Dr. Rajendra KC, Founder President of Nepal Private College Association and Principal of Southwestern State College is a multi-talented personality. Dr. KC spent his nativity in Dhading where he was born, and now he lives in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu.
Dr. KC believes that continuous work with timely schedule is key factor to phenomenal performance in the workplace. Founder President of Nepal PhD Association, he is the Principal at Southwestern State College. Under his leadership, the college is marching ahead with proven academic excellence in a very short span of time. He has shared his view with College Readers. Excerpts:
You are the founder President of Nepal Private College Association and have been involved in academic sector for a long time. In your opinion, how could education be developed in Nepal?
Education is essential for a nation to flourish. But it could not develop well during the Rana regime in Nepal. The then Rana Prime minister, Chandra Shumsher established Trichandra College, but he was not happy as he had fear of common people who would become educated and defend their autocratic ruling. During Panchayat rule, new education system plan was implemented in 2028 BS; however, the policy of the government regarding education delivery is still the same regardless of minor changes, but we cannot see any apparent differences.
While analyzing the new education policy, rules, regulations and various reports of National Planning Commission, we have found that education is delivered only to dispatch a degree. More apparently, the education policy has not been developed to search the potentiality and fulfill the needs of nation since the government has not prepared curriculums by analyzing the need of society, geographical anomalies and natural resources. So, the university and government should prepare policy and develop curriculums by assessing the necessities of the nation.
Moreover, the government should cooperate with the private sectors to develop education of Nepal. We should be able to prepare such curriculums and teaching learning mechanisms that can attract foreigners to study in Nepal, thus making the country popular in the global market. When we look at the education policy of developed nations, they have given priority to the faculty of humanities and social sciences. But in our country, the priority is given to only doctors, engineers and technicians.
Who is responsible for preparing mediocre curriculums in Nepal that cannot ensure learners’ competitiveness in global economy?
In my view, there is an acute shortage of rationality in the policy of government. The government has not upgraded the quality of its funded schools and colleges. On the other hand, the government has adopted suppressive policy to control private sector. In this regard, in order to achieve economic prosperity, the government should introduce private-sector friendly education policies and encourage them to invest in education.
The duty of the government is to establish universities in remote areas which can oblige the local governments to consider developing other sectors, such as roads, sanitation, technology and so on. In fact, the duty of government is to bring inclusive policies and ensure friendly environment for the private sector to invest in education on their own discretion.
If the government give the public assurance of favorable environment to work, they can do better than the government. One example is related to the conservation of community forests. The government adopted the conservation of community forest policy after 2046 BS, thus all the forests are being safeguarded and conserved by the community people. In this regard, the similar policy of education should be formulated and implemented without further delay.
Brain drain is one of the major problems in Nepal due to clumsy education system. Based on your decade-long experience, whose role is prime to resolve this anomalous situation?
To be true, the present curriculums of Nepal cannot produce highly skilled and globally employable human resources. The existing curriculums have not encapsulated the current needs of the nation. So, it is very hard to get a job and to develop entrepreneurship in Nepal. Similarly, the Nepalese students who go abroad for further studies hardly return to their native land upon completing their courses. This could be the reason why there is an acute shortage of job opportunities and favorable environment for entrepreneurship in Nepal.
Therefore, the government should ponder the needs of the country and prepare the curriculums to promote hydel power sector and tourism industry because such curriculums prepare highly skilled and easily employable human resources.
In Nepal, the government has promoted overseas education by opening various units, which has eased and encouraged many students to leave the country and seek permanent settlement in foreign swathes. In this regard, the main reason of brain drain is the government’s encouraging policies.
Time management is crucial to seize a success in life. In your experience, how is the impact of time management on success?
Time management is a part of discipline which should be followed by all to get a success. Among the ten tips of success, time management is one of them which is equally allotted to all human beings, viz. 24 hrs. in a day and 365 days in a year. Successful people utilize their time creatively following the rule of time management and people who do not follow the rule of time management are prone to fiascos. In other words, people, who properly utilize their time, will have 80% of gain whilst utilizing 20% of their time, but people, who don’t utilize their available time properly, will have only 20% gain by utilizing their 80% time. So, the success and failure of an individual depend on his/her time management skill.
Is it important to stick to time management by the chief of an institution? What role does the ‘time management’ strategy play in tailoring the acclamation of an institution?
In my perspectives, the main function of the principal is to ensure gestalt administration and management of the institution. S/he should work not only in preparing strategic plan and policy also decentralizing power and responsibility to its sub-ordinate departments. The subordinate department should be handed over the responsibility to accomplish the given tasks without pressure and interferences. In addition, the principal should not impose interference on micro level work of department if they are performing according to the existing rule. The campus chief/ principal should only monitor, evaluate and give directions as needed.
In my view, campus is a system like human body where every organ has separate functions and each of them is equally significant. All these organs should work independently to regulate the whole system. For example, the function of eye is to see, mouth is to speak and so on. So, the entire organs of the organization should be provided responsibility to work within the stipulated time and established system.
Based on your ten years’ experience, how should learners follow ‘time management’ strategy to attain a success in their study? Which time, do you think, is appropriate for study by the learners?
In my experience, Nepal should change its teaching and learning modality. In our practice, lecture method is given priority which is an inappropriate modality. Lecture method and note giving system will not develop the capacity of learners. Recently published research has shown that students will understand only 5% through lecture method, 70% through student participatory method and 90% through presentation (reading and teaching oneself) method. The students should study reference books and relevant materials, analyze the fact and receive the knowledge and should present it in the group. They should properly utilize the time.
The time between 4:00-6:00am is the best for study since our brain captures things quickly and learners generate full energy in this period. The students who get up 90 minutes before sunrise and start reading and writing, they can develop their memory capacity four times more than others who study in different hours. It has been proven by a series of research and my experience, too.
Finally, what would you like to suggest ten-plus-two graduates wishing to pursue their bachelor’s course in a foreign swathe?
I would like to suggest that ten-plus-two graduates should pursue their bachelor’s course in Nepal and work for Nepal. If anyone goes for overseas studies, they need return to Nepal and utilize their learned expertise upon completing their course. Similarly, I would suggest they should develop a positive mindset and learn the time management skill to get a phenomenal success in their life.
