BY SUSHMA MAHARJAN,
Kathmandu, June 27: Subha Aryal, a nine grader of the Durbar High School, is extremely happy to go to school every Friday because he doesn’t have to carry bag loaded with books and exercise books as usual. He and his classmates are excited about Friday school as the school conducts practical classes on the day.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City introduced skill-oriented education on 10 different topics through ‘Book Free Friday’ starting this year’s academic session. This means that on every Friday, instead of learning from textbooks, students attend practical classes related to the academic course and skill-oriented classes.
Aryal is learning agriculture and urban farming. He said that he is happy to learn something else besides the academic course at the school. “We practice dance, music, debate, farming every Friday,” he said, “It excites me and I get a break from boring regular classes. I even have started practicing what I have learned by planting flowers at my home.” Similarly, some of his classmates have chosen mobile and electronics topic. According to them, due to their interest in mobile gaming, they chose the topic to broaden knowledge about mobile and its applications.
Likewise, Nimka Kumari, a student of Geetamata Higher Secondary School, also shares the same feeling as Aryal. She chose fashion designing and stitching. She said that the classes were delivered by external teachers and had become helpful in her everyday life. During Fridays, teachers are more flexible and we feel free to communicate with them, she added. She said Fridays are more like an entertainment day when we get to practice music, games, vlogging and others.
Jivan Nepali, an English teacher at Geetamata Higher Secondary School, said that the campaign has helped to develop the teacher-student friendly relation. Those students who are weak in academic courses are happy to be motivated and praised during the practical classes.
He said at the beginning, the school was really confused about how to regulate the campaign. The school conducted regular classes on the first half (before tiffin break) and extra curriculum activities after the break (second half). Later, the metropolis sent the framework of the campaign and the school was operating accordingly.
Nepali said that the school currently conducts practical classes during the first half. The students visit science lab, do project works and carry activities of what they learned through the week. And of the subject which doesn’t have practical classes like math, students join classes of music, dance and others. And during the second half, they conduct skill-oriented classes and extra-curricular activities, he added.
Meanwhile, Nepali shows concern over the students not attending school on Friday. He said that the proper message of the Book Free Friday campaign had not reached guardian level. Some of the parents don’t send their children to the school on Friday thinking that no teaching activities are carried on Fridays.
The Durbar High School is also facing the same problem as Geetamata School. Shiva Raj Adhikari, the principal of the school, informed that the attendance of the students on Fridays was low compared to other days. The campaign is new and many guardians have received Book Free Friday as no teaching day, so they are reluctant to send their wards to the school, he said. But, students who attend school on Friday seem to enjoy the day, he added.
He said that in order to keep up the attendance, the school has been taking one-hour test every Friday. At present, the school is teaching on mobile and electronic and agriculture besides other extra-curricular activities. He said the school prepares schedule and sends it to students beforehand.
Durbar High School is the only school in the metropolis which conducts extra-curricular activities outside of the building. It has done an agreement with Rastriya Nach Ghar, Jamal, to pay Rs. 4,500 per Friday. The instructors from the Nach Ghar train the students on dance, music and singing.
Principal Adhikari said that the school so far has been bearing the cost of Friday education.
According to the KMC, 90-hour training at 56 different community schools was being conducted. Sita Ram Koirala, head of education department of the metropolis, informed that it was a long-term plan of the metropolis to prepare human resource skilled in at least one technical field after completing the school level.
He said that for the current academic session, the metropolis would provide at least Rs. 100,000 to each school depending on the number of the students.
– The Rising Nepal
