'Hello Student Program' Launched in Province No. 1:
A 'Hello Student Program' is to be started in Province 1. The Ministry of Social Development is launching a 'Hello Student Program' with the aim of continuous learning by targeting schools in the Corona-affected area, targeting students who are not covered by online classes.
Due to the Corona epidemic, the school has not been able to open directly and only a small number of students have participated in the online classes. The program is arranged so that the teacher can teach the student from the mobile and the student can ask the teacher what he does not understand. In the first phase, the three-month program will have a partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and the local level.
The ministry has entered into an agreement with the local level to start the program soon. In the first phase, the program is being prepared at 10 local levels in six districts, said Rajendra Budathoki, director of the state education directorate.
According to him, programs will be started in 10 local levels of Dhankuta, Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Ilam, and Tehrathum. Agreements have been signed-in Pakhribas Municipality of Dhankuta and Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality, Chhathar Rural Municipality of Tehrathum, Barju, and Gadhi Rural Municipality of Sunsari, Kachankawal and Kamal Rural Municipality of Jhapa and Kerabari Rural Municipality of Morang, said Director Budathoki. He said that agreements are yet to be reached in Miklajung of Morang and Chulachuli Rural Municipality of Ilam.
According to Budathoki, Director of Education, Nepal Telecom's Pathshala (Closed User Group - CUG) is being taught to students through CUG SIM. He said that a CUG SIM that can be used only by students and teachers will cost Rs 129 a month. According to Budhathoki, free SIM will be given to the students and balance will be arranged in the SIM of the teacher and student for 3 months.
According to the Government of Nepal's Learning Facilitation Directive 2077, SIM and recharge will be provided for students who do not have access to the internet, TV, and computer.
A quota of 250 local level teachers and 500 students has been fixed. Director Budathoki said that the details of the students who need to be recharged will be prepared at the local level. According to him, even the poorest of the poor should be selected when choosing students. The Directorate of Education is confident that the program will be effective as the books have been distributed to the students and the SIMs and recharge in the parents' mobiles.
As the parents have mobile phones, they can also get information from the parents about the students' studies, said Budathoki. The Ministry of Social Development will bear Rs. 150,000 and the local level Rs. 100,000 for the 'Hello Student Program'.
Minister for Social Development Jeevan Ghimire said that the program has been prepared for the students who could not be covered by the online class. He said that the ministry was preparing to start teaching and learning over the telephone as it was not certain how long the corona infection would last.
