Schools fail to follow arts curriculum

Kathmandu, July 24

Despite the inclusion of art and music in school curriculum as practical courses by the Curriculum Development Center, only a few schools in the city are offering these courses.

Even government-run schools have failed to run art and music classes.

“Although art is included in the curriculum for lower classes as part of their practical education, schools have not been able to run them owing to lack of resources,” said Tukaraj Adhikari, spokesperson at the CDC.

“We do not have any recorded data on schools that offer and don’t offer these classes. Although we have developed the curriculum, we have not been able to monitor if they are followed,” he said.

“Children today are more interested in creative learning than rote learning,” said Ranjana Shakya, a parent of a student in Shuvatara School, Lalitpur. “They want more than just homework and classwork,” she added.

Even though most private schools run art classes, resources allocated for art and music are not enough. “Schools hire one teacher for more than 40 students, which makes it difficult for individual art enthusiasts to learn,” said another parent of a student, Menika Awale Maharjan.

“The government has discriminated against the art sector,” said Ajaya Desar, chief of Young Picasso Art Institution. “Our country is known as the country of art and culture, but they have not been prioritised in education as it should,” he said.

“Many students between the age of 6 to 15 years are interested in art, but are restricted by parents and teachers,” he added.