‘Book Free Friday’ in Kathmandu Metropolis: 15 categories of syllabus are being designed

Kathmandu. Kathmandu Metropolitan City is designing a curriculum for creative learning for the students of classes 4 to 8 of Book Free Friday program. In 15 categories practiced in community schools, the Metropolitan Corporation is designing the curriculum in collaboration with Kathmandu University and 54 partner organizations of Book Free Friday program.
On 26th of November 2080, the Metropolitan Corporation entered into a policy agreement with Kathmandu University to conduct the educational reform program of community schools. There are 6 jobs under the teacher college program mentioned in the agreement. It is mentioned that the university will do the work of identifying needs, preparing courses and teaching and learning methods, monitoring and evaluation, statistics and records and creating future plans. The work is being done on the basis of this agreement.
In the year 2080, the Book Free Friday program, which was started as a model by conducting the SIP program in education for the students of class 9, is now running from classes 4 to 12. One children’s group and 15 sub-groups have been formed in every school based on the interest and number of students, the physical facilities of the school and the support of the principal, teachers and related stakeholders. One focal teacher is assigned for each subgroup.

In the subgroups related to the subject being taught, there are 15 categories including children and environment (Wawa), science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), wall painting (mural), culture and heritage, traffic management, disaster management.

Animation and gamification, drama, personality development, entrepreneurial thinking, reading culture, yoga, music and dance, drones, and code are sub-genres. To maintain uniformity in the teaching method of these subjects and to make the evaluation system scientific, the curriculum is going to be formulated. As part of Book Free Friday, creative learning from classes 4 to 8, skill programs in education from classes 9 to 12 are conducted in the metropolitan city. It has 10 categories.

In order to strengthen the foundation of education, the Metropolitan Municipality is conducting programs including the upgrading of early childhood development classes, teaching and learning methods.

A workshop was organized today to get stakeholders’ input on the draft curriculum. Educational officers, resource teachers, principals and presidents of student clubs have participated in the workshop held at Padmakanya Secondary School in Dillibazar. By dividing the present partners into 15 groups, each group gave a presentation on one genre of curriculum.

Giving information about the draft of the course, Engineer Shailendra Jha, a member of the Urban Planning Commission, says, ‘There will be 100 hours of creative learning classes in 25 weeks in a year under Bookless Fridays. There will be 25-hour project-based classes.

“Students enrolling in class 4 will be able to choose 5 subjects of their interest under Bookless Friday to practice creative learning until they pass class 8.” Giving information about upcoming plans with the organized program, Jha says, “Kathmandu has become a member of the UNESCO Creative City film category. Therefore, there is a program to add 5 categories related to creative industries and students’ interests. There is a plan to make scout exercises more effective by including them in this program.

The dean of Kathmandu University School of Education Prof. Balchandra Luitel says ‘The curriculum should be a tool to facilitate learning. There should not be a means of prohibiting the range. The nature of the world is temporary. We should not look for a course of permanent nature. Learning should not be limited to classrooms. The community is also a learning place. It is not about learning from other people’s environment. Learning to develop the ability of students to understand their environment and adapt it to the international environment should be taught.

In the experience of Vinod Prasad Pant, head of the university’s STEAM department, this is probably the first time such a discussion has taken place between so many partners while developing a course.

According to Keshav Gyawali, the Education Officer of the Metropolitan Municipality and the focal person of the Walk Free Friday program, after the curriculum is prepared, the procedures for its implementation will be formulated.