Proposals

Title: People’s Ideas for New Education System

Project Summary

“Imagine Youth Nepal (IYoN) requests Nrs. 18, 12,000 (Eighteen Lakhs and Twelve
Thousand Nepali Rupees only) for fourteen education-based workshops for new
education system in the context of new Nepal for 7 months. Workshop will,
primarily, be conducted at fourteen zones where a paper will be presented by IYoN
and after that, comments as well as suggestions related to new education system
will be collected from the participants for the final version.”

The final version, therefore, will be the voice of the general people for new
education of Nepal unlike haphazardly made recent policy.

Background Information/Statement of the Problem

Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something
less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgment and
well-developed wisdom. Education has as one of its fundamental aspects the
imparting of culture from generation to generation. Education means ‘to draw out’,
facilitating realization of self-potential and latent talents of an individual.

Similarly, education is central to development and a key to attaining the

Millennium Development Goals. It is one of the most powerful instruments for
reducing poverty and inequality and lays a foundation for sustainable economic
growth.

Nepal Education System had been developed, if we glance back to history, with
international whims and context ignoring the domestic circumstances, which is our
misfortune. The political change of 1990, which restored multi-party democracy,
has brought a phase in the history of educational policy in Nepal. “Education for
All” has become a national slogan again. This has brought a new optimism. Nepal
also signed the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) that declares education a
fundamental right of every child. Though, the survey done by National Planning
Commission (2001) shows that only 38 percent of the population six years and older
is literate in Nepal. Literacy rates are substantially higher in urban areas (64
percent) than in rural areas (36 percent). Regional disparities also exist, with
the highest literacy rates found in the Western Development Region (44 percent),
and the lowest rates in the Mid-West and Far-Western Development Regions (around
31 percent). The stratification by ecological belt reveals that the hills have the
highest overall literacy rate (45 percent).

The population, 6 years and older, can be classified into three groups according
to educational status: those who have never attended school, those who have
attended school in the past and those currently attending school. There are
noticeable differences across regional dimensions, across the ecological belts and
urban/rural location of residence. Gender differences are also sharp across all
these domains. The Far-West Development Region has the highest non-attendance
rates for both males and females: 48 percent of males have never attended school
and the corresponding number is 84 percent among females. The Western Development
Region has the lowest non-attendance rates for both males and females. Rural-urban
differences are large, with 60 percent of the rural population never having
attended school; the corresponding urban number is 32 percent. Therefore, this is
also one of the burning challenges that the country is facing which must be
addressed with some kind of new policies in near future.

However, even after the restoration of multi-party democracy, the political

leadership has been unable to move ahead as fast as people expect. Successive
governments have not been able to deliver goods and services to benefit all
sections of society. Education still remains the primary aspiration of the people.
People are prepared to financially invest in their children’s education. Since
government schools lack management efficiency, private schools have been
established on a massive scale, not only in towns but also in remote villages.
Yet, in the absence of a clear state policy these private schools choose their own
management system and set their own policies for student fees and teacher
salaries. Their costs seem to be decided without a clear basis and appear to be
motivated by profit only. Education is focused on examination results - as the
private schools boast of their SLC pass rates. They get children through exams;
otherwise parents would not pay. However, this raises the question of whether that
is the sole end of education. On the contrary, our government schools provide free
education lacking the quality. So it is still debatable whether the free education
lacking quality is effective or payable education, optionally from affordable
people, with quality education is effective- what the general people suggest;
their view must be reported.

Education remains a central political concern also, highlighted by the fact it had
become a battleground for the Maoists’ “People’s War.” But nowadays, it is obvious
that the schools have being seriously hampered with Bandas and Mass strike for
political issues. But we don’t have any strong policy to discourage this system.
As there has been no action taken by the government the future of school education
is still in confusion.

In developing countries, like Nepal, the number and seriousness of the problems
faced are naturally greater. People are sometimes unaware of the importance of
education, and there is economic pressure from those parents who prioritize their
children’s making money in the short term over any long-term benefits of
education. Recent studies on child labor and poverty have suggested that when poor
families reach a certain economic threshold where families are able to provide for
their basic needs, parents return their children to school. This has been found to
be true, once the threshold has been breached, even if the potential economic
value of the children’s work has increased since their return to school. Teachers
are often paid less than other similar professions. So, the concept of vocational
education which prepares learners for careers that are based in manual or
practical activities, traditionally non-academic and totally related to a specific
trade, occupation or vocation, hence the term, in which the learner participates
also may be the demand of the people according to the situation.

In addition, there are some considerable issues:

- Unpractical education which makes an individual internationally dependent rather

than domestically independent. Consequently, it is quite observable that thousands
of Nepalese literate youths are compelled to be the slave of the international
milieu.

- Our present education does not address the overall development of an individual;
especially the education must be the means of developing the entire
potentialities, as its definition says, that the students deserve naturally.
- Our education does not correlate with the development of the Nation because our
educational policies can no more address our natural resources/availabilities such
as: hydro-power, tourism, herbs and agriculture.

