A look at schools in Madhesh

Mangshir 27, 2081

Chandra Kishor

A look at schools in Madhesh

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Tulsidas writes in Ramcharit Manas, 'Zaki rahi Bhavna Jaisi, Prabhu Murat Shechi Tin Taisi.'

Depicting the story of Sita Swayamvara, he says again - 'Some people saw her as a child, some thought of young mighty Ram and some as a humble disciple. In other words, those who had the same attitude understood the same Rama in different ways. 

In the past, the legend of the family whose ancestors donated the land to the school continued to spread for decades. As the land became more expensive, now his family members started to think of it as a 'fixed deposit' deposited in the bank. As a result, such schools are under pressure to return the land from the land owner. For some representatives and headmasters, the school became a source of irregular income like 'non-negotiable customs'. For some it became a center of employment for relatives. Some saw it as a fertile ground for politics. The different world of school in everyone's eyes! There are few people who want to consider, understand and see the school as a school. Those who wanted to make the school accessible to everyone and ensure the continuity of quality became thinner.

Today, the trust of the common people of Madhesh in the schools of this region is decreasing. Some feel that the schools here cannot meet their expectations and send their children elsewhere. Even in Madhesh, they have more hope for schools in the north than in the south. Students from Madhesh province are moving to other provinces. Why did you trust other than your village, neighboring school? What is its economic policy? How much do parents who choose to send their students elsewhere prefer schools closer to home? There are also parents and teachers who are working to see if the schools around them can be improved. If you search, you will find such examples, but they are not discussed.

In this area, the slogans of the referendum were echoed - 'Open enrollment, cheap education, democracy is the exam.' Now democracy has been replaced by democracy. It has been forty-five years since such slogans were raised. But the level of education started to decline. Ektakaka Namud School is in a hopeless situation today. The Constitution of Nepal has brought the power inherent in the centralized governance system to the local level. The constitution places school education under the jurisdiction of local governments. The local level has got the responsibility of basic education. This is a historic assignment. If this responsibility is not properly followed, there may be an attempt to return this responsibility, this is an automatic acceptance – 

We are unfit to fulfill the task entrusted to us. How much is education a priority of local government? To what extent has the Madhesh state government been able to facilitate, coordinate and cooperate with it? What is the intention of the hegemonic power and how is the destiny of Madhesh being formed? Objective discussion is not visible. 

A tub was filled with water. Two people tasted it. One said, 'The water is cold, but it smells of leather.'' Another shared the experience, 'The water is cold, but it smells of iron.' . Both measurements were correct. But there was a difference in evaluation. 

The report of National Census 2078 revealed the fact that not a single district of Madhesh province has been fully literate. In such a situation, some blame the center and some blame the local and provincial governments. Some are slowly starting to say that instead of dealing with this deficit, the government should throw up its hands and hand it over to the private sector. It is such a misguided idea that a fast-paced dictatorship is better than a slow-paced democracy. Marketism, by its very nature, first paralyzes us, then comes to sell us crutches. Even today, higher education and technical education are being given to private hands.

Lenin said – 'As long as there is such a thing as illiteracy in the country, political education is dishonest. Because illiterate people remain outside politics. First of all he should learn A, B, C, without which there can be no politics. There can only be rumours, there can be prejudice, there can be fairy tales, there can be no politics.'' Pablo Richard's statement can be quoted here: 'Capitalism wants to save the lives of few people at the cost of many people. After all, it is choosing death over life. There is only one option, life for all. If we fail to adopt this option, it is tantamount to accepting the death of too many people. Its culmination is ultimately the end of all. 

Madhesh province is also behind in the human development index, public education here is fourth. As long as public education continues to decline, inequality in Madhesh will deepen. Where there is poverty and lack of skills, the society is forced to pass on poverty to the next generation. A society in the grip of poverty is riddled with many anomalies, inconsistencies and ironies. That is, sorrow is always entwined. In the community where poverty is highest, the various dimensions of human development of that community are sure to be weak.

The serious question now is - what kind of Madhesh are we moving towards? Education is a tool to eliminate inequality in society. Where education is easy and accessible, citizens can realize their potential. The ruler always composes and observes the colonial commentary. In the Mahabharata, in a dialogue with a Yaksha, Yudhishthira was asked - 'Who will help in the journey?' The immediate answer was - 'Vidya.' The knowledge gained through education is called Vidya. Vidya, knowledge, knowledge are synonymous with the same meaning. There is a saying in Sanskrit literature - 'Vidyabheen Pashu'. A person without Vidya is like an animal. Another is – 'Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye', ie Vidya is that which gives us liberation. Salvation has many forms and aspects. Being aware of one's dignity, organizing for rights, united for justice, resisting unjust oppression, freedom from poverty, all these are multifaceted forms of 'mukti'.  The issue of imparting

education is not only related to an individual, but also to the community and national interests. A community deprived of education is unable to take proper decisions regarding the opportunity to develop its talent, enhance its identity and pride in the community. In this case, it is provoked, the tendency to accept the truth given by others is evident. The ability to actively participate in the democratic process is acquired through education. In Madhesh, sometimes the dictator Mansubaka comes and plays the drum and the residents gather around it and chant that you are the real savior. The decline of critical consciousness in society is a co-product of the neglect of schools.

Today Madhesh society is very backward. This society did not appreciate its weaknesses and could not improve them. This plot is engulfed in many conflict arenas. The state government is erasing the lines it tried to draw by itself in the past. One such example is banning the distribution of bicycles which have become an aid in the education of girls. Stopping it instead of paying enough attention to the procurement process, distribution and monitoring simply means that the government officials fail to understand that the bicycle itself is a means of change.

Parents are sending their children to private schools even though they are not doing well in public schools. They are the ones who complain - 'Private schools are creating a wounded Nepal.' In such a situation, it is difficult to envisage Swaraj of knowledge, 'Swaraj in Ideas'. In a society where protection of houses of worship is more important than schools, it is considered as a formula to avoid politics. Where instead of participating responsibly in school anniversaries or parent's day, the rituals of New Jatras  A large section of society enjoys the

ritual. Where drug use is prevalent among school-aged children. Where the motivation to take drugs is not public concern. A healthy future of that society cannot be worthless. Yesterday public education in Madhesh, which was advanced due to the support and facilitation of the community, has been ruined by the community's indifference. Bhojpuri poet Kabir Das has a line – 'Sadho, dekho jag baurana, Sanchi kahou to maran dhavai jhute jag patiana.'

Chandra

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