Information Gap Misleads Parents

 These days, a lot of confusion is in the air in relation to school education in Nepal. Some of them include if there is two-day weekend (Saturday and Sunday), then there will not be sufficient working days to complete the course; now, children up to grade five should not have to take any sort of examination; the government is going to make school education free even in the private schools; the parents, whose children go to the institutional schools,  should not have to pay tuition fees of this Baishakh; the private schools are going to be closed, blah, blah, blah. 

Mainly, social media is responsible for spreading all sorts of fake news and sadly, a majority of people rely on such news; they do not bother to cross-check with the authentic media. And the word of mouth is very strong to influence people. For instance, the other day, some new parents came to our school to inquire about the admission process for this session. At that time, someone just appeared and intervened, "Hey! You don't have to admit your children this time. The government has made admission free. Plus, you don't need to pay tuition fees for the month of Baishakh." As soon as those parents heard this, they left the school without asking for clarity from our side.

Misinterpretation 

How can people misinterpret the information? It is clearly said by the Ministry of Education that before beginning the new session, neither a school can admit students nor can it take any sort of fees. There is nothing new but the government is only emphasising following strictly what is mentioned in the Education Regulations formulated in 2059 B.S. Furthermore, it is also stated that schools cannot take monthly tuition fees for more than 12 months in a year. Doesn't the government know that the staff salary in private schools is managed by the monthly tuition fees? How dare some people spread such baseless news?

For the educated parents, it is not difficult to process all sorts of information and understand the government policies, but unfortunately, many of the parents in our community are uneducated or illiterate and do not have access to the authentic information, so they are affected by rumours the most. Until now the general public strongly believes that their children get better education in institutional schools in comparison to community ones. So, they prefer to send them to such schools even if they do not have high-income sources. They work hard in odd jobs just to be able to afford private education for their children.

There is no doubt that the government is trying to bridge the gap between these two categories of schools and introduce different directives on an everyday basis, which sounds good. This way, students from the community schools would also have access to the same level of quality education as their counterparts from the institutional schools. However, it feels a bit hasty to confuse people and make them doubtful on the implementation side of these directives. 

Currently, there is a kind of vacuum regarding the commencement of studies for this session. The government has made an announcement that the teaching-learning at schools will begin from only the 21st of Baishakh. This has given parents a headache. They are quite worried about not finding ways to engage their children at home. As everybody knows, these days children are more interested in mobile phones rather than in books. For them, school is the only place to be in touch with books and this opportunity has been snatched. Another problem associated with the delayed beginning of the session is with working parents. They find babysitting very challenging. 

Many parents are complaining these days feel like COVID-19 days or even worse. At least, on those days their children would take online classes, but now they are staying at home idly. They think the situation has created unnecessary tension in them and nearly a month is going to be wasted. There is no uniformity in following the governmental directives in all municipalities as well. Some municipalities have issued a notice to start a new session from the first week of Baishakh, some from the second week and some from the third. The situation is getting haphazard. Nobody has understood why to wait until the 21st of Baishakh to start school, as schools, parents and students are all ready and everything is perfect too.

Reform 

Reform in education is a must but the government decisions seem to be abrupt; because of this, there arise many confusions. The transition period for everything should be as smooth as possible but the stakeholders of school education have found this quite harsh. If we take an example from Australia, this point will be much clearer. Realising the adverse effects, the Australian government decided to ban some of the social media platforms for users under 16 years old. For this, a Bill was passed in 2024 and it came into force only in 2025. This indicates that people need a substantial amount of time to shift from one situation to another so that their transition will not be problematic. 

In contrast, the Ministry of Education in Nepal has issued nine directives for immediate implementation. This sounds over-ambitious. There is a popular idiom in English that says 'one step at a time,' meaning you do just a little at a time so that you can break down your complex tasks into manageable and simpler ones to complete them easily. This way, you will maximise chances to achieve your goals. We should not forget that sometimes haste makes waste.

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, April 17, 2026 ) 

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On Scrapping Of Primary Level Exams

 The new government under Prime Minister Balendra Shah or Balen has released its 100-point action plan, where different schemes are listed to be completed within 100 days. These actions are related to various fields and one of them is education. Among others, it highlights abolishing the formal examination system from the coming academic session for students in grades 1 to 5. The plan claims this will reduce academic pressure on young learners, which is absolutely true. However, there are a lot of reservations.

