Due to lack of policy for effective computer education in government schools, these schools in general have taken no interest in the matter either. [break]Educationists warn lack of access to computer will have deep psychological effect on the students today and they will lag far behind functionally in the future.
"I have seen the computer in cyber cafes, but from a distance," said 16-year-old Laxmi Shah, a 10th grader at Vaishnavdevi Secondary School in Kirtipur. Ganesh Bista, an eighth grader at the same school, concurred, "I too saw it in cyber cafe."
Similarly, ninth grader Sita Lama says she has no knowledge about the computer though she once saw her relative´s laptop. Most students in the school told Republica that they have seen the computer but not from closely. None of them could use them properly.
Principal of the school for the last 25 years Yubaraj Ghimire said that he was well aware that there would be no meaning of globalization for the students until they are well versed in computers. But, until the government is ready to make a difference, the matter would not improve. "They should give us trained teachers and guarantee a minimum quality of infrastructure for computers to be kept safely."
The story is no different in Shree Mangal Secondary School (SMSS) in Naya Naikap. The 8th, 9th and 10th graders at the school told us that they did not know how to use computers. "I know it is very important to have computer knowledge, but we do not have one at school or at home," said ninth grader Lila Ram Chaudhari.
"I think that government schools should compulsorily run computer classes," added Ishwar Magar, Chaudhari´s classmate.
Krishna Hari Karki, principal of SMSS, also cited lack of quota for computer teachers and safety concerns for not running computer classes in the school. "Though we know that it is very important to train the students in computer, we have neither safe place to keep these machines nor any quota for a computer teacher," Karki added.
Prakash Shrestha, a senior mathematics teacher there, stressed that it was already late to introduce computer classes in the government school. "Our students are from marginalized class. If they are not given computer education at school, they can hardly manage to learn that from elsewhere," he added.
Yet in another school in Kirtipur, a SLC batch even took exams in Computer Science. However, this can not continue as the computer teacher has left the school. Computer Science is among optional subjects in SLC. "Last year, four students from our school appeared for computer exams," said Principal of Kirtipur Secondary School Janardan Shrestha.
"But as he has been recently transferred, we are not able to take computer classes," he said. According to him, there are six computers in the school but three of them are out of order. "Even if there is a minor problem, we cannot solve as no one here has that much knowledge of computer," he said adding, "Until the government provides a well-trained computer teacher on a regular basis, it is impossible to make computer education effective in government schools."
But the view of the Under Secretary at the Education Ministry and Former Kathmandu District Education Officer Babu Kaji Karki is totally different. "If the schools has willpower, running computer classes is not at all difficult," he said. "The schools could easily get computers through charity organizations, and similarly, they can train one or two of their teachers," Karki added.
Commenting on the entire issue, educationist Tirtha Khaniya said that the government needed to address the issue without delay by making necessary changes at the policy level. "If they are not well-versed in computer, the students suffer psychologically, they feel humiliated and lagging behind," he said. "And in future, no wonder, they lag behind functionally."
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