Kavre, March 20

Schools in seven VDCs of Mandan and Deupur areas, popularly known as e-villages, are all set to include agriculture education in the local curriculum in Kavre district.

If everything works as planned, students from Grade I to VIII will get the opportunity to study agriculture, including commercial farming of coffee, cardamom, lemon and ginger, among others.

Schools at Jaisithok, Mahadevsthan, Chandeni and Jyagdi VDCs of Mandan and Nayagaun, Gairibisauna and Baluwapati VDCs of Deupur area will teach agriculture as an optional subject from the new academic session.

Action Aid has pledged the support of Rs 5 lakh for curriculum design, teachers’ directives and others.

The district office is all set to develop the VDCs as e-villages with suggestions from Curriculum Development Centre, District Education Office, Educational Training Centre, District Agriculture Development Office, District Livestock Service Office and educational experts.

Teacher’s directive for agriculture education based on local context for grades I to V has already been prepared. The curriculum will be launched in 52 higher, secondary, lower secondary and primary schools in the above mentioned villages from the upcoming new session.

“We intend to add innovation and creativity to the text books prescribed by the government.

As the old text books have irrelevant context in relation to the current scenario, we want local skill-oriented texts for agriculture education,” said chairperson of the centre Krishna Prasad Sapkota.

Two teachers each from 27 schools will be given necessary training in the first phase. The government had introduced agriculture as an optional subject after removing it as a compulsory one in 1984.

District Education Officer Nanda Lal Poudel said though it was tough to launch agriculture education under the local curriculum, it would be highly effective.

“Agro-education will contribute to production of skilled manpower in agriculture sector and help in developing the sector,” said Poudel.

The centre had earlier introduced computer education, internet facility, e-library facility and e-medicine.

Meanwhile, Dhulikhel Hospital has installed tele-medicine at local health posts and information centres for e-agriculture in all the seven VDCs.