Teach For Nepal to launch Radio Programme

The enforcement of lockdown to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19 has negatively impacted students with limited resources in the rural areas of Nepal. During this time of crisis, Teach for Nepal (TfN) has decided to commence a radio programme from July 20 - five days a week – in the nearby districts, where the Fellows have been placed. The main objective of the radio program is to continue the learning process of their students, according to a press note issued by the TfN.
TfN, since its establishment, has been placing Fellows as teachers in public schools located in the remote communities of the country. The vision to provide quality education to students, even during the time of the pandemic, has led TfN to announce an organizational radio programme ‘Ma Sikdai Chhu,’ during the soft launch event on Thursday.
“According to the survey conducted by our Fellows during the initial days of the lockdown, approximately 35.25 per cent and 60 per cent of students had access to cable television and radio at their houses, respectively,”  chief executive officer of TfN Swastika Shrestha, said, explaining “With the results presented by the rapid survey conducted right after the lockdown, our Fellows concluded that more than half of students have access to radios at their houses.”
Thus  a programme broadcasted through radio would be the most effective way to continue our students’ learning, she added.
As part of the pilot project, this eight-week programme will be on-aired through local FM stations in 7 districts, where TfN Fellows are placed. The programme will be broadcasted in Parsa and Southern Lalitpur in Radio Birgunj; Sindhupalchowk - Radio Melamchi; Dhanusha - Radio Janakpur; Lamjung - Radio Marshyangdi, Tanahu- Radio Damauli and Dang - Radio Prakriti.
”Every session of the radio programme is designed to be suitable for students from grade 5 to 10,” Ruma Maharjan, who is leading the radio project, said, adding that the learning content will be presented in a form of radio drama focusing on building foundational skills in English, Maths and Science, thus making the programme very interesting for students. “We have also recognised the emotional roller coaster that our students are going through at this time, which is why we have added a counseling session along with a platform for students to express themselves.”
The programme has given greater emphasis to subjects like English, maths, and science, along with psychosocial counseling and promoting lockdown diaries of students. It will eventually work as a remedial course to a lot of basic concepts that students in public schools usually have regarding English, science, and mathematics.
Since the lockdown, TfN Fellows have been reaching out to students through phone calls and social media for continuing the learning process in every way possible. The content of the programme has been designed by the TfN fellows in collaboration with British Council, Meeting Point, TfN Alumni led initiations like My Emotions Matter and Katha Express. The programme is produced in technical assistance of Radio Audio and The Record House.

Teach For Nepal honours partners to celebrate national children’s day

Teach For Nepal (TfN) has honoured 17 banks and private corporations, who supported the movement in the last fiscal year, in an event organised on the occasion of national children’s day.
Teach For Nepal (TfN) honoured banks, corporations, and individuals, which are playing a key role in the movement of ending education inequity in Nepal during a Partnership Celebration Event hosted by TfN's leadership member and managing director of Hansraj Hulaschand and Company Private Limited Shekhar Golchha at an event in Kathmandu, reads a press note issued by the TfN.
More than one hundred chief executive officers and executives of various financial institutions and corporations, along with TfN's leadership council members Dr Mana Prasad Wagley, Anil Keshari Shah, Rajan Shrestha, Kiran Nepal and Amina Singhattended the programme. The chief guest of the event was minister of Education, Science, and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel.
From the very first year, my company believed in Teach For Nepal’s vision and has been supporting them financially, Golchha, on the occasion, said, adding that TfN is bringing change and an increasing number of supporters towards the movement. “We are sure that this movement is creating great citizens who will be taking a human-centered approach to the challenges we face in our nation.”
TfN movement was launched in 2013 to strengthen the public school system in Nepal. It recruits outstanding university graduates and young professionals into teaching fellowship. This initial fellowship provides an initial intensive residential training followed by two years of leadership development programmes for the fellows, who start their leadership journey by teaching in the classroom. Now in its seventh year, the movement has achieved support from 17 Nepali corporate houses, which include various banks, corporations, and including collaboration with local governments. The movement has shown strong results based on a number of assessments.
“We have to stop teaching technical subjects on blackboards,” minister Pokharel said, emphasising on country’s need for technical education. He also appreciated Teach For Nepal for providing volunteer teachers (fellows) to support the government’s mission in reaching out to rural communities. “By drawing a new pool of talented individuals from diverse education backgrounds into teaching, Teach For Nepal is contributing to long-term systemic impact in strengthening public schools in Nepal,” he said, adding that Teach For Nepal fellows are working relentlessly to teach the children and prepare them for the world. “And to know that our country's financial institution and corporation are contributing towards improving education to make sure Nepal succeeds in the global race gives me immense pleasure.”
According to Teach For Nepal chief executive officer Shisir Khanal Teach For Nepal was started with the belief that Nepali young individuals can make tremendous difference in the lives of children across the country. “Now to see 17 local private institutions support our work, we feel truly privileged to be a movement that mobilises local resources to attain a common vision of quality education of all children regardless of their socio-economic background,” he said, adding that in the coming years, TfN looks forward to serving an additional number of schools and continuing to work in partnership with the government, schools, corporations, and our supporters to help reduce educational inequity in Nepal.

Walk to raise awareness of education inequity in Nepal

Lace up your sneakers and get ready to step out to help raise awareness about education inequity. Teach For Nepal (TfN) Walkathon supported by Nabil Bank is being held on Saturday. An estimated 1,000 young professionals and students from 50 different colleges and universities, who have raised money to support the work of Teach For Nepal in ending education inequity in Nepal, will take part in the Walkathon.
The event was to raise awareness about the persisting education inequity, especially in the rural villages in Nepal and get more people to take the pledge to become the champions of improving public school education in Nepal, the organisers said, adding that the registration for the walk begins from 11 AM and the walk will officially begin from Labim Mall thereafter. “After the flag off from Labim Mall, Lalitpur passes through Thapathali, Maitighar, Bhadrakali, Sundhara, Tripureshwor, Kupandole and ended back in the Labim Mall.”
The Walkathon will then merge and end with a closing ceremony that featured a musical and artistic performance from artists from around Kathmandu’s colleges. Charity walk has been designed for the general public to experience the pain of over 6 million students, attending public schools, who walk hours to get to a school but are still deprived of quality education.
Teach For Nepal Fellows are currently teaching in 65 schools across seven districts – Lalitpur, Sindhupalchowk, Dhanusa, Parsa, Dang, Tanahun, and Lamjung – in Nepal reaching the lives of more than 10,000 students.