The digital divide

One of the problems in this country is the huge gap between the very rich, living in luxury and the very poor and marginalised who we are helping. While every wealthy , westernised nepali youth will have a computer and smart phone, and computers available at school, the poor and those living in remote regions have no access at all to computers or the internet. This " digital divide" means that they cannot access the well paid jobs in the cities and abroad which require digital skills. Therefore many thousands of young men travel to the gulf states to work for several years as labourers to support their families back home. Also, students in  schools without computers are denied access to the wealth of free teaching and learning resources now available on line .
The government is committed to providing a computer in every government school and internet connection within 5 years but implementation of this laudable policy presents many challenges.
Several INGO's , including our own project here, are helping with implementation and teacher training. A generous New Zealand donor ( TAP-technology Alleviating Poverty) is providing 20 laptops each together with teacher training and support for many government schools in remote regions and we are involved in the logistics of getting these "computer labs" set up in some of our partner schools. With electricity supplies so erratic here, solar panels provide power to recharge the computer batteries. The whole community is involved in securing and using these computers so that they become a sustainable resource for all ages to use.
The UK is recognised as a world leader in computer education is schools and I was invited this week to be part of an expert panel discussing this issue at a conference for 150 nepali teachers and lecturers. The conference was organised by a well known American computer company who generously sponsors computer training and software access for developing countries like Nepal. In the afternoon we had group work sessions learning about training grants and sponsorships. One fascinating session showcased the next generation of computers, a pair of goggles that enables the wearer to access multiple screens, holograms and virtual displays using their fingertips . It was bizarre to be looking at such an expensive gadget in Kathmandu when so many rural schools do not even have good buildings after the earthquake damage!

My new office

chatting with Nepali teachers at the conference



with the Director from the ministry of Education

 

 

My colleague (on right)about to give  a speech



Demonstration of computer goggles

Education goals

After a visit to the UK for medical appointments  I am now back in full time work and will start to writing  about what I, my team, and many others working in educational development in Nepal are trying to achieve.
Most parents here value education highly and if they can afford it, they send their children to fee paying schools where there is usually a better standard of teaching and learning than in the government schools which are free up to grade 10 ( age 14/15). Poorer families rely on the free government schools and enrollment has improved since free text books are now provided.
However, poor parents still have to provide money for uniforms, exercise books, stationary, back packs and exam fees which can be a real barrier to sending their children to school. The drop out rates of students in government schools remains high,especially for girls, class sizes are very large and teacher training has only recently been improved. Since children are an important source of labour in poor families, if the education quality is very poor, parents may not feel it is worth the financial sacrifice to keep sending them to school.
UMN and many other organisations provide scholarships to disadvantaged students and a key aspect of my role as education adviser is to help to improve the standard of education in the government schools.Here is a typical unimproved  classroom in a government primary school. The conditions ar every cramped but  notice how all the children go to school in tidy uniforms.

 Even schools with poor infrastructure can improve the learning environment with some fresh paint, posters on the walls and displays of students work. Here are some examples from a  school which is trying to implement a more child friendly approach to learning. Notice the rearrangement of tables instead of having them in rows, allowing the teacher to move around and interact with students . There is also peer teaching and a much more better environment for helping students to learn.