling the needs of the children to prepare them for the road ahead. English is taught in English and Nepali. However, very little spoken English is actually used in the classroom, and nearly everything is explained in Nepali.
· There are no media outlets here that provide English media such as magazines, newspapers, books, TV, or what have you. There is a 15-minute English news segment on Radio Nepal. There are few people who speak passable conversational English and little opportunity to practice, imitate, or model speech.
· In Grade 12 I have a student that is 23, and students that are 16. A seven- year age gap seems quite significant.
I may have missed some other elements but I think you will get the idea of why 19 out of 21 failed. It is fairly discouraging but there are several ways of addressing the issue. This most likely involves changing the way that English is taught and convincing the headmaster that this is necessary. If they must pass compulsory English in Higher Secondary School, the problem is not just within the HSS curriculum but within the secondary curriculum and perhaps even primary too.
It takes many years to acquire and master a language, and after looking at a study guide for an SLC exam for 9th and 10th grade I can safely say that the current 10th graders are nowhere near the level of comprehension required to successfully complete the test. During our travels we would encounter many young persons in cities who would come up to us and start talking to us. Generally their English was much better than the students at Sarkuwa. There is a nationwide standard but I have a feeling that the standard for English is unfair for the rural areas.
They suffer from a poverty of information in English and a lack of English speakers, which is more prevalent in the developed areas. I get the feeling most volunteer English teachers, of which there are a lot, teach in the cities such as Pokhara or Kathmandu. So how can we attempt to remedy the situation? English speakers obviously help, but the length of our stay and the month long vacation add up to a small change.
Supplemental materials such as audio books or perhaps educational DVD movies could greatly benefit the students if they were used. Of course proper textbooks would go a long way towards advancing them towards their goal, but the trouble here is that a lot of books are required and they must match up with nationwide course expectations. Students that fail English should not be passed onto the next grade if the school is serious about preparing students properly for HSS and university or college. As much as I hate to say it, a certain amount of teaching the exams wouldn’t hurt either. The students must be fully prepared for what will be on the test.
Anyhow, this is my feeling at the near end of our time here. It came as quite a shock when we learned of this yesterday, and had we known some of the problems facing Janata perhaps we could have come better prepared.
Now onto some much lighter news. Today there was a wedding near the school and one of the teachers, Tila, was the bride! We were invited by a gift of a packet of sweets that is the customary individual invitation. The wedding began at 11:00 AM although I am not sure what this actually entailed besides loud music drifting into the classrooms. Then, near Tiffin interval, the sound of a rampaging pack of elephants could be heard coming down the mountain! Ok, it was not in fact a rampaging pack of elephants but the groom’s procession, accompanied by a traditional Nepali wedding band.
A long line of men in Topis streamed down the mountain to the bride’s families’ house. Zach and I followed them down with the other teachers and watched as the arriving men from the groom’s side received a special Tika upon entering a banana leaf gate. Everyone clustered around the Bride and Groom and red rice was passed around. Some rite was performed and then everyone threw the red rice into the air as a celebration. Then they were taken away, the music started and an older man began to dance, looking graceful at times and like his legs were about to buckle at others.
We were taken down past the party to eat which is a customary requirement of participating in the wedding. So all the teachers sat down and dined on straw mats. They served us Dalbhat with some curried goat meat and curried vegetables. For desert there were little balls of millet that were very sweet and tasted like Raxi, sort of like those brandy candies.
After eating we went and looked at the Bride and Groom for a while. She looked beautiful and was wearing exquisite clothes laced with gold thread and had her hair done up. She did not look up though. I guess the bride is not allowed to do so. The groom was looking pretty spiffy as well in a fancy Topi, suit, and sunglasses. There were many bowls of spices and brightly colored mixtures laying around. Opposite them were the brides parents and perhaps the grooms parents. It wasn’t explained and everything happened very quickly.
We were then taken back to the main party where small groups of people would take turns dancing. Of course, everyone upon seeing us immediately insisted that we dance to honor the newlyweds. So Zach and I danced to the rampaging elephant music, complete with atonal trumpeting, and then the music became faster and faster so we danced faster and crazier, and then it slowed to a halt as did we. Everyone was cheering, and feeling like we had done our part, we tried slinking back into the crowd but the initial older dancer insisted that we dance a second time. So we did! After we had honored the wedding in such a manner it was time to get back to school, although the whole way we were accompanied by swathes of our screaming students requesting that we dance more. Apparently we were a hit.
