Lives of Women in Karnali

The Perfect Essay

By JOHN KAAG

MAY 5, 2014, 8:20 PM

Looking back on too many years of education, I can identify one truly impossible teacher. She cared about me, and my intellectual life, even when I didn’t. Her expectations were high — impossibly so. She was an English teacher. She was also my mother.

When good students turn in an essay, they dream of their instructor returning it to them in exactly the same condition, save for a single word added in the margin of the final page: “Flawless.” This dream came true for me one afternoon in the ninth grade. Of course, I’d heard that genius could show itself at an early age, so I was only slightly taken aback that I had achieved perfection at the tender age of 14. Obviously, I did what any professional writer would do; I hurried off to spread the good news. I didn’t get very far. The first person I told was my mother.

My mother, who is just shy of five feet tall, is normally incredibly soft-spoken, but on the rare occasion when she got angry, she was terrifying. I’m not sure if she was more upset by my hubris or by the fact that my English teacher had let my ego get so out of hand. In any event, my mother and her red pen showed me how deeply flawed a flawless essay could be. At the time, I’m sure she thought she was teaching me about mechanics, transitions, structure, style and voice. But what I learned, and what stuck with me through my time teaching writing at Harvard, was a deeper lesson about the nature of creative criticism.

First off, it hurts. Genuine criticism, the type that leaves an indelible mark on you as a writer, also leaves an existential imprint on you as a person. I’ve heard people say that a writer should never take criticism personally. I say that we should never listen to these people.

Criticism, at its best, is deeply personal, and gets to the heart of why we write the way we do. Perhaps you’re a narcissist who secretly resents your audience. Or an elitist who expects herculean feats of your reader. Or a know-it-all who can’t admit that stylistic repetition is sometimes annoying redundancy. Or a wallflower who hides behind sparklingly meaningless modifiers. Or an affirmation junkie who’s the first to brag about a flawless essay.

Unfortunately, as my mother explained, you can be all of these things at once.

Her red pen had made something painfully clear. To become a better writer, I first had to become a better person. Well before I ever read it, I came to sense the meaning of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.” And I faced the disturbing suggestion that my song was no good.

The intimate nature of genuine criticism implies something about who is able to give it, namely, someone who knows you well enough to show you how your psychic life is getting in the way of good writing. Conveniently, they’re also the people who care enough to see you through the traumatic aftermath of this realization. For me the aftermath took the form of my first, and I hope only, encounter with writer’s block.

It lasted three years.

Franz Kafka once said: “Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself.” My mother’s criticism had shown me that Kafka is right about the cold abyss, and when you make the introspective descent that writing requires you’re not always pleased by what you find. But, in the years that followed, her sustained tutelage suggested that Kafka might be wrong about the solitude. I was lucky enough to find a critic and teacher who was willing to make the journey of writing with me. “It’s a thing of no great difficulty,” according to Plutarch, “to raise objections against another man’s oration, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome.” I’m sure I wrote essays in the later years of high school without my mother’s guidance, but I can’t recall them. What I remember, however, is how she took up the “extremely troublesome” work of ongoing criticism.

There are two ways to interpret Plutarch when he suggests that a critic should be able to produce “a better in its place.” In a straightforward sense, he could mean that a critic must be more talented than the artist she critiques. My mother was well covered on this count. (She denies it, but she’s still a much, much better writer than I am.) But perhaps Plutarch is suggesting something slightly different, something a bit closer to Cicero’s claim that one should “criticize by creation, not by finding fault.” Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better on his own terms — a process that’s often excruciating, but also almost always meaningful.

My mother said she would help me with my writing, but first I had to help myself. For each assignment, I was to write the best essay I could. Real criticism isn’t meant to find obvious mistakes, so if she found any — the type I could have found on my own — I had to start from scratch. From scratch. Once the essay was “flawless,” she would take an evening to walk me through my errors. That was when true criticism, the type that changed me as a person, began.

