Taking their future in their own hands

KATHMANDU, June 24: On its third day of Republica presents Softwarica College’s 11th Higher Education and Career Fair 2012, students were seen milling around in groups of twos, threes and more on June 23 at the Exhibition Hall in Bhrikuti Mandap.



They carried thick leaflets and brochures with them indicating that they had enquired and made rounds of 100 stalls exhibiting at the Fair inside the hall. The majority of the students came with friends while only a few were accompanied by their guardians. [break]



Recent plus two graduates from Orchid Science College, Laxmi Gurung, 19, Anzeela Gauli, 19 and Sabita Gautam, 17 all hail from Chitwan. Though Laxmi and Sabita want to pursue MBBS, and Anzeela has her mind set to pursue nursing, they have visited almost all the stalls in the Fair. Sabita says enthusiastically, “We didn’t miss even the stalls where they had management courses. We just wanted to check everything out.”



And though the girls came together, Laxmi and Sabita expressed that they would have wanted to bring they parents along had they been here in the capital. Laxmi says, “It’s important that my parents know about the college I will join because they are the ones who are investing in my studies.”



Anzeela, however, thinks it’s not important for parents to be with her in these fairs because she feels she is the one who has to make the decision on what she wants to study.







With less visibility of guardians in the Fair, the question remains as to the significance of guardians accompanying their children to education fairs.



Nirmal Gurung, who teaches Business Studies, and is also the Discipline In-charge of D.A.V. College says, “As far as I can see, parents have hardly accompanied their children. When parents do come they ask about the facilities that our college can offer, about education and the pass percentage of the students. Some of them also ask about the location of the college and they want to know whether there is any bus service available near their residence. I believe that parents should come to education fairs. They are the ones who are financing the education and they should be able to see what kind of colleges their children are going to study in.”



Stressing upon the same, Roshani KC, Program Director of IBMS College says, “We have had approximately 20 guardians accompany their children and those who have come are more for the plus two students. I think it’s very important that they come. Students can’t afford the tuition fee at their age, and they also cannot do without guidance.”



On the other hand, Kapil Bhatia, Chief Administrative Officer, P.M. Group of Institutions, India says, “It’s not important for parents to accompany their children as students now are very intelligent and want to take the decisions themselves. I have noticed that only girls come with their parents. And it is the fathers who ask more serious questions like the future of engineering, architecture and about possibility of good jobs for their children. Mothers mostly ask questions concerning the security and safety.”



However, the few parents who do attend education fairs with their children come with a full knowledge about what they are looking for.



Accompanying her daughter, Anupama Karki, a recent SLC graduate, is Meena Karki, 40, a businesswoman from Naya Bazaar. She says, “She has passed her SLC with 92 percent and what I am looking for is a college that focuses on the quality of education than facilities.”



Saroj Khatri, who has also recently passed his SLC, has come with his mother Suna Khatri, 45, a homemaker. She states, “I’d like to choose a college that has strict rules so that my son does not roam around when he is supposed to be in class.”



Salina Pantha, 17, a class 12 student from Mega College says, “I came with my father and some of my friends. I brought my father along because it’s important he knows about the courses. For him the quality of education, the security and the environment of the college is of utmost importance.”



With just a day left of the 11th Higher Education and Career Fair to conclude here in Kathmandu, it is the one stop place if you are college hunting.



The oldest education fair of the nation, moves to Chitwan Higher Secondary School in Narayanghat on June 28-30 to spread information to the students from Central Nepal about higher education.

Related story

Fate or free will