We finished up the day at school as the wedding continued below. All the students and teachers were complimenting our dancing and requesting more. I danced for the 12th grade after they got a hard question right. After school we were summoned backed down to the wedding, where immediately they wanted us to dance some more. So we danced three more dances in front of the band and crowd to much cheering and revelry.
Everyone wanted to shake our hands, and then the band got up and everyone began moving towards where the Bride and Groom were. The band played and lots of people were dancing now, and then we saw the Groom carrying the Bride on his back. He led the procession up the mountain, and most of the wedding-goers followed them up the mountain, with the Brides family remaining. He took her to his house somewhere up Sarkuwa, where she will now live. Probably there will be much revelry tonight.
That’s all I have for today. THAT’S ALL? You say. Yes. It is. One more computer is on it’s way out so we are back down to two in term of functionality. I am trying to fix this computer but so far cannot figure out what is wrong with it. It has no CD drive so I can’t use the repair tools. Disk Check has been performed successfully. It blue screens after 5-10 minutes of use or sometimes gives a blue screen on startup that says that the BIOS software is incompatible with the . It may have a virus, as foreign software has been installed but it has no virus protection. Probably fixable if Windows is replaced with Linux. Ok That’s All Folks!
David
PS Prem Thapa at Sarkuwa has the most computer training and seems most able. However he speaks little English. Next up is Tek Thapa. His English is better, but not by much. He does not have training but is learning quite fast and is very enthusiastic. Also, if it could be arranged for Hari Paudel to be there when they arrive, I am sure that it would be extremely beneficial for both the Janata staff and the GCI and Shanti. He is very knowledgable about computers and speaks decent English, two qualities that are not shared in any other person I’ve met in this area.
PSS Hopefully when I send this I will have remembered to actually attach the Google Earth locations. I didn’t last time, which is why it didn’t work. As always, this is a prerecorded message and will be sent in a blitz of internet usage to reduce modem time. Sayanara.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Full Moon
Update 11-23-07
The antenna has not yet been properly installed in a suitable location, but hopefully this will be taken care of soon. It’s starting to sink in that we only have a week and a bit left here and it’s an odd feeling. Megh’s buffalo just had a calf, it is very cute but very awkward. As a celebration we have been having coagulated milk from the new mother. It is very tasty, although a bit filling. It is also orange season, and I have learned the hard way that the sweet sweet fruit is protected by sharp pointy thorns.
At this point all of the rice and millet has been harvested and the women have been busy planting the winter crop of potatoes. The land is looking somewhat bare without the rice paddies, and many of the trees have had branches cut off to feed the buffalos. It is quite a different landscape than when we arrived. Zach and I were marveling earlier how the change happened incredibly quickly, as for the first month and a half nothing really seemed to change. The river Taoli, which we cross to go to Ghari Bazaar, at times had been so swollen that it was too dangerous to attempt. Now the water is so low it seems more like a small stream or brook passing through mounds of rocks.
Tonight there is a nearly full moon, which is casting tons of light upon the land. It is possible to navigate most of the trails here by the full moon, although if there is too much canopy overhead it becomes difficult. It is much brighter than in Illinois though, this much is certain. Zach is convinced that it also looks different than back home. The ascendant moon has religious connotations as according to tradition the people are not supposed to are not supposed to eat meat or drink during the waning moon. Also ancestor worship is practiced at the beginning of the waxing moon.
That’s all for now!
David
The antenna has not yet been properly installed in a suitable location, but hopefully this will be taken care of soon. It’s starting to sink in that we only have a week and a bit left here and it’s an odd feeling. Megh’s buffalo just had a calf, it is very cute but very awkward. As a celebration we have been having coagulated milk from the new mother. It is very tasty, although a bit filling. It is also orange season, and I have learned the hard way that the sweet sweet fruit is protected by sharp pointy thorns.