While I was reading the news, I started to reflect on my PhD days. When I first took my son to get admission in a primary school in Victoria, Australia, in 2008, he was in grade four. The first thing I noticed was that there were no textbooks at all, and secondly, they would not give formal examinations to primary level students. This kind of education system made me worried, as these two were the key elements of our education system. The other parents who had newly arrived in Australia, particularly from Asian countries, also shared the same feeling. 

Examination system

These parental worries led me to conduct my PhD research on how literacy teaching and learning happen in primary schools in Victoria, Australia. This research drew a lot of invaluable information related to continuous learning and assessment. There is no doubt that the traditional examination system encourages students' rote learning and it does not seem to be suitable in today's world. Unfortunately, almost all of the Nepali parents and teachers have come from a background of the traditional education system, which considers a formal examination as the most effective way to assess learning outcomes.

The role of teachers is very important in implementing the things suggested by policymakers. For this, they must be qualified enough, well-trained and well-informed. The major questions here are: Are the teachers who teach in grades 1 to 5 capable of using the alternative evaluation system confidently? Do they have access to the resource materials that they need? Have they received enough training for this? Is continuous guidance available to them?  The other chief stakeholder of education is parents. So, how will they take the governmental decision to abolish all sorts of internal examinations? Were they consulted before making the decision? Will they accept this normally? Such questions automatically arise in someone's mind when it comes to trying something new.

Well, in principle, it is said that the formal examinations have already been abolished in grades 1 to 3. But what is in practice? Are teachers using the alternative techniques of evaluation in reality? Is there any strong follow-up mechanism? I do not think schools are seriously following the newly introduced system of no formal examinations, but continuous evaluation. In documentation, everything looks fine but on the ground level, the same traditional practice is being continued in most of the contexts. The most challenging part of abolishing internal examinations is its implementation throughout the country. 

In urban areas, it may be possible if the schools try hard but in rural areas where students do not even have proper school buildings, classrooms or furniture, this sounds like a far cry. In such areas, the only resource material teachers have is a textbook and their ultimate evaluation method is formal examinations. I agree that primary level students do not need formal examinations, as they do not measure their real capacities. During this time, they are curious to learn many things. So, they must be exposed to different subject areas, which can make their learning interesting and enjoyable. In such a learning environment, gradually, teachers can identify students' favourite subject areas, their talents or their inclinations. This helps teachers to encourage students to hone their strengths.

Even if this is the case, in the context of Nepal, introducing the new evaluation system abruptly may not achieve the expected results. There are several issues to address before implementing something new in classrooms. First of all, there must be an extensive research study including all the stakeholders, such as teachers, parents, students, curriculum designers or textbook writers and it must cover participants from all geographical regions. Their views guide the government to make wise decisions. Secondly, the concerned teachers must be trained in alternative ways of assessment and they must be provided with continuous guidance and support. 

Sufficient resources 

The schools must have sufficient resource materials; only having a textbook as their instructional material, teachers cannot implement an alternative evaluation system in their class. Among all, the most important factor is a regular and strong follow-up mechanism. The usual practice of teacher training in Nepal has seemed to be merely a formality so far. Teachers participate in such training programmes only for a salary increment, but not to bring positive changes in their teaching methods. They may be reluctant to use whatever they have learned due to the lack of follow-up. If they had been followed up regularly the situation of community schools would have improved a lot. 

It is a natural phenomenon to resist something new in the beginning but if you cannot get away from it, you gradually start to accept it. If teachers realise that they will be going to be observed once they complete their training and go back to their classroom, they will obviously use the knowledge, skills or strategies that they have gained. Otherwise, they follow the same traditional method, which they find easy and comfortable. If everything works perfectly, then the abolition of formal paper-and-pencil tests in grades 1 to 5 sounds great. This gives students more room for enjoyable and exploratory learning.  

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, April 3, 2026 ) 

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Bibliotherapy Boosts Mental Health

 Last week, I heard a tragic story of a teenage boy who committed suicide. The reason was that his parents insisted that he focus on his studies for the upcoming internal examination at his college. This story was still fresh in my mind when I suddenly encountered another much sadder incident. A news report stated that the suicide rate is soaring in Australia, particularly among Nepali students. The same report indicated that ten dead bodies were sent to Nepal from Sydney alone within just a month. All those students belonged to the age group of 23 to 30. The major reason for their wrong decision surfaced as mental pressure - the news story said.

