Teach For Nepal to host global conference on education

Published On: October 24, 2018 08:43 AM NPT By: DIYA DHAKAL

KATHMANDU, Oct 24: ‘Teach For Nepal,’ a campaign launched in 2013 to address the inequality in education in Nepal, is all set to host a global conference from Wednesday.

The two-day Teach For All global conference will see the participation of over 400 education leaders from over 64 countries. The theme for the conference is “Community at the Center,” which stresses the involvement of community for improving the quality of education.

The participants will also be visiting villages in Sindhupalchowk and Lalitpur where projects are underway.

The movement currently involves 110 fellows teaching English, Science, and Mathematics in 51 schools across six districts in Nepal, facilitating a total of 10,000 students.

Under this program, volunteers spend two years in a rural community and teach at a local government school.

According to Sishir Khanal, CEO of ‘Teach For Nepal’, the program has led to significant improvements in education and the results are clearly visible.

Hem Bahadur Thapa, a fellow who worked at a government school in Sidhupalchowk from 2015-2017, said that while only four out of 26 tenth graders passed their first term exam, only one failed in the final. Thapa further said that the use of innovative technology and practical works also helped in decreasing the dropout rate among the total 400 students enrolled.

CEO Khanal said that the organization broadly focuses on various issues including family situation, societal issues, health problems, policies which ultimately affect a student’s education.

“Education is not the only priority as the organization also focuses on awareness on health and hygiene, and overall social welfare,” he said.

Khanal said in a press meet on Tuesday that the fellowship had led to “an emergence of a new set of leaders and helped create the force needed to transform education in Nepal”.

The movement has fetched quite a few success stories, substantiating the fact that proper education can truly transform an individual’s life. Anita Tamang and Jumi Deshar attended the 2016 United World College (UWC) program and went on to study as Fullbright scholars in Luther College. Similarly, Sangita Jimba of Chadeshwari Madhyamik Vidyalaya went to study in Germany after passing her 10th grade.