Plus Points of Plus Two | Feature

KIRAN PANDAY

A total of 259,916 students passed the SLC exam this year. The task to choose a proper course and a proper college now looms ahead for these young graduates.

With a wide range of colleges the challenge is not so much to get admitted but to decide which one and what subjects to take. There are now more than 2,300 10+2 colleges across the country. How do you separate the bad from the good and the truly exceptional? And once in, how do I tailor my career ambitions with the subjects on offer?

While Tribhuvan University makes last minute preparations to scrap its long running PCL program, most students plan on pursuing 10+2 or A Levels or IB. This year, 96,560 students appeared for the +2 board exam only from Kathmandu (with similar statistics from Kaski and Morang). In the districts, however, PCL continues to dominate because there is no other choice.

The spread of 10+2 has been unregulated and is just a response to the growth in number of students and their demand for better quality. Although the quality of instruction may be uneven, 10+2 phenomenon in Nepal does respond to the aspirations of the young people and their career ambitions.
Students who used to flock to Indian colleges up until a decade ago have now switched to 10+2 institutes within Nepal. Private investment in educational infrastructure is now a record high with new institutes in Kathmandu and other major cities every year.

"Plus Two education has made Nepali students capable of competing in the global market," says Rishi Ram Lamichhane, Chairman of Princeton International School. "Not only has +2 education enabled students to think differently and to reason, it has also improved their ability to solve complex problems and deal with difficult situations."

The latest generation of 10+2 graduates have even managed to get admitted in top universities abroad with astounding results. So, while there is no doubt that some colleges offer world class education, the standard is uneven.

The Downside

High school graduates are the victims of the current education muddle of Nepal. The lack of a higher education strategy, poor regulation, over-commercialisation plague the sector. All this in turn is the offshoot of prolonged political instability and the lack of political will for the government to take the lead and invest in higher education.

"No matter what the quality of education, it is the general concept that with Plus Two one can get good grades, that attracts students," says educationist Dr. Vidyanath Koirala. But despite Plus Two being the prominent choice for most students, the inefficiency of the HSEB has halted the implementation of new programs. Yuvraj Sharma of White House College says: "The government's policy meant for a hundred thousand students is no longer feasible for Plus Two."

Ramesh Silwal, CEO of Golden Gate College agrees: "The government should form a Teacher's Committee and establish at least a Plus Two college in every district." Tirtharaj Khaniya, member of the National Planning Commission adds: "When the country is heading towards federalism, it doesn't make sense to have a centrally-administered Ten Plus Two system."

As the admission dates approach, colleges are competing to attract the maximum number of students, especially from private schools. Because many aspirants chose their colleges by their average grades of their graduates, many 10+2 schools concentrate only on marks and not on their overall development.

Instead of being an academic institution, Plus Two colleges now seem to have become a business hub with bridge courses meant only for profit.

Pokhara Plus

Out of the 71 high schools under HSEB and PCL campuses in Kaski, more half of them are based in Pokhara and Lekhnath area.

According to Kaski DEO Baikuntha Prasad Aryal, of the nearly 10,000 students who sat for SLC exams in the district, just over 6,000 passed. Colleges in Pokhara are vying for these students and have stepped up their marketing campaigns. Pokhara is emerging as a major education hub in the country and has students from the central and mid-western region who find Kathmandu either too far or too expensive.

According to HSEB Pokhara, there are 42 colleges in city. Whether it is the Nepal Tourism and Management College, which is considered to be one of the best management college in Nepal or Sirjana Higher Secondary School, which has established itself as a prominent provider of science education, Pokhara has a superior learning environment, quality education, fully facilitated infrastructure.

Says Jiwan Regmi of Sirjana: "The students vie for Plus Two education in cities because of the facilities and quality of education and also primarily for the opportunities they can get later.

Durga P Humagain in Pokhara

Teachers Speak

ALL IMAGES MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

Dilaram Gautam, Kathmandu Model School
Unfortunately, the concept of full-time teachers is still a novelty for most schools and colleges here. Majority of them rely on 'helmet teachers'. And worst still, Plus Two education is very Kathmandu-centric and there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Some colleges may qualify, but there is room for improvement in others. Only a handful of colleges actually counsel and guide students to take up a specific course. Most of the schools lure students by coming up with fancy ads and highlighting facilities and infrastructure. If this is the situation in Kathmandu, imagine what the situation is out in the districts. So, students themselves should be smart enough to make the right decision.

Ajaya Khanal, St Lawrence College
It's still not clear what the students look for in a college: its quality, the reputation, or word of mouth. The practice in Kathmandu colleges is that they hire teachers they think are qualified instead of hiring those whom students can directly relate to. Colleges should be open-minded and hire teachers who can contribute to the overall education, without running blindly after those with superior degrees. My advice to students is to meet the teachers in person and decide for yourself. In the end it's your life.

Prashant Rajbhandari, CCRC College
Most colleges hire 'helmet teachers' because they are more qualified and more so for practical reasons. Despite claims colleges make, they prefer part-time teachers. The students are busy catching up with the course and don't have the extra time to go to the teachers and ask questions. The course drafted by HSEB is so vast that it takes a whole year just to revise. The course is not practical.

Laxmi Prasad Kharel, Golden Gate International College
Professionally, +2 teachers can be divided into two distinct groups. The first, those who work for TU-affiliated colleges and others who work for private institutions. With the exception of few, most of the TU-affiliated teachers are full-timers while most of the others work part-time. This is not to blame anyone, that is the way it is. Teachers must also take into account job security, terms and conditions, tenure and the reputation of the institutions before taking up the job. But it is disappointing to see most teachers at private colleges only out to earn money, earn a PhD and settle abroad.

Jyoti Chandra Bhandari, New Summit College
Anyone with a Master's Degree is qualified to teach in a college but the real attribute of teachers lie in the way they handle students. The teachers, too, learn through experience while teaching more than what he learned at college. So, rather than qualification, colleges should look for capable teachers, ones that truly understand the students. If the authority can come up with a regulatory body that creates and maintain standards, the whole education system can flourish even more.

Raju Mainali, Redhon College
The teachers here are in a serious need of training. The course for grade 11 was changed years ago but none of the teachers were trained and acquainted with the new course. Regular workshops and teacher training sessions are necessary to improve the quality of education.

Bimal Kumar Chettri, White House College
Whether the teacher is well-qualified or not plays a great role. Students cannot trust a colleges where the teachers are unqualified. But none of the college here hires able teachers. And a bit disconcerting, none of the college is doing their bit to develop the skills of the teachers. Colleges here still haven't gotten into the practice of following certain standards and setting benchmarks while hiring new teachers.

Manju Malla, Little Angel's College
It is because of the attitude of the teachers who does not consider teaching as a real job that's hindering the quality of education. BEd is a must to teach. It trains teachers to interact, teach, make lesson plans and so on. And a fulltime faculty teacher, indeed, is a must.

Sheela Singh, Pentagon College
I don't think that a professor needs a PhD in order to be qualified for teaching. Degrees are important but only to a certain level. More than degrees, a teacher should be able to relate directly to the students.