These two cases made me ponder once again why our youths are choosing suicide as an ultimate solution to their problems. These days, we come across a lot of stories related to mental health issues. A report says that suicide rates in Nepal have surged by an alarming 72 per cent over the past decade. Among many other contributing factors, mental health problems remain a main cause for this. Mental health is a pressing concern not only in Nepal but also throughout the world.

Mental health 

Again, there may be many reasons for people's deteriorating mental condition, such as family disputes, domestic violence, poverty, social discrimination, substance use, sleep deprivation, poor health condition or genetics. On top of all these, there is another reason, especially associated with digitally active young people's mental health and it is excessive use of social media. There are many research studies which highlight that if young people are exposed to social media for a long period of time, they will have to face various mental health problems. 

For instance, the Mission Australia survey report published in The Guardian in 2023 pointed out that those teenagers who reported higher social media use also reported worse mental health and wellbeing, such as feeling negative about the future, no control over their lives and feeling lonely. It will not be wrong if we say that poor mental health status has been a serious threat to the new technology age. What can be done to get rid of this situation? This is the question that can be asked by all conscious people who prefer a better world to live in. 

Recently, I watched an interview of a renowned Indian American novelist and story writer, Usha Priyambada, where she was sharing an interesting story to the interviewer. She said that the middle-aged men of 50-55 years old come to a therapist and complain, 'My life has been empty. Although I'm earning a handsome salary, I have expensive cars and everything but inside I'm empty.' For this, the therapist responds, ' This happened because you haven't read literature.' I was so impressed by Priyanbada's story that I started to explore what this therapist said was really true. Then I came across the term 'bibliotherapy.' I found the term defined as the use of books as therapy in the treatment of mental conditions. 

What a good idea to treat mentally disturbed people by using books! My personal experience also aligns with bibliotherapy. When I lost my mother nearly a decade ago, I had no one to share my intense grief but books. It happened so suddenly that I could not process anything. Thanks to God, I am fond of reading. So, I turned to books and articles to soothe my pain. Gradually, all the clouds that gathered inside me started to fade away and eventually, I accepted my mother's passing away. Not only this, I wrote a book, 'Ghaam Astaaeko Hoina', during that time to help the people who lost their dear ones. However, I was not aware of 'bibliotherapy' at that time.

If we surf for articles on 'bibliotherapy', hundreds will appear. Basically, the bibliotherapists use this technique to treat mentally disturbed people. The choice may be fiction, non-fiction or self-help books according to the problems that the patients are facing. For example, the advocates of fiction-based creative bibliotherapy argue that immersing oneself in rich, simulated worlds - often reflective of real-life experiences - can help readers process emotions, discover coping strategies or simply provide momentary escape from their everyday woes. All this helps them to go back to their normal life. 

Effective method 

The bibliotherapists emphasise that bibliotherapy, as a low-cost, effective and timely method, can be broadly promoted, but the specific choice of books needs to be considered individually for each person's own circumstances. There are many success stories related to bibliotherapy. Dr. David Burns, the author of 'Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, ' states that people have shared their experiences after reading the book. One of his readers wrote to him, '...I just finished your book.  My depression score on the first day was 51, and today, after I just finished it, I scored 0... Here, the score 51 means moderate to severe depression and 0 means no depression at all. 

I think it is a good idea to try bibliotherapy if you are going through some kind of mental pressure. It is such a useful and cheap medicine and accessible medicine. Especially, the young people who spend a lot of screen time and stress themselves can benefit more from bibliotherapy. This technique may reduce the suicide rate as well.

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, December 26, 2025 ) 

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Ignite A Love For Books

 I scanned through several articles related to reading culture in Nepal. Interestingly, almost all of them concluded that these days, particularly among youths, reading culture has improved in comparison to the past. It is mainly because of the increased literacy rate, which is 77.4 per cent according to a 2023 survey - those articles highlighted. In addition, new technology and social media have also helped to create different book communities online to encourage reading habits in people. Is this really true? I asked myself.

Out of curiosity, I planned to investigate whether the college students in Damak, Jhapa, read books. I interviewed 20 students from the age group 18 to 22. What I found is quite shocking. Most of them could not name the book that they read last. Not only this, but they also do not know the English or Nepali books that have been recently published. Casually, I asked them if they knew who Subin Bhattarai, quite popular among youths for his romantic fictions, is; surprisingly, they were unaware of him. They stated that they read one to three books in a year. Some of them said they had read a book when they were in grade 12.

