THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE NEPALESE CHILDREN'S EDUCATION FUND

gyan: n. knowledge acquired by direct perception

Challenges Faced by Nepalese Students

“In past newsletters, NCEF has given a glimpse into the student life of the children we support. This month, NCEF volunteer Yubraj Ghimire sheds light on one of the challenges faced by Nepalese students: school discipline.

Based on the religious traditions set out by texts like the Vedas and Purans, many schools’ disciplinary policies were influenced by a verse which states “there can be no love or motivation that leads to success without punishment or fear”. Many parents and teachers still believe that corporal punishment is the only solution for putting children back on the right track when they inevitably veer off course.

Transgressions which warrant disciplinary action include poor attendance, not handing in homework, failing or poor marks on assignments, tardiness, forgetting school supplies, breaking uniform or grooming guidelines, disrupting class, cheating on exams, lack of attention during class, and failing to pay proper respect to teachers. While these transgressions are common in classrooms throughout the world, the punishments they warrant were often physical in Nepalese classrooms. For example, common punishments included—and are still in practice in some schools—twisting ears, pulling cheeks, slapping, hitting with an object, being locked in a toilet, or standing/kneeling in front of the class.

Obviously, these kinds of punishments have negative consequences for students. Aside from physical pain or injury, students often become depressed or anxious and disinterested in school and in developing themselves. Some drop out altogether, while others act out or report a lower sense of self-worth. Even the teachers face fall-out from these punishments: threats from parents, retaliation from students, and loss of their jobs.

Extreme, abhorrent cases of punishment eventually led to legislation to protect children from unbridled assault: the 1992 Children’s Act. While the letter of the law does provide some limitations to corporal punishment, it still allows for parents and teachers to use this kind of discipline at their own discretion. In 1998, a study showed that 63% of students dropped out before completing primary school, and that 14% of students explicitly stated that they chose to leave due to fear of their teacher. Another survey conducted in 2011 indicated that 5.34% of students dropped out of school due to punishment.

Conditions are improving in Nepalese schools as the country adopts more progressive attitudes towards the problem of disciplining children and students. Today, the school systems in Nepal now include student and parent unions which work together from within their own communities to effect positive changes. Consequently, our students are going to school in a time when more and more parents and educators feel that children need to be taught with a spirit of guidance and affection. With the help of generous contributions by our donors and a changing tide of classroom dynamics, our students are better poised than ever to complete their educations and forge bright futures for themselves.

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