KATHMANDU, JULY 31

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has decided to introduce local curriculum for Grades I to VIII in all schools of Kathmandu.

With this decision, students of Grades I to VIII in Kathmandu will have to study a subject of 100 full marks. According to KMC, the new curriculum was aimed at making the children well acquainted with the local identity and culture of the historical and ancient city. As many as 92 community schools and 640 institutional schools are being operated inside the metropolis.

The new curriculum includes festivals being celebrated in the metropolis, various local rituals, cultures, arts, occupations, moral education, geographical condition, health and sanitation, languages and scripts.

Chunda Bajracharya, coordinator of curriculum committee formed by KMC said the curriculum would be taught in Nepali medium and was set to be approved by the Education Committee of the metropolis. “Once the curriculum is approved, the process of preparation of textbooks will begin,” she said. For Grades I to III, the course content will be exclusively practical. “However, 75 marks has been set aside for practical and 25 marks for theory for Grades IV and V. For Grades VI to VIII, practical and theory content will cover 50 marks, each,” said Bajracharya. Curriculum committee member Barun Prasad Baidya said the metropolis would provide training to the teachers regarding the teaching method.

“Though the curriculum is based in Nepali language, it can be taught either in Nepali or in English language as per necessity. KMC will publish multilingual teaching materials to facilitate teachers and students in teaching-learning activities,” he said.

KMC said various schools have welcomed the move to introduce local curriculum.

Natikaji Maharjan, principal of Gyanodaya Secondary School said it was a positive move on part of the KMC. He said the curriculum would provide students from across the country studying in Kathmandu with an opportunity to learn about the arts and culture of the historical city.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on August 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.