Common practice 

Among 20 students, only two seemed to read seriously. They were able to name the book that they had recently read. One said 'Nilo Prem' by Purushottam Bajagai and another said 'Life is What you Make it' by Preeti Shenoy. However, all of them univocally expressed their views on the importance of extensive reading. This reflects the common practice of rote learning in the context of Nepal. Such findings make me ponder, 'Has reading culture really been improved?' For most of the people whom I interviewed, reading is still related to reading course books alone. They looked bewildered when I asked them if they read out of syllabus books during their free time.

In the megacities such as Kathmandu, Pokhara or Biratnagar, more young people may engage in reading but only a few cities can show a complete picture of the country. Damak is a growing city where we can find a couple of public libraries. The schools and colleges also have their own library. Furthermore, there are several cafes with book corners in them. All this scenario shows is that people here have access to books if they want to. Additionally, the technology-friendly youths can access hundreds of e-books via their mobile phone. 

If city people are reluctant towards reading this way, what is the condition of village people? We are pretty aware that there are more village areas than city areas in Nepal, where people struggle to meet their means on an everyday basis. In such a situation, it is hard to believe village youths are familiar with reading culture.

While I am writing this article, I remember how reading culture is embedded in the school curriculum in Australia. I had observed many classes in a primary school in Victoria for my study purposes. From the early grades, students were encouraged to select books of their choice from the school library and they were assisted in reading those books. For older students, there was a 'reading challenge' programme which is named Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC). It would roughly run for six months, from March to September in the case of Victoria; the time varies from state to state. 

My observation showed that the reading challenge programme would encourage students to read a set number of books, i.e., 12. They could select the books of their interest. When they completed their reading goals, they would receive certificates and medals. In this way, reading seems to be a part of their learning. It may be because of this culture that I saw people reading in public places, such as on a train, on a bus or in parks. What was amazing was that even bus drivers would take their books out and read when the bus stopped briefly at the traffic lights.

On the other hand, the public education system in Nepali schools is examination-centered and textbook-based. Students believe in rote learning and they do not bother to read books apart from their course books. If the reading habit is not instilled at a young age, it will be very difficult to develop a reading culture once children grow up. 

Research 

When we consider private schools, we can find the situation much better in many of them. Children are encouraged to choose and read books from the very beginning of their schooling. This helps them to be independent readers later. The available research shows that there must be a home-school partnership to foster student learning. So, when reading comes, parents must also help their children choose the appropriate books. They must show interest in what children are reading or they can read together. This way, reading can be an enjoyable activity for children.

Therefore, it is not enough just to force reading on youths; instead, they must be introduced to books at an early age so that they can realise the wonder of words. Nobody can deny the fact that to be a good writer, one must be a good reader first. So, we need to support our students to be independent readers. It may not always be true that an improved literacy rate leads to improved reading culture. Along with this there are other factors to examine to achieve an expected result.   

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, December 12, 2025 ) 

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Limit Your Social Media Time

 

'Ma'am, my son glues his eyes on the mobile phone all the time. He doesn't want to read any book or go out to play. I'm worried. What can I do?' a parent complained to me. To pacify her, I said, 'It's not only your son; other parents also tell me the same story. Yeah, it's really a serious problem these days.' At the same time, my inner voice was whispering, 'It's not only the children's fault. The parents introduce their children to the mobile phone first. They don't want to spend quality time with the children because they themselves have numerous activities to attend to on social media. It's natural for children to imitate their parents.'

When I observe my surroundings, I can see that almost all children sit in a corner of the room, enjoying one programme or another on their mobile phones. They are completely immersed in it; even if you try to speak to them, they do not respond. It is not surprising that the adult members of the family also use their mobile phones. This is the common picture of every household these days. With the advent of something, both advantages and disadvantages emerge. Initially, only its bright side is visible, but gradually the dark side also begins to emerge. The same has happened with the internet and different social sites as well. 