Thus, to raise this sort of problems our campaign will be one of the milestones to
develop new influencing educational policies through these goals and objectives.

Project Detail: Goals and Objectives

The project will be achieved following goals:

# The majority of the ideas by various scholars will be the contribution of new
education system in the context of would be New Nepal. Moreover, the findings of
the project will be helpful for policy makers and syllabus designers to conduct
new education system and to develop the course respectively according to need of
the society.

# The next, but unseen, goal will be to aware the people to raise the voice for
new education system; along with, it also helps to find out the weaknesses of
existing system.

The main objectives of the project will be:

# To collect the opinion of people from different social, economical and

educational background for education system in new Nepal.

# To develop a public statement to provide government which will be a reference to

make new policies.

# To provide the collected information to the authorized bodies of education

system of Nepal for the new education system.

# To make the findings public.

Project Detail: Methods

In order to achieve the goals and the objectives of the project IYoN will conduct
following two methods:

A. Workshop Based Method:

It is obvious that this is especially workshop-based project where 14 workshops in

14 zones of the country will be organized as somehow like campaign all over the
country. Each workshop of a zone includes its districts and similarly at least one
participant of an academic institution (Government School, Private School,
Colleges and so on) will be invited in the workshop with their ideas
representating the related institution for New Education System. In the workshops
IYoN will present a paper (The sample of the paper has been attached in APPENDIX—
V) by expert; the main purpose of the paper present will be to brainstorm the
participants and generate new ideas. In later workshops, the paper may be refined
based on the collected ideas. Thus, all the collected ideas by every participant
of the workshops will be amalgamated in a single form of book which will later be
submitted to the Ministry of Education, Head of the state, all political parties’
leaders, and published for general people.

Stepwise, the method will be conducted as follows:

Step I: Advertisement
In the first step the workshop organizing committee will inform all the academic
institutions and people to participate in the workshop. The committee will use
Local News Paper, FM Radio, E-mail, internet and school and college notice boards
for this purpose.

Step II: Invitation number of the participant…..

Along with the advertisement, the committee, formally, will invite the related
organizations sending the letter. In the invitation letter, the participants are
asked to discuss themselves in their organizations before participating in the
workshops.

Step III: Organizing Workshops

In the third stage the workshop will be organized at that place where the
participants will have easy access to participate.

In the workshop, every participant will be given the blank sheet of paper to write
their views generated then after the paper will be presented by IYON where nobody
will be particular commentators. Yet, the floor will be opened for at least first
20 individuals whose comments on the paper will be recorded as well as reported.

However, others ideas will be collected in the form of sheet. Besides, they are
also given the postal address/ E-mail to send their ides later as well.

Step IV: Refine the Presented Paper

In this stage the presented paper will be refined based on the feedback for next
workshops. However, rest of the reasonable ideas is filed for the book (final
report).

B. Internet Based Method:

This method is entirely based on website and email where the paper that we present
in workshop will be posted; the posted paper will be updated accordingly after
each workshop. The main purpose of this site will be to collect the suggestions
from those groups who lack accessibility in the workshops. They can read the paper
anytime and put forward their ideas in the comment box. Indeed, this method will
welcome the suggestions not only from rest of those Nepalese who live inside
domestic territory but also from international milieu as well.

There is also good correlation between these two methods. Since, every new idea
achieved from the workshops and the notice about the workshops is posted in the
website. Similarly, the participants in the workshops are asked to visit the
website and contribute their suggestions according to their wish.

Thus, IYON will prepare a book which later will be published as well as submitted
to the concerned authorities and the funding agency. This way our expected
objectives will be achieved.

Project Detail
Staff/Administration

PERSONNEL

NUMBER
REMARKS
Advisory Board

Experts
Workshop Organizing Committee

Program Coordinator

1
(From Organizing Committee)
Program Manager

1
(From Organizing Committee)
Advertising Committee

Paper Presenter

Reporters

Accountant

Mass Manager

Office Assistant

Needed Resources
Equipment/Supplies/Communication

The following are the types of equipment that are needed to conduct project:
S.N.

EQUIPMENTS

NUMBER

REMARKS

1.
LCD Projector

2.
Laptop

3.
Tape Recorder

2
for recording during the workshop session

4.
Computer

2
for general project support

5.
Printer

6.
Photocopy Machine

Needed Resources: Budget

A budget for 7 months funding proposal:

S.N

Description
Unit

Rate

Total Amount (in NPR)

Remarks
1 Remunerations*

1.1 Program Coordinator

15,000

15,000
Full time
1.2 Advisors

3@14@2,000

84,000
Workshop Based
1.3 Paper Presenter

14

3,000

42,000
Workshop Based
1.4 Accountant

7,000
7,000
Full Time
1.5 Reporters

5,000

15,000
Workshop Based
1.6 Mass Manager

3,000

3,000
Workshop Based
1.7 Office Assistant

2,000

2,000
Full Time

Sub Total (A)

1,68,000

2 General Expenses

2.1 Travel expenses

14

20,000

2,80,000
Workshop Based
2.2 Communication

14

10,000

1,40,000
Workshop Based
2.3 Food and Accommodation

14

15,000

210,000

2.4 Refreshment

14

20,000

2,80,000

2.5 Materials (Books, Papers, Pens, etc.)

14

10,000

140,000
Workshop Based
2.6 Meetings and group discussion, etc. (It includes Tea, Biscuits, Snacks,
etc.)

