Aren't we too late to understand that the subject matter of our agricultural curriculum needs to be up-to-date and should support employability and business skills? हाम्रो कृषि पाठ्यक्रमको विषय समयसापेक्ष हुनु आवश्यक छ र रोजगार र व्यवसायिक सीपहरू बढाउन सहयोगी हुनुपर्छ भनेर बुझ्न के हामी ढीलो भइसकेका छैनौं र? भाग १

Since 1957, Nepal government has realized the importance of agriculture studies in Nepal.  The agriculture studies had been started giving general technical training. Within this 6 decades, agricultural institutes and number of students been significantly increased all over the country, unfortunately the quality of education has not significantly improved. We are still studying the same general subjects developed decades and decades ago and same outdated information, which is not really going to help us.  

६ दशक देखिको कृषि अध्ययन अहिलेको समय सम्म आइपुग्दा पनि अध्यापन गराउने संस्थानहरू र बिद्यार्थीको संख्या मात्र बढे, तर यो बाहेक शैक्षिक  गुणत्व बढ्ने गरि महत्वपुर्ण सुधार भने आएन 

Technical studies have been always understood for better career future , therefore, there is alway large mass of people tend to choose technical studies for their higher education; same case applied to agricultural studies. There is a large number of people who wants to pursue higher education level in agriculture. Keeping in mind that the large number of new generation is interested in agriculture studies to secure future career, many agriculture institutes been established since last 4-5 years even without minimum technical and physical resource available. However, the question is same, is our education is preparing these interested students for future career? 

Image: Different universities and institutions teaching agriculture in Nepal

After the undergraduate program there are three possible future interests for students i.e. (i) Employment (ii) Business and (iii) Further study. majority of the students use to choose further study in abroad, some of them choose employment and very few come up with business. Why many students drift away to abroad for higher education every year? Why very few students choose agriculture as business? Has government tried to understand?

In one hand government is complaining new generation is not working in agriculture and in other hand government spending huge amount of money for agriculture studies but not preparing these students for right career pathways.  

एक नेपाल सरकार भनिरहेको छ कि नयाँ पुस्ताले कृषिमा काम गर्न खोज्दैनन् अनि अर्को नेपाल सरकारले येतिका पैसा खर्च गरेर कृषि बिसयको अध्ययनको लागि छात्रवृत्ति दिए पनि ति बिद्यार्थीहरुलाई भबिस्यको सम्भावित करियर को लागि तयार गरिरहेको छैन  

The main reason for this huge gap (expectation of students Vs reality of career option in agriculture) potentially governing by few factors.

1. Subjects in agriculture program

The curriculum for bachelor in science in agriculture is too old and outdated. We are still studying same old outdated curriculum with some outdated subjects. Time has changed with change in agriculture perspective, change in the way of agriculture practice and change in agriculture tools and practice. The improvement in the curriculum is negligible with respect to change in time and change in concept of agriculture.  Certain subjects such as 'computer studies',  subject can be improved for data analysis software used, because time has changed and there is minimal requirement to teach student to operate computer. Even this subject is not in first year, there is no point to introduce computer in second year because student need to use computer even in first year. 

Video content: Social problems for newcomers to come in agribusiness in Nepal

The subjects for 4 year agriculture are highly diversified. Based on the student interest, it could be more effective to segregate the subjects as electives since their first year. The heavy volume of subjects in limited time can only give just fundamental knowledge which we potentially can even access from internet as well. Therefore, to prepare students with specialized technical knowledge, skill and experiences there is a great potential to put electives since undergraduate program for each category of subjects such as animal science, aquaculture and agroforestry etc....... It will prepare a specialized workforce for future because students will get more time to study the subject matter in detail. Now a days agriculture subject is already integrated in secondary level education, therefore, it is already giving them general information of agriculture and preparing to choose which field in agriculture they can expertise in future. So fundamental subjects can be removed and specialized subjects can be implemented. 

बि एस सी एग्रिकल्चरको लागि बनाइएको पाठ्यक्रममा धेरै भन्दा धेरै बिसयहरु राखिएका छन् जसले गर्दा थोरै समयमा धेरै बिसयहरुको अध्ययन गर्नु पर्ने भएकोले गर्दा यसले केवल सतही जानकारी मात्र दिन्छ। किन यी बिसयाहरुलाई विभाजन गरि एलेक्टिभ मा नराख्ने  जस्तै पशु बिज्ञान, माछा बिज्ञान र  अग्रोफ़ोरेस्ट्रि आदी आदी ? येसो गर्दा कुनै बिद्यार्थीले एउटा बिज्ञान लिएर पढ्छ र त्यहि बिसयको मात्र राम्रो ज्ञान आर्जन हुन्छ , समय पनि पर्याप्त हुन्छ। तेइ भएर किन बि एस सी एग्रिकल्चर विभिन्न बिसयमा फरक फरक तरिकाले उपलब्ध नगराउने? किनभने आजभोलि कृषिको सतही जानकारी माध्यमिक तहमै दिन थालिएको छ। बिद्यार्थी हरुलाई पहिलेनै कुन क्षेत्रमा बि एस सी एग्रिकल्चर गर्ने भन्ने मोटा मोटी जानकारी भैसकेको हुन्छ।  

Aren't we too late to understand that the subject matter of our agricultural curriculum needs to be up-to-date and should support employability and business skills?  

हाम्रो कृषि पाठ्यक्रमको विषय समयसापेक्ष हुनु आवश्यक छ र रोजगार र व्यवसायिक सीपहरू बढाउन सहयोगी हुनुपर्छ भनेर बुझ्न के हामी ढीलो भइसकेका छैनौं र? 

                                     क्रमश................

                                     To be continued............