Discourse 

Now, the whole world is engaged in the discourse on how to prevent young children from becoming addicted to social media. Many countries have already started taking a strong initiative in this direction. For instance, last year the Senate in Australia approved that children under the age of 16 will be banned from using social media from the end of 2025, i.e., from December this year. If tech companies do not comply with this, they will be heavily fined. Like the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Norway, Greece, Italy, or even South Korea, these countries have also taken initiatives to restrict the use of social media platforms by minors. 

Who doesn't know about Silicon Valley? It is a region in Northern California that is a global centre for high technology and innovation. All top-class tech companies, such as Apple, Google, Meta, and many more, are located there. What is more interesting is that many employees of these companies also prefer not to expose their children to technology. Therefore, they send their children to the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, where computers are not used in the classrooms. Waldorf education emphasises children's holistic development. The goal of such education is to develop students' intellectual, artistic and practical skills, with a focus on imagination and creativity. It is believed that learning happens effectively if students interact with one another and with their teachers, and work with real materials in the real world. For all this, technology will not help.

There is a growing body of research that supports the view that social media has numerous negative effects on young children. For example, it is found that those who spend a lot of time in front of the screen tend to show more symptoms of depression, anxiety, mood swings, sleep deprivation and eating disorders. Cyberbullying can be another problem that happens on social media. There is a risk that students may be distracted from their studies, as there are numerous distractions that can capture their attention. Studies also show that early exposure to social media might cause attitude problems and risky behaviour in adolescence. In addition, there is a high chance that children are exposed to inappropriate or harmful content detrimental to their psychological development.

Parents' role 

On the one hand, there are numerous adverse effects of exposing children to social media at a young age. On the other hand, we cannot completely control their use of it, as it has become an integral part of everyone's life. However, it has many positive aspects as well, but the condition is that social media must be used wisely. Various research studies show that social media helps children to develop global connections, it provides them with different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok to showcase their creative work for a wider audience, they can be updated with current world affairs, and they can find a lot of resource materials which are helpful in their studies, among others.

Parents have an important role in balancing children's on-screen and off-screen activities. First of all, they can set a particular on-screen time slot for their children. For example, after completing all of their homework, they can use the mobile phone for an hour, not more than that. Occasionally, parents must monitor the types of activities their children are engaging in on the phone. They should minimise their own screen time. Children imitate adults. The parents should spend a sufficient amount of time interacting with their children. There are a lot of topics they can discuss. This way, parent-child bonding will also be strengthened. Most of all, the parents can introduce their children to the book world. Once children divert their attention from a mobile phone to books, then parents' worry starts melting. But to develop children's reading habits, the parents must also read with them.

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Saturday, September 6, 2025 ) 

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Potential Pitfalls Of Grade Skipping

 Particularly in my community, a bizarre trend has developed among the parents. Towards the end of an academic year in schools, especially private ones, there comes parental pressure for grade skipping. When they come to school to collect their children's results, many of them demand that their child be promoted from grade one to grade three or from grade five to grade seven. When asked for reasons, all of them have a typical response, "They are overage," which cannot be true. 

The children's age is just right for the grade where they are promoted by the school. The parents insist that their children can cope with the situation. They even agree to assist their children in studies but unfortunately, most of them will not. 

 When I pass through the school corridor, I overhear them chatting with each other, which brings out the real reason for their intense desire behind their children's grade skipping. It is related to money. According to these parents, it is a waste of money; if they make their children skip a grade, they can save the money of an entire year.  If you are sending your child to a private school for better education, it does not make any sense that you want to save petty money by risking the child's holistic development. 

Adverse effects 

Yes, there is a provision of grade skipping in the education system worldwide; for this, certain criteria should be met. It is sad to say that the insistent parents do not want to hear about all this. It seems that they are unaware of the adverse effects of grade skipping on their children's lives. Some students are gifted, and they show exceptional academic abilities. However, only academic excellence may not be enough to skip a grade. In addition, they must have excellent social skills and emotional development. Such students can cope with the challenges that they encounter at a higher grade level. They are ready to handle the situations at the upper grade. 

Once these students are identified, the principal, teachers, and parents sit together and decide whether to allow the exceptional students to skip a grade. There is no doubt, the academically advanced students can benefit from grade skipping. The available research also shows that grade skipping is in favour of the exceptional learners. For example, James Kulik, who has studied for more than twenty-five years how gifted children fare in schools, says that acceleration makes a huge difference in the academic achievement of bright students.

