The current education model prioritizes rote learning, academic performance, and passing rates, thereby overlooking the wellbeing and needs of the students. There are many educational flaws that are being worked on, but some key points are not being prioritized.
Schools today no longer serve as spaces for learning, recreation, and social growth. Instead, they have become institutions that mold young minds into rigid expectations. This deprives a student’s originality and essence of childhood and true holistic development is often unfulfilled.
The students are burdened with an unnecessary amount of homework. It is even seen as a sign of prestige and effectiveness. It is believed that more a school makes a student busy at home the better it is. Whether it be for the belief that it will make their child more productive or the fact that parents do not have time to deal with their child, parents even ask schools for extra homework. The assignments leave little to no time for children to explore, learn beyond curriculum, play, develop themselves and be a part of the society. The young kids are left with energy drainage and under an overwhelming pressure and fear of ‘homework’ which was supposed to aid learning and holistic performance and a fun overview.
To ensure the effectiveness of homework, children of grade 3 and below should not be given any homework at all. Grades 4, 5 and 6 should be given less than 30 minutes of homework per day. Grades 7 and 8 should be given less than 60 minutes of homework per day and grades 9 and 10 should be given less than 120 minutes per day; Learning assignments also count as homework. During vacations like Dashain, students are often given more homework, but holidays should be for relaxation, not extra work. It’s a time to connect with traditions, learn about our rituals, and spend time with family, rather than being burdened with assignments.
Many institutions have made morning and evening classes mandatory in addition to the regular day class for grades 8, 9 and 10. A school day ranges from 6 am to 6 pm, and in some cases, as late as 8 pm. On top of it lies homework yet to be done after reaching home. With more than 12 hours dedicated to school followed by assignments and additional tasks, there is no time for relaxation. This causes students to sacrifice their sleep, free time, social life and overall wellbeing. This practice for simple grade levels and young students is simply unnecessary. The topic must be addressed immediately, as it stifles critical thinking and passion for learning.
According to Nepal Labor Act 2074, No workers shall be employed to work more than eight hours a day and 48 hours a week. There needs to be recognition of learning labor of students. So, regardless of the grades, a school day must be eight hours or less. No student should be obliged to attend morning or evening class. Extra classes must be voluntary, and they should not introduce new syllabus content that compels students to attend.
Some private schools punish and fine students for the sake of speaking their mother tongue (Nepali) and have made it mandatory to speak in English. This is a crime against identity, cultural heritage and language. It develops foreign languages but puts our languages on the verge of extinction and inaccuracy. This links student’s mother tongue with fear and a sense of shame, inferiority, and disrespect.
According to the 2020 National Assessment of Student Achievement (NASA), only 58 percent of eighth graders achieved basic proficiency in Nepali indicating that over 40 percent lacked adequate skills in their national language. Despite other contributing factors, students should develop proficiency in their mother tongue before focusing on another foreign language. Even the institutions identifying themselves as English medium, students should be allowed to speak their native language without any fear.
In our culture, where intelligence is measured with thickness of books, A heavy backpack is a significant problem. A typical school bag consists of eight subject copies, eight textbooks, a school diary, water bottle, pencil case and even eight additional notebooks for homework.
The heavy bag develops back strain and bad posture from a young age. Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that school backpacks should weigh no more than 10-15 percent of the child’s body weight. Students are encouraged to bring all tools to be “well equipped”. Schools should manage lockers and should not promote the use of unnecessary number of stationary.
The mentioned changes will help the schools be what the students need it as and will help overcome the problems that remain in our education policy.
Uma Regmi
Grade: X
Shree Bal Uddhar Secondary School
Budhanilkantha Municipality-10, Kapan, Kathmandu