She chided me as a pseudo-sophisticate when I included obscure references and professional jargon. She had no patience for brilliant but useless extended metaphors. “Writers can’t bluff their way through ignorance.” That was news to me — I’d need to find another way to structure my daily existence. She trimmed back my flowery language, drew lines through my exclamation marks and argued for the value of understatement. “John,” she almost whispered. I leaned in to hear her: “I can’t hear you when you shout at me.” So I stopped shouting and bluffing, and slowly my writing improved.

Somewhere along the way I set aside my hopes of writing that flawless essay. But perhaps I missed something important in my mother’s lessons about creativity and perfection. Perhaps the point of writing the flawless essay was not to give up, but to never willingly finish. Whitman repeatedly reworked “Song of Myself” between 1855 and 1891. Repeatedly. We do our absolute best with a piece of writing, and come as close as we can to the ideal. And, for the time being, we settle. In critique, however, we are forced to depart, to give up the perfection we thought we had achieved for the chance of being even a little bit better. This is the lesson I took from my mother: If perfection were possible, it wouldn’t be motivating.

( John Kaag is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and former visiting assistant professor of expository writing at Harvard. He is the author of the forthcoming book “Finding Westwind: A Story of American Philosophy.” And yes, Becky Griffith Kaag, his mother and a former high school English teacher, took her editing pen to this essay. )

(cited : http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/the-perfect-essay/?ref=opinion)

Women in Nepal Suffer Monthly Ostracization

 JUNE 14, 

By ALLYN GAESTEL

ACHHAM, Nepal — Next to an abandoned stable now used to store firewood; a reluctant young mother crouched to pass through a tiny door into a dark, musty room. Barely looking at her baby, she glanced around the mud walls at the place she was raped. It was not strange for her to be in this space, haunted as it was with violent memories, because she still sleeps here each month when she is menstruating.

Chaupadi is the ritual isolation of menstruating women. It is a tradition practiced in Achham, a district in the remote Far Western region of Nepal. Each month, women sleep outside their homes in sheds called “goths,” in stables or in caves. They are deemed impure and treated as untouchable. They eat separately from their families, cannot enter their homes and often have to wash at a separate tap.

The practice has roots in Hinduism, though many scholars in Kathmandu, the capital, consider chaupadi a bastardization of the Vedic precept that women sleep apart from their husbands during menstruation. But in Achham the majority of women still practice this monthly separation.

Communities believe that to break the tradition would bring devastating bad luck: crops would fail, animals would die, snakes would fall from the ceiling. The imagined consequences are so dire that few dare to test stopping, even when the practice brings deadly consequences. Women have died from asphyxiation or burned to death when they built fires in the cramped sheds to shield from the Himalayan winter. Others have suffered rape and deadly snakebites and jackal attacks.

It takes two days to drive to Achham from Kathmandu, and most people don’t bother. The impoverished district is better known for sending migrants south to India than for drawing more cosmopolitan Nepalis in. It is in this isolation that the chaupadi practice became entrenched.

The practice has gained some national attention and is widely denounced by women’s rights activists. In 2005, the Supreme Court of Nepal deemed the practice illegal, but the distant court decision has had little impact on the daily lives of women in Achham.

More influential has been the slow spread of awareness that comes with increased connectivity. The construction of roads and the implementation of solar power in remote villages have led to the slow permeation of televisions and cellphones that offer a window into other worlds where chaupadi is not taken for granted.

Countless organizations have also campaigned against the practice through radio shows, awareness campaigns in schools and town meetings, and by declaring villages chaupadi free.

But social change is plodding because faith in the tradition runs deep. In only a few villages have women started sleeping inside when they are menstruating, but in many villages there is a growing discussion about the monthly ostracization. Some girls who hear messages in school want to quit the tradition but are restricted by more conservative parents. Some families stopped the practice, but when bad luck followed, it reignited their faith in the old ways.