Unfortunately, this is not the case in the schools of our community. It is only parents who make a decision for their children's grade acceleration and they are not necessarily the gifted ones. The poor children have to pay a huge price for their parents' unwise decision. Therefore, the parents must be aware of the potential drawbacks associated with grade skipping.

First of all, there is a knowledge gap. As students skip a whole year, they cannot relate the content they have already learned in their earlier grade to the content of the new grade because the sequence of the course content will have already been broken down. To make this up, they have to work for extra hours, which obviously will increase their workload in comparison to their peers. Because of this, they may lose interest in their studies forever.  Once brilliant students in the previous grades will turn out to be just average students in most cases. In other words, they may not excel to the fullest in the upper grades. Surely, the parents do not want this.

Another factor to consider is that the grade skippers may face social and emotional challenges. As they need to mix with older students, they may find it uncomfortable and they prefer to be isolated. This develops the feeling of loneliness in them. Sometimes, the grade-skipped students can be the victims of bullying for being younger or different. They become emotionally weak and avoid taking challenging tasks because of the fear of failure. Thirdly, finding themselves unfit in the group of older students, the grade skippers may develop inappropriate behaviour, such as arrogance, tantrums, lying, stealing, kicking, bullying, using swear words and so on.  Gradually, they become uncontrollable, which will become a headache for teachers and parents as well.

Holistic development

Now it is clear that grade skipping is not an option for all students. A handful of children who are exceptional in academic, social and emotional advancement can skip a grade and it will be a blessing for them. In other cases, it is safe to upgrade students according to their age level and grade level. Many educators also agree that keeping a child with their age group is the safest way to go. In her article 'Pros and Cons of Skipping a Grade,' Connie Matthiessen, a San Francisco writer and editor, mentions that one of her coworkers always regretted skipping first grade. So he suggested, "Childhood is short enough as it is. Why hurry kids any more than you need to?"

My dear parents, when you go to your child's school next time with a proposal of grade skipping, please think through all the advantages and disadvantages of your proposal. The school principal and your child's teachers may be more knowledgeable and concerned than you regarding the child's holistic development. So, do not forget to consult with them whether it is a good idea for your son or daughter to skip a grade.  

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, August 8, 2025 ) 

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ल भन्नू त यहाँ के गरेर बस्नू ?

 

 

हिजोआज मेरा प्राय: विद्यार्थी मसँग सोध्ने गर्छन्, “म्याम, यहाँको डिग्री राम्रो कि विदेशको ?, म्याम, म कहाँ जाँदा राम्रो होला ? म्याम, म कोरिया/जापान जाने तयारी गर्दैछु, मैले यो जाँच दिनुपर्छ र ?” आदि आदि । म छक्क पर्दै उनीहरुको अनुहारतिर हेर्छु । ती विद्यार्थी स्नातक तहको पहिलो वर्षका, दोस्रो वर्षका, तेस्रो वर्षका र चौथो वर्षका सबै तहका छन् । मलाई उनीहरु बीचमा नै पढाइ छोडेर कतै जाउन् जस्तो लाग्दैन । कमसे कम स्नातक तहचाहिँ पूरा गरिदिए हुन्थ्यो जस्तो लाग्छ । तर उनीहरुको अनुहारको अधैर्यताले कुरा मिले आजभोलि नै उडिहाल्ने जस्तो देखाउँछ ।

कसैकसैलाई म फकाउन पनि खोज्छु, “तिमीहरुजस्ता युवा किन देश छोडेर जानू हँ ? यहिँ पढ । पढेपछि भनेजस्तो  काम यहिँ पाइहाल्छ नि ! फेरि, तिमीहरु सबै विदेश लागे हाम्रो देश चाहिँ कसले बनाउँछ ?” उनीहरु तुरुन्त जवाफ दिन्छन्, “आ म्याम, केही पनि हुँदैन यहाँ । कामै छैन । साथीहरु सबै कोही जापान, कोही कोरिया, कोही अष्ट्रेलिया अनि कोही क्यानाडा गैसके । म  नि जाने प्रोसेसमा छु ।” उनीहरुको उत्तर सुनेर म निरुत्तर हुन्छु । हुन पनि हो, दिनानुदिन देशको खच्किँदै गएको अवस्था देखेर मेरो मनभित्र समेत यिनीहरुको सुनिश्चित् भविष्यको बारेमा शंकै छ नि !

