For nearly 18 months, regular educational activities of children across Nepal┬аhave been disrupted.┬аThe closure of schools to reduce the spread of Covid-19 has┬аamplified┬аthe many other ways the pandemic has eroded the academic and social experiences of students, and with this, their mental wellbeing.
The impact of this will be felt for many years by the students themselves and nationally, as NepalтАЩs economy, like other countries,┬аwitnesses a reduced rate of economic return.
Children from poorer families┬аand those in remote parts of Nepal┬аhave been especially┬аaffected. The pandemic has laid bare┬аinequality in access to education.
The Nepal governmentтАЩs┬аStudentsтАЩ Learning Facilitation Guidelines 2020┬аnotes┬аthat a large number of students do not have access to innovative delivery of┬аdistance learning┬а┬аrograms. Rather, they depend on the distribution of printed learning materials and person-to-person contact that has┬аbeen difficult to sustain during┬аthe pandemic.
Even before Covid, Australia and Nepal shared challenges with the delivery of education to students┬аliving┬аin remote locations.
In the central desert area of Australia┬аis┬аthe Alice Springs┬аSchool of the Air┬а(ASSOA),┬аreputedly the┬аbiggest school in the world.┬аASSOAтАШs┬аclassrooms are spread over 1.3 million sq km,┬аyet it has only 120 students and 14 teachers.
For┬аover┬а60┬аyears, it┬аhas been delivering education by radio for┬аchildren who live a dayтАЩs drive or more from the nearest school.┬аASSOA is one of several Schools of the Air operating across┬аthe┬аvast Australian outback.
So it should come as┬аno┬аsurprise that┬аduring┬аthe pandemic Australia has been supporting the┬аdelivery of education┬аto children┬аin┬аrural Nepal.
The┬аAustralian government┬аhas partnered with┬аRural Education and Development Center (REED) Nepal┬аto deliver┬аa program that is enabling continued learning in the far reaches of Nepal.
The┬аPromoting Stability in Education (PSE): Continuity┬аof Learning and Strengthening Resilience┬аprogram builds on the experiences of REEDтАЩs┬аsuccessful┬аTeacher Training and Quality Education Program┬аin Solukhumbu┬аdistrict, supported by┬аthe Australian Himalayan Foundation.
Parents, teachers, community volunteers┬аand┬аlocal governments┬аare┬аworking together┬аto encourage and ensure childrenтАЩs access to learning opportunities┬аin communities┬аthat have┬аlimited┬аaccess to┬аthe┬аInternet.
Under this initiative, lessons are broadcast daily through┬аlocal radio stations┬аto over 23,000 households, reaching┬аover 66,000 children and 14,000 parents.┬аRadio sets, worksheets and other educational materials┬аare being┬аdistributed to childrenтАЩs families.┬аThe┬аprogram will assist the transition back to in person classroom learning when┬аschools reopen.
Nearly two months after the launch of the program, PSE has been warmly received by students and educators alike.
Bahjang Secondary School student,┬аPramila Ratala, who lives with disability,┬аhas welcomed the way┬аLearning by Radio┬аhas brought her school to her home.
тАЬI used to walk two hours to go to my school but nowadays, I am learning from my home,тАЭ she said.┬атАЬIn addition to regular school curriculum, I also learn life skills┬аand issues of gender equality. In future, I want to work for the benefit of children with disabilities and be like the award-winning author Jhamak Ghimire.тАЭ
Through┬аPSE, educators┬аvisit homes,┬аdistributing learning materials and radio sets to families and providing support to parents and community members.
Local┬аgovernments are┬аclosely engaged┬аin┬аthe program.┬аEducation┬аrepresentative of Haleshi Tuwachung Municipality of Khotang district, Padam Karki said, тАЬWith┬аthe┬аfederal governmentтАЩs decision to close schools, we were quite worried┬аabout┬аwhat we could do to ensure we backstop learning loss among our childrenтАЭ.
тАЬLearning by Radio┬аis instrumental in continuing education for┬аour┬аchildren. We are ready to cooperate with the program by visiting households and interacting with the parents and other stakeholders of childrenтАЩs education, distribution of radio sets, workbooks and worksheets,┬аand┬аmobilising volunteer teachers,тАЭ┬аKarki┬аadded.
The benefits of programs like┬аLearning by Radio, are not confined to Covid; rather, they┬аprovide┬аinnovative learning models for all who have difficulty accessing traditional education┬аdue to┬аdisabilities┬аor┬аtheir remote location.
As Keshari Rai, a teacher from Janajagriti Basic School in Dudhkunda, Solukhumbu observed,┬атАЬThere is very limited access to smartphones and┬аreliable┬аinternet. Children have to┬аwalk┬аa long distance to come to school every┬аday.тАЭ
Delivery of pre-recorded educational materials┬аalso┬аbenefits parents and┬аlocal┬аcommunities┬а┬аith information relevant regardless of age. Ishori Nepali from Talkot Rural Municipality, Bajhang┬аdistrict,┬аsaid┬аshe┬аfound┬аher childтАЩs┬аradio lessons on gender equality and life-skills┬аuseful to her as well and she has become┬аa regular┬аlistener.
Barun Lamichhane,┬аstation┬аmanager┬аof┬аBeats FM, Sindhuli, agreed that┬аLearning by Radio┬аhas applications beyond the formal education setting.┬атАЬThe┬аprogram has helped deliver life-skill education and public service announcements including information on pandemic, gender issues┬аand┬аdisaster┬аpreparedness.тАЭ
From AustraliaтАЩs cattle stations┬аto NepalтАЩs Himalayan communities, students and their families are benefiting from schools of the air. For all the challenges Covid-19 has┬аpresented, it has also reminded us that old technologies combined with new thinking can help chart a more positive future.
Felicity Volk is the Australian Ambassador to Nepal.