At this point all of the rice and millet has been harvested and the women have been busy planting the winter crop of potatoes. The land is looking somewhat bare without the rice paddies, and many of the trees have had branches cut off to feed the buffalos. It is quite a different landscape than when we arrived. Zach and I were marveling earlier how the change happened incredibly quickly, as for the first month and a half nothing really seemed to change. The river Taoli, which we cross to go to Ghari Bazaar, at times had been so swollen that it was too dangerous to attempt. Now the water is so low it seems more like a small stream or brook passing through mounds of rocks.
Tonight there is a nearly full moon, which is casting tons of light upon the land. It is possible to navigate most of the trails here by the full moon, although if there is too much canopy overhead it becomes difficult. It is much brighter than in Illinois though, this much is certain. Zach is convinced that it also looks different than back home. The ascendant moon has religious connotations as according to tradition the people are not supposed to are not supposed to eat meat or drink during the waning moon. Also ancestor worship is practiced at the beginning of the waxing moon.
That’s all for now!
David
Antenna has arrived
Update 11-21-07
Hey folks,
Ok, New positive development! The antenna finally arrived at the school today. After some initial confusion about the cabling and the Chinese manual, we finally got it to work. A suitable location for the antenna has not yet been found, as the location where it does work is too close to the students. The teachers are worried they will try to damage it. Hopefully a favorable location will be found tomorrow, and then we shall try to send a message out from Janata.
I think we may have a few teachers who are beginning to take to the computers. Luckily one of the teachers has had some computer training, and even though at first he claimed that he had forgotten most of it, he is getting along pretty well with excel. Also the teachers who have figured some things out are helping to show the others how to operate the computers. So things are moving along. It would help of course if the electricity came on before 2:30 PM, but hey, what can you do?
Getting back into the swing of teaching has been a bit difficult after a months break, but we’re managing. We’ve had to do quite a bit of review, as the students have had a lot of time to forget what we taught them beforehand. It is starting to get fairly cold here, especially during the nights, but on the plus side the air has been very crisp and clear. For the last week or so the Annapurnas have been visible in their full majestic glory. For much of our time here clouds have obscured them.
Will hopefully send out a message from Janata tomorrow!
David
Hey folks,
Ok, New positive development! The antenna finally arrived at the school today. After some initial confusion about the cabling and the Chinese manual, we finally got it to work. A suitable location for the antenna has not yet been found, as the location where it does work is too close to the students. The teachers are worried they will try to damage it. Hopefully a favorable location will be found tomorrow, and then we shall try to send a message out from Janata.
I think we may have a few teachers who are beginning to take to the computers. Luckily one of the teachers has had some computer training, and even though at first he claimed that he had forgotten most of it, he is getting along pretty well with excel. Also the teachers who have figured some things out are helping to show the others how to operate the computers. So things are moving along. It would help of course if the electricity came on before 2:30 PM, but hey, what can you do?
Getting back into the swing of teaching has been a bit difficult after a months break, but we’re managing. We’ve had to do quite a bit of review, as the students have had a lot of time to forget what we taught them beforehand. It is starting to get fairly cold here, especially during the nights, but on the plus side the air has been very crisp and clear. For the last week or so the Annapurnas have been visible in their full majestic glory. For much of our time here clouds have obscured them.
Will hopefully send out a message from Janata tomorrow!
David
Monday, November 19, 2007
Brief note from David - November 17
The seasons are changing here and today we harvested the ricefield next to Megh Raj Dhakals house. It was shorter rice than the rice we harvested on Monday. It was a lot of fun, we got to bundle it all together and beat it against rocks. School is going decently, although progress in the computer lab is somewhat lacking right now. Hopefully it will all come together. We are looking for Larry Wood's Champion.
On Thursday we hiked up to the top of Sarkuwa, the hill, and watched the sunset over the Himalayas or more specifically, the Annapurnas. It was very beautiful as they turned from golden yellow to red to bluish purple. Hope everyone is doing well, David
On Thursday we hiked up to the top of Sarkuwa, the hill, and watched the sunset over the Himalayas or more specifically, the Annapurnas. It was very beautiful as they turned from golden yellow to red to bluish purple. Hope everyone is doing well, David
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