यसरी कक्षा १२ सकिनेबित्तिकै विदेश पलायन हुन चाहने विद्यार्थीको जमात मैले पढाउने क्याम्पसमा  मात्र देखिएको होइन । वरिपरिका क्याम्पसका शिक्षकहरु पनि यसै भन्नुहुन्छ । अनि यो हाम्रो क्षेत्रको मात्र समस्या होइन, देशैभरि यही लहर चलेको छ । आम सञ्चारका माध्यमले यही कुराको पुष्टि गर्छन् । हालसालै प्रकाशित एउटा समाचारका अनुसार आर्थिक वर्ष २०२३/२४ मा मात्रै एक लाखभन्दा बढी विद्यार्थीले नेपाल छोडे । यो निकै सोचनीय कुरा छ ।

हुन त नेपालको परिप्रेक्षमा ‘ब्रेन ड्रेन’ कुनै नौलो कुरो होइन । तुलनात्मक रुपमा पहिले पहिले मानिसहरु यहाँ स्नातकोत्तर तह पूरा गरिसकेपछि विद्यावारिधि गर्नका लागि विदेशका विश्वविद्यालय रोज्ने गर्थे । अनि स्नातकोत्तर गर्ने सबै व्यक्तिको छनोट विद्यावारिधि पनि हुने गर्दैनथ्यो । जसलाई अध्ययनमा रुचि छ र छात्रवृत्ति पाउने सम्भावना छ अथवा जसले आफ्नो कार्यालयबाट अध्ययनको सुविधा पाउँथे ती मात्र पढ्न विदेश जान्थे र उता आफ्नो उन्नयनको अवसर राम्रो देख्ता कतिपय उतै पलायन हुन्थे भने कतिपय फर्केर नेपालमा नै आइ यसैलाई कर्मभूमि  बनाउँथे । अलिपछिदेखि स्नातकोत्तर गर्न नै विदेश जाने चलन आयो । यो जमात पहिलो जमातभन्दा अलि बढी नै विदेशी भूमितिर लोभियो । यसको मुख्य कारण नेपालमा दिनानुदिन बढ्दै गएको बेरोजगारीको समस्यालाई लिन सकिन्छ । त्यो समयमा स्नातक तहमा नै विदेश पढ्न जानेहरुको संख्या न्यून नै थियो । जो आर्थिक रुपमा सम्पन्न थिए, उनीहरुका छोराछोरीको मात्र पहुँच थियो विदेशी विश्वविद्यालयमा ।

अहिले यो चित्र पूरै फेरिएको छ । अब १२ कक्षा पास गरेपछि नेपालमै बसेर पढ्छु भन्ने विद्यार्थीको संख्या खच्कँदै गएको छ । के उच्च वर्गको, के मध्यम वर्गको, के निम्न वर्गको — सबै वर्गका केटाकेटीको रोजाइ विदेश नै भएको छ । यसरी स्नातक तहमा नै बाहिर पढ्न जाने विद्यार्थीको चाप बढी भएर शिक्षा मन्त्रालयले १२ पास गरेर विदेश पढ्न जाने विद्यार्थीलाई ‘नो अब्जेक्सन लेटर’ (जुन विदेशमा पढ्न जाने सबै विद्यार्थीका लागि अनिवार्य हुन्छ)  दिन पनि बन्द गरेको थियो तर विद्यार्थीको दबाबलाई यस्तो नियमले थाम्न सकेन र पुन: यो फुक्का गरियो ।

हिजोआज बुद्धिजीवी वर्गमा यस्तो किसिमको व्यापक 'ब्रेन ड्रेन' नै चासो र चिन्ताको विषय बनेको छ । यसरी नै माध्यामिक तहको शिक्षा पूरा गर्नेबित्तिकै विद्यार्थीको बाहिर पढ्न जाने क्रम चलिरहने हो भने अबको ५/७ वर्षमा नेपालमा विश्वविद्यालय स्तरको शिक्षा नै समाप्त भएर जान सक्ने उनीहरुको अनुमान छ । तर बिडम्बना के छ भने जुन पक्षले यो विषयमा चासो लिनुपर्ने हो, त्यो पक्षचाहिँ यतातिर उदासीन देखिन्छ । देशको शैक्षिक स्थिति किन यसरी खच्किँदैछ भनेर राज्यले यसको सुधारका लागि पहल गर्नुपर्ने हो तर त्यस्तो देखिँदैन । किन हाम्रा युवाहरुको आफ्नो देशप्रति पटक्कै विश्वास छैन ? अहिले टड्कारो रुपमा देखिएका कारणमा देशको अस्थिर राजनैतिक अवस्था, चरम  भ्रष्टाचार र नातावाद कृपावाद नै देखिन्छन् ।

