Distance learning

The article “Open education” (THT, Nov. 22) by Prof Mana Prasad Wagley was an informative one. The 21st century is an age of information technology and it is therefore important that students be provided with ample opportunities for independent learning supported by technology. Education is the backbone of any nation’s development. The government should thus increase the investment in the education sector. It was shocking to learn that the money allocated for the preparation of Open University has been “consumed by the UGC for other purposes.” Is it simply due to lack of vision?

Also, publishing a page of self-instruction once a week in Gorkhapatra is encouraging. But it should get continuity. Prof Wagley’s suggestion for giving money to FM stations to design and broadcast interesting educational programmes locally is highly appreciable. I would like to suggest that there should be similar programmes on television as well.

Raghubar Ram Dev, Koteswor

Child rights

This refers to your report “UN, ministry bid to protect child rights” published in THT on November 21. This is indeed good news because the government seems to have finally awakened to the need to protect and promote child rights. The children have suffered long enough at the hands of both the security forces and the Maoists. Their studies have been hampered and many children have even lost their lives. Thus, the UN should take strong measures to protect children’s rights from being violated during the armed conflict.

Chandan Das, Kathmandu University

Disgraceful

I wonder why those who dig holes in the streets feel no responsibility to restore them to normal state. Many a time I have seen reasonably smooth road surfaces dug up for laying or repairing water-pipes and other pipe lines, only to have the earth and stones dumped back with no attempt whatsoever to smoothen or level it out. Consequently, the roads have great lumps and hollows, which turn to mud when it rains. For a capital city, the streets are disgraceful. Surely, those who dig holes should be required to return the roads to the state they were in before. Is there no law about this?

M G Houghton, Thamel

Football

This letter is in response to Bharat Shah’s letter “Cricket” (THT, Nov. 15) regarding his fervour

for this sport. We disagree with his view on football. It is his misconception that cricket is more popular than football. The writer seems quite unaware that football is a universal game. We would like to mention that FIFA has members worldwide. So, to manage a good FIFA ranking is indeed a very tough job. The progress in cricket does not mean that we demean our football players. We would like to remind him of our football team’s success in Under-14 match in India, and more recently the victory of Under-17 team in the country. The

prestigious AFC President Cup and Martyr’s League football tournaments draw a huge crowd at home. THT, too, recognises this fact by featuring top footballers every Saturday. Though we are fond of cricket too, there is no point in comparing the two.

Harsit and Hardik, via e-mail