Sita Bhusal, from Doti, is working as a primary grade teacher in Bhagwati Lower Secondary School, a school in her own village. During the presentation, she had her colleagues bewildered by presenting a technique of teaching through the use of music as well as the traditional teaching equipments. She demonstrated how using a children’s song can be used effectively to teach students about potatoes.[break]
Sita shares that she learnt the tricks to help students concentrate in class, during her stay at Sakura Girls’ Hostel. “It is difficult for students to grasp concepts just from the text books,” she said, adding, “The quickest and most effective way to teach is through the use of children’s songs and educational materials. I learnt all this from my hostel.”
The 50 students, who have graduated from this hostel till date, have learnt all the techniques of teaching. This hostel was established by Japanese Principal Yasuko Yamasita for girls who are studying in the plus two levels at rural and remote areas of Nepal and accommodates the students for free.
Professor Yasuko Yamasita first came to Nepal 15 years ago, when Kedarbhakta Mathema was the Nepali Ambassador to Japan. During her visit, she travelled to the five development regions of Nepal, researching on the status of women educators and education in Nepal.
“With the reference letter from then Ambassador Mathema, we met with the education officers from 31 districts,” shared Yamasita, “We also went to remote villages and conducted surveys with the primary level teachers, schools, students and villagers.” The team headed by Yamasita found out that the number of students in the primary level was very less due to the lack of teachers.
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Principal Yasuko Yamasita with students from Sakura Dormitory Girls’ Hostel in Pokhara. The hostel provides accommodation and education facilities to SLC graduates while training them to be skilled primary level teachers.
Taking inspiration from this reality, she arranged for the free education for girls from remote rural areas by establishing the Sakura Dormitory Girls’ Hostel, through the 10-year project Japan-Nepal Female Education Association (JNFEA). The Hostel, which was established six years ago, with the help from Kanya Campus in Pokhara, works to make education more accessible to girls.
The residents of the Hostel have been studying in their plus two levels at Kanya Campus, free of cost. Apart from accommodation and education, the students get to pursue their interests in music, sports, art, teaching techniques and are hence skilled and empowered to become good teachers, themselves, informed Yamasita.
The Hostel selects girl students from Mid Western and Far Western areas who have passed their SLC examinations and has arranged for the next two years of their education. After they finish their high school, they are required to return to their own villages and work as primary level teachers.
Each year, the project funds 10 future teachers and in 10 years, it aims to bring out at least 100 teachers. After returning to their villages, these teachers are remunerated for up to three years, by JNFEA itself.
Parbati Ghartimagar, originally from Liwang in Rolpa, shared that she is proud to be amongst the exemplary teachers that the Hostel has helped create. Ghartimagar has been teaching at Balkalyan Higher Secondary School for the past one and a half years. “We are more skilled and trained than the other teachers in school,” she proudly said, “Although everyone in the village appreciates us as good teachers, the school management prefers to hire their personal contacts instead of appointing us.”
Bina Rokaya from Bajang also shared that because of the petty politics in the school management, teachers like her have not been recognized, despite of them being well-trained and capable. “One class usually lasts for 45 minutes and during that time, we segregate 15 minutes for briefing, 25 minutes for discussions and five minutes for explaining the topic through children’s songs,” shared Rokaya, “We have broken the tradition of teaching students through physical punishments.” She further adds that the school management’s interest lies in hiring their own people, not good teachers and that their future is not secure.
Education expert as well as former Ambassador Mathema opines that these teachers should be managed by the government itself. Mathema also suggested that since the students from Sakura Hostel have contributed and succeed in their endeavor of imparting quality education in the education deprived sectors of Nepal, the government should place these teachers in different schools.
“In Japan, the status of education is strong because the primary level teachers are well paid and enjoy other facilities as well,” said Mathema, adding, “We have to learn to implement good things from other countries. The teachers out of this Hostel are capable full timers and hence to improve the school education sector, the government has to manage them.”
Mahashram Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education, who was on a visit of the Hostel, commented on the influential role of Sakura Hostel in the education sector of Nepal and committed to looking after the management of the teachers. “If the foundation of primary level education is strong, then only the higher level education will be effective,” he said, “The teaching methods of the students from this Hostel is commendable.”
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