Esspeaking English

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2013/04/26/on-saturday/eespeaking-english/248047.html

“If one has to earn a MBA degree to work in a management position and an Engineering degree to become an Engineer why are teachers in Nepal teaching without an education degree?”

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, has attempted to measure countries that are best for a newborn. I checked and rechecked the whole list and was sad to see Nepal missing from the good lists again. Nothing surprising though, I reckon we may never appear in the list until our children continue ispeaking English.

Being a mother of a toddler is tiring enough, finding a proper kindergarten in Kathmandu is depressing. I admitted my daughter in a Montessori exactly a year ago hoping for better. Of course, I won’t blame the school for not teaching my daughter everything there is to teach in a year but I do blame the Montessori for teaching my daughter to ispeak English words with an ‘e’ or ‘i’ in front of all the words starting with a ‘s’. 

I was optimistic the first day she went to school. I also had butterflies in my stomach seeing her leave. Today I am angry because I spent 1.2 lakh rupees in a year only to hear my daughter ispeak instead of speak. I am angry because her pronunciation is so bad my heart aches every time she utters English words.

Kathmandu is a city where one can find a kindergarten or a Montessori in every corner of the street. The fee structures are so high I fail to understand the cost because no matter how many times I try to make sense I cannot. I am fine with my daughter not learning a thing but I am not fine with my daughter pronouncing yellow as ellow and spoon as ispoon. My daughter was not born with bad pronunciation – no one is. 

Back in the 90’s, when I was in school one of the older students approached me and politely enquired why do children in Kathmandu pronounce some English words in a funny way? I thought the problem persisted back then and I often vouch for Kathmandu schools being better off than the ones in Darjeeling. I never went to school in Nepal (it has drawbacks) and until my daughter started ispeaking English I always complained for missing the opportunity to study in Nepal. But today, I do harbor a different opinion because the school I attended taught me how to pronounce words as it should be.

So, what defines a school as a good school? Recently, I visited a kindergarten in Jawalakhel hoping to admit my daughter there because the school guarantees (sort of) admission to one of the most prestigious school. Hoping to get an insight about the school, I started small talks with the young teachers. I realized immediately whether in Montessori or this particular school, my daughter would still pronounce yellow as ellow. There was no need to spend more money on admission fees. I am hoping that my daughter will one day pronounce words correctly but for now, I am depressed.

I understand the literacy rate of our country stands at 65.9% (2012 census report) and the primary schools teaching correct English pronunciations are one of our last priorities. Why shouldn’t our country grow the literacy rate and at the same time monitor the quality of our education? It is embarrassing even today our schools in the capital lack teachers who still ispeak English in a funny way. I am depressed because the teachers employed in kindergarten do not have an education degree that should be compulsory to become a certified teacher. I am disheartened because our country does not prioritize education as the key to our country’s development. It is sad the inexperienced teachers who are quickly qualified to teach by attending a one-month Montessori course educate the first formative years of our children. I am unhappy because our government does not regulate the schools. I am miffed that the schools pay little to their teachers that one would think twice before applying for a teaching profession.

Kathmandu has so many primary schools; there are around 10 in the tole I live. I made some unusual rounds to some of the well-known schools last year and every time I inquired to speak with the teachers, in general I learned most of them did not set out to become teachers. Why won’t our government introduce and strictly implement regulations to all schools hiring teachers that are incapable of fulfilling the duties of a teacher. If one has to earn a MBA degree to work in a management position and an Engineering degree to become an Engineer why are teachers in Nepal teaching without an education degree. Why are colleges afraid to offer ‘education’ courses unlike the US and other countries? Why do most of our systems fail us in all aspects of our social lives? 

Hence, I conclude, the failing systems could be one of the main reasons Nepal may never appear in the list of countries lucky for newborns – for now I will be content if my daughter drops the ‘i’ from the school.