14

2,000

28,000
 Workshop Based
2.7 Rental of facilities (Hall, Sound systems, vehicles.)

14

10,000

140,000
Workshop Based
2.8 Advertisement

Workshop Based
FM and Radio

14

6,000

84,000

Local Newspaper

14

5,000

70,000

Noticing at Educational Organizations

14

2,000

28,000

2.9 Evaluation

14

3,000
42,000
Workshop Based
Miscellaneous

20,000

10,000

Sub Total (B)

14,52,000

3 Dissemination Expenses

3.1 Presentation of the research findings in seminar/workshop, etc

20,000

20,000

Hall Rent

Snacks
 Presenter

Commenter

Stationery

3.2 Posting on Website and Updating

20,000

20,000

3.3 Publication (Book, Journals, etc.)

1,50,000

1,50,000

Sub Total (C)

1,90,000

Grand Total (A+B+C)

NRs 18,12,000
In words

Eighteen Lakhs and Twelve Thousand Nepali Rupees only.

Rationale and Beneficiaries

It is clear that many people have many ideas. In addition, a single idea can
change the society. In this sense, our campaign will be meaningful since the
campaign is entirely based upon seeking noble ideas from various societies and
people from different communities in order to contribute in new education system.
So we will have more ideas to combat with those problems that can be solved with
education, which furthermore will definitely provide the guidelines for new
education system by which the next generation will be benefited more unlike this
generation.

Evaluation Plan

# Formative evaluation/process evaluation: Our more consideration will be in

formative evaluation rather than summative. The project manager will be the sole
evaluator of the project whether the project is running as per the objectives
mentioned or not. For this, first, an evaluation check-list will be developed for
each workshop. Second, a questionnaire will be developed which will be given only
seven participants randomly to fill out after the workshop along with a short
interview of three participants will be taken in order to get feedback and lack
the weakness. Moreover, lastly, there will be a meeting immediately after the
completion of each program of workshop organizing committee to evaluate the
workshop as a whole in order to get immediate feedback for next programs which
will be reported as well.

#Summative evaluation/product evaluation: Itself the collective views of the

people in the form of book will be the sole source of summative evaluation.
Whatever it contains will the matters of evaluation by everybody.

Appendices

Appendix-I: Time Line -

Workshops

Zones
1st Month 2nd Month 3rd Month 4th Month 5th Month 6 Months 7th
Month
Mahakali
Very
Seti
Karnali
Rapti
Dhanwalagiri
Lumbini
Gandaki
Narayani
Bagmati
Janakpur
Sagarmatha
Koshi
Mechi

(Here, the shadow indicates the occurrence of the workshops.)

Appendix-II: Background of Imagine Youth of Nepal (IYoN)

Regd. No. 135/063

PAN No-

Image Youth Nepal, in short IYoN, is an autonomous, non-profit making, non-

political and non-governmental organization established originally by the master’s
degree holers youths in the year 2006 at Kathmandu capital city of Nepal. The
organization, now, has been registered at Kathmandu Administrative Office.

IYoN is working from very beginning with the aim to safeguard the rights of
youths, develop their potentialities and create the situation for their overall
development in general. Besides, IYoN aims to make every people appreciative on
the basis of Principle of Appreciative Inquiry (AI).

Board Members of IYoN:

Chairperson Gopal Ghimire

Vice-Chairperson Bijay Raj Awasti

Secretary General Khemraj Sedhai

Treasurer Binod Birahi

Member Dhan Bahadur Sunar

Member Reena Chaudhari

Member Sarswati Sedhai

Member D.R. Pokheral

Member Jamila Niraula

Member Anoth Bhattarai

Member Uma Adhikari

Address:

Imagine Youth Nepal(IYoN)

Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal

Phone: 00977-1-4233223

Email-iyon@socialworker.net

Web- http://www.imagineyouthnepal.wordpress.com/

Appendix-III: Evaluation Instrument - The draft copy of the actual evaluation

instrument we plan to use (survey, questionnaire, interview guide, etc.).
 Checklist:

Place/ Zone:
Date:

SN. NO

FIELDS OF EVALUATION

VERY GOOD

GOOD

SATISFACTORY

BAD

VERY BAD

1.
Advertisement

2.
Participants/ Attendance

3.
Paper Presentation

4.
Comments on the Paper

6.
Suggestions

7.
Participants’ Response

8.
Preparation of the program

9.
Overall

Feedback:…………………………………………………………………………………………………