And some, like the young mother who was raped, cannot imagine life without it. “Things are done according to tradition here,” she said.

If she has a daughter, she said, “I won’t do anything different — I’ll send her to the goth.”

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/women-in-nepal-suffer-monthly-ostracization/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

My Fellow Countrymen

Oct 2

Nepal is rich in everything. We are rich in water resources, cultural heritage, natural beauty and much more. Words are not sufficient to describe the significance of our country. Then why are we backward in the process of development? This is the most critical question of today. We are, of course, backward in the development of education, science and technology, industry, commerce and, most importantly, healthy politics. Who is responsible for this?

Despite having potentiality in the homeland, many people are flying abroad in search of better opportunities and further studies. And, yes, any scholar or businessman who has left the country has become a permanent residence (PR) holder in foreign lands. At the same time, people are compelled to sell and cultivate their blood and perspiration at very low wages in the Gulf countries at high risk and great danger to their lives. As everybody knows, this is neither the choice nor the fate, but a compulsion created by political deadlock and trauma. This is the most tyrannical and pathetic situation that we are facing now. This is the real outcome of a weak political and governance system.

In the present scenario, political leaders are fighting with each other like cats and dogs to get power and authority ignoring the urgent mandate to draft a constitution through the consensus. The situation is shameful today since politics is the best source of earning money, and this has been proven by our leaders. So, it is hard to see unity in the party and political system at this time. It is very difficult to find selfless and patriotic political leaders. Consequently, people have become like children’s toys and are obliged to follow the tail of the political parties. So, it is high time we ended this kind of system. This is the time when we need to show our prestige, fame, reputation and dignity as brave and patriotic citizens of Nepal.

Let’s think about being the most remarkable example in the international community by establishing a conducive political environment. Unity, cooperation and harmony are the best ways to reach a logical consensus. Then there will be liberty, peace, and harmony. Then every Nepali citizen will realise the meaning of what John F Kennedy said: Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. So, dear leaders, please do not demolish morality. We are here to help you. We are Nepalis and love our country, and we want to see an everlasting, peaceful and prosperous country. Whether you are democratic, communist or federalist, your prime duty and responsibility is to develop the country by improving the lives of marginalised people and providing equal opportunities to all by creating a conducive political scenario. We are not backward. Let’s go for progressive change from every village and town.

( published in Kathmandu Post) 

http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/10/02/oped/my-fellow-countrymen/378830.htm

Posted by Maheshwor Rijal at 6:55 AM 

Revisiting Vocabulary Teaching/Learning: My Reflections

Maheshwor Rijal

Kathmandu University

“Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabularynothing can be conveyed” (Wilkins as cited in Thornbury, 2006, p. 13). Undoubtedly, vocabulary has immense value in teaching and learning as it is one aspect or element that links all the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In this article, I reflect up on the strategies I used while learning vocabulary in schools and colleges and my current research interest. I hope my story relates with many of you and will help us in uncovering the hidden realities and revisiting our pedagogical practices.

I was born in a remote area and got my schooling from a rural public school. I still remember the bitter pain I used to have in English classes. The class was totally controlled by the teacher. Most of the teaching approaches that teacher used were traditional and boring and there was a little chance of flourishing creativity from my side. “Look and remember” with the help of bilingual dictionary, as I see now, seemed to be not very effective for the learners of English language like me. I was unable to show my creativity in spite of being eager in learning procedure. My ELT class was totally authoritative and was only focused on examination, not on practical and real life situations. Every set of words was taught according to bilingual translation and every student was compelled to follow the same method and I was also the part of same tradition. It was, of course, my compulsion that I had to follow the same tradition and had to apply what my teachers said. The teacher made us buy a dictionary and assigned all students to recite and memorize the words from the respective chapters. The classroom strategies were threatening, full of stress and pressure. My teacher used to come to the class with stick and beat students when they were unable to produce or say the meaning of the vocabulary items. I have had many ideas to express but due lack of exposure of English language I couldn’t express. It was due to lack of vocabularies when I needed. I used to go to school with a fear and challenge. So, when teacher came near to me I used to be scared. One of the recent articles “Beat the Teacher” by Khila Sharma in IATEFL journal nicely sums up my feelings: “vocabulary building is one of the biggest challenges English teacher in rural communities face. Even students who have studied English for ten years cannot give a simple narrative or express their thoughts and feelings. They have hard time when writing essays and resort to rote-memorization from their teacher’s note or commercial guide-books” (p.5). This is the reality of our schooling, even now.