एकातिर यसरी देश छोड्नेको जमात दिनानुदिन बढ्दैछ भने अर्कातिर एउटा राजनैतिक दलले विदेशमा रहेका नेपालीहरुलाई स्वदेशमा नै आएर काम गर्नका लागि आव्हान गरेको छ । यति मात्र होइन, यो दलले यहाँ आउने व्यक्तिहरुका लागि काम उपलब्ध गराउने प्रतिबद्धता समेत व्यक्त गरेको छ । यसरी स्वदेश बोलाइएका व्यक्तिमा मूलत: डाक्टर, नर्स र इन्जिनियरहरु छन् । के विदेशमा स्थापित भैसकेका र नेपालको तुलनामा तलव पनि उच्च तहकै खाने यी डाक्टर, इन्जिनियर फर्केर आउलान् त ? उनीहरु आफ्नालागि यहाँको वातावरण उचित् देख्लान् ? हालसालै नेपालमा अन्धाधुन्ध बिरामीका आफन्तले स्वास्थ्यकर्मीलाई कुट्ने प्रचलन बढेको देखेर त केहिले देशको मायाले फर्किने सोचेको भए पनि आफ्नो योजना तुरुन्त रद्द गरे होला ।

देशको नैराश्यपूर्ण परिस्थिति र जनमनोविज्ञानको प्रभावमा परेर हाम्रा युवाहरु देश त छोड्दैछन् । तर के उनीहरुले विदेशमा आफूले  सोचेजस्तो जीवन बिताउन पाएका होलान् त ? नेपालमा हुँदा केहि काम नगरेका, भरखर १८ वर्ष टेक्दै गरेका यी केटाकेटीले विदेशी भूमिमा टेक्नेबित्तिकै दोहोरो जिम्मेवारी निर्वाह गर्नुपर्ने हुन्छ — पढ्नु र आफ्नो खर्च जुटाउनका लागि काम गर्नु । कतिपयका आमाबाबुले त छोराछोरीलाई विदेश पढ्न पठाउनका लागि ऋण लिएको हुन्छ । त्यो ऋण चुकाउने जिम्मा पनि यिनै कलिला काँधमाथि थपिन जान्छ । सक्छन् उनीहरु यति ठूलो जिम्मेवारी वहन गर्न ? यसरी पढ्न जाने युवाहरु आफ्नो लक्ष्यप्राप्तीमा कत्तिको सफल भएका छन् ? यसको केहि लेखाजोखा छ हामीसँग ?

विदेशी विश्वविद्यालयहरुको त हाम्रोजस्तो देशका विद्यार्थी लगेर पढाउनु एउटा ठूलो व्यापार मात्र हो । उनीहरुले ती देशको अर्थतन्त्र विकास गर्न पनि निकै ठूलो भूमिका खेलेका हुन्छन् । नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंकको एउटा आंकडाअनुसार बितेका केहि महिनाभित्र मात्रै नेपाली विद्यार्थीले विभिन्न देशका विश्वविद्यालयमा शुल्क तिर्न करीब ७५ अरब नेपाली रुपैयाँ खर्च गरे । एकातिर देश कंगाल हुँदैछ, अर्कातिर यत्रो पैसा विदेसिँदैछ ।

यसरी हेर्दा अहिले १२ कक्षा पास गर्नेबित्तिकै विदेश ताक्ने विद्यार्थीहरुको जुन प्रचलन बढेको छ, यसलाई तत्काल राज्यले सम्बोधन गर्नुपर्छ । नत्र यसले चाँडै नै विकराल समस्याको रुप लिने देखिन्छ । स्नातक तहमा घट्तै गएको विद्यार्थी संख्या अलि अलि गर्दै निकट भविष्यमा शून्यमा पुग्न के बेर ? अनि हाम्रो विश्वविद्यालय शिक्षाको अस्तित्व के हुन्छ ?

(Published in a Nepali local daily Purwasandesh, Damak, Jhapa on  6 October 2023)

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