After completing my School Leaving Certificate (SLC) seven years back, I came to Kathmandu with a hope to pursue higher education. In my intermediate and Bachelor’s degree, despite my weak English background, I worked very hard on English and got the reward. I was also fortunate enough to have very encouraging teachers. Now, as a third semester student at Kathmandu University, I am on the verge of completing my master’s degree and busy in conducting academic research. So, my proposed academic research is finding out perceptions and practices regarding vocabulary teaching/learning in the EFL context of Nepal. Carrying out research on such area, as in other areas, is challenging as many terms and conditions specified by the concerned faculty and the supervisor need to be fulfilled. Although I understand how to carry out research, I was never taught how to write a good research paper in my school life. I don’t have the expertise of producing a research article even after my undergraduate and graduate level of studies. Many of my fellow learners, I am sure, may have the same catastrophic realization as they embark into the sophisticated arena of education research.

The educational standards of Kathmandu University (KU) have broadened my horizons of thinking. I have become aware of more useful strategies of learning vocabulary such as self defining context, pictures, synonyms, gestures, realia, audio visual aids, games etc. Reflecting on my own experience, most of the students are themselves in search of a new way of learning vocabulary. Now as a teacher (and a student), I have a real platform to develop new horizons for developing academic proficiency in my students using the strategies I just mentioned.

In the context of EFL setting, vocabulary should be taught interestingly, and to do so we can apply different ways proposed by new teaching methods such as by Communicative Language Teaching. Despite the similar bitter experiences and the awareness of new methods and approaches, most of the techniques used by many of us in teaching vocabulary are still traditional. During my ongoing education in Kathmandu University, I have come to realize that teachers have a huge role in increasing students’ vocabulary as there is not much exposure from elsewhere. For better learning and better communication in English, one should assist the students in selecting the words appropriately as related to their goals, situation, and context. Since vocabulary teaching/learning is a milestone to be reached in language teaching and learning, I think that it is our duty and responsibility to minimize such unpleasant experiences for the new generation of learners.

References:

Harmer, J. (1991). The practice of English language teaching. London: Longman.

Thornbury, S. (2006). How to teach vocabulary. Pearson Education Limited.

Sharma, S.P. (2012). Beat the teacher. IATEFL Journal September-October Issue -228.

( Published in NELTA Choutari on 2012/12/01/ -Revisiting Vocabulary Teaching/Learning: My Reflections Maheshwor Rijal Kathmandu University ))

Hurray for Public School

MAR 26 - The trend of sending one’s children to boarding schools has been increasing rapidly. And, recently, the first thing the new committee that took over the Private Boarding Schools’ Organization (Pabson) did was hike the school fees. As a result, parents are anxious and confused about what to do and what not to do. How far is this decision logical and justifiable? Where is the mechanism to judge such decisions? Yes, such illogical decisions transform academia into a profit-oriented cottage industry instead of an ideal place for pedagogy.  

Indeed, we are encouraging private schools as noble places for quality education and ignoring the standard of public schools. And why are we subordinating public schools even though the teachers are well trained and a huge amount of money has been invested by the Ministry of Education and NGOs/INGOs? Such an improper attitude is what encourages private schools to increase their fees.

And, this is a reprehensible reality that parents have to accept innocently, and they can neither pull out their children from private schools despite their high fees nor can they admit them in public schools.

And it may not be possible to admit children in public schools instantly. Furthermore, parents are obviously pleased to see their children studying in boarding schools while a majority of boarding school teachers are unfortunate to be teachers there due to low salaries and heavy workload. Such kinds of terrible issues should be addressed and rectified soon to create a conducive environment for learning. Otherwise, parents will be oppressed and this is the best of time for school owners to suppress parents by imposing unjustifiable decisions.

Nepali academia is like a practical lab where schemes are tested and no longer exist. For instance, the School Sector Reform Plan is the best evidence of a fancy scheme that could not be applied yet. These kinds of failures are the most important reasons behind the attraction among parents towards boarding schools. This is the time to be serious and make public schools as qualitative as possible. Let’s transform public schools into an ideal place for learning by strengthening the alternative education system, liberal promotion policy, continuous assessment system and teachers’ professional development, which eventually create a conducive learning environment. This is the time for stakeholders including teachers, parents, school management committees to act wisely by minimising political intervention at all costs.  

Public schools will definitely be good if the elite groups in Nepali society are committed to admitting theirchildren there. Let’s not treat public schools as a matter of negligence and blame but create an effective management system ensuring their proper monitoring and evaluation. This is an urgent time to act for the amendment of the Education Act 1972 and publish the results of the examination for teachers conducted by the Teachers’ Service Commission. Then the academic year 2071 will be the starting year for change where admission in public schools will increase at a faster rate.

( published in The Kathmandu Post, http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/03/26/oped/hurray-for-public-schools/387284.html

Act wisely, O teachers

MAR 05 -

Education is the key to all-round development of children. And this is only possible under the guidance of a teacher. This may not be true sometimes because of unwanted issues and stigma like inflicting corporal punishment and sexual abuse of students. Why are such kinds of news still being published? These kinds of brutal activities are increasing greatly in Nepali academia, even if teachers have been instructed to follow a child-friendly model of instruction. Undoubtedly, teachers are supposed to be the ideal model to be followed, and they have to play the role of facilitator by addressing each and every feeling and aspiration of students. Ultimately, children can develop their inherent potentialities, but this

thinking is gradually disappearing from today's schools.

An instance that can be presented here is the brutal act of a teacher who works as discipline in-charge at one of the reputed boarding schools in the Kathmandu valley. It is undoubtedly disgraceful when a student had to be hospitalised due to the inhuman act of the teacher. Such types of heinous acts certainly create frustration for those who are wholeheartedly dedicated to their profession. Yes, giving punishment is not the ultimate solution to the problem, rather it results in a traumatic experience for the students. Where is professional development when a teacher does not care about a student's learning achievement but holds out a stick in an authoritative atmosphere? Imagine how sad and terrifying the situation is when news reports of sexual harassment of girl students are coming out daily. It is a most heinous and criminal act when a teacher rapes his student while giving private tuition. Oh my God! What a horrible and shameful crime!

Students are given punishment when they fail an examination without seeking the actual causes of the failure. I am not blaming the teachers here and telling the realities of today. So, it is an urgent need that teachers be aware of at least some basic aspects of testing and evaluation including the general principles of test items, designing and conducting tests and alternative approaches to students' evaluation. This ultimately helps to improve and minimise current issues, allowing a conducive environment for learning.

Yes, school is a miniature replica of society where children learn and grow under the guidance of teachers. Let's stop the deplorable punishment and sexual harassment taking place in schools, and respect the values of each learner in the school as they are the pillars of this country. It's high time that everyone realised what Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world." Let's stop the dreadful and inhuman behaviour and create a harmonious atmosphere, then there will be obviously significant changes in the whole input process and output at large. 

(source: The Kathmandu Post http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/03/05/oped/postplatform-act-wisely-o-teachers/386251.html )