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 २

 Continued from............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?

Image: Different universities and institutions teaching agriculture in Nepal

2. Course content 

The agriculture studies still running with same old outdated information. You easily can found a IAAS alumni from last 10 years studied same content than today's content in subjects. Time has changed and brought significant meaningful changes in our agriculture system. We do have new scope in our agriculture, however, we are still studying same old scope which is not highly relevant to current time. I still remember from my BSC. in agriculture where I have studied 'Nepal has low productivity for everything so we have to increase production to meet food security' as a scope for most of the subjects, hasn't this scope been changed? It is universal scope of agriculture to meet food security, there are many other micro level of specific scopes and suitable to local level which are under shed such as to increase national GDP, utilize geographical advantage, mainstream agriculture in national business strategy and mainstream agriculture insurance in local level etc.....Our subject contents should be based on current perspective and should justify the current specific scopes. 

Furthermore, the content designed for Bsc. Agriculture is more descriptive with very low focus in practical. As we all know agriculture is more technical and practical course, unfortunately the contents are designed to have more weightage for theory and less weightage for practical experiences.  Even with the less weightage given to practical, they are just fundamental. Furthermore, because the theory has more weightage, theory class occupy the more time so there is always very less time available for practical. This is obviously not going to prepare technically sound workforce for future. In addition, The certain practical subjects such as Undergraduate Practicum Assessment (UPA) is not prioritized well, students have given a lott of subjects to study and a small practical to be finish within 6 months by balancing other courses, this is not enough. They should have just UPA rather. In addition, in last year, it should be focused for respective real time practicals such as industrial placement and internship program. 

In addition, most of the subjects have more fundamental introduction than the specific content. Many time our final exams always focus on scope and opportunities of subjects. It would be better just to introduce the scope and opportunities just in introductory class in 10-15 minutes and jump into main specific content in detail. There is no point asking scope and opportunity of agriculture in Nepal, because students are there by knowing the opportunity of subjects and government is investing to prepare students as sound workforce for future.  The fundamental introduction if can be shorten and can be included with more specific content, would be more relevant and appreciated. 

Furthermore, we are giving same old outdated prioritization for agricultural crops. Why we always prioritize same old crops since decades and decades ago, isn't our crop prioritization been changed? For instance, in agronomy students always expect 'rice' as long question, though 'rice' is our dominant crop in farming system, it is not always fair to always prioritize the same crop again and again.  We do have wheat, maize, finger millet, sorghum, bajra etc...... with respect to geographical localization and with respect to need of improvement in each cereal, we may have different prioritization. Why millet is not in prioritize in long question even it has more productivity than wheat and it is third mostly grown cereal in Nepal. 

In horticulture we always give prioritization for 'Rose and Gladiolus, however the significant economic benefits had not been studied in detail. We do have significant import of marigold each year because marigold has many significant important such as cultural and religious values in local to national level. Any social functions almost goes incomplete without marigold. However, our course is not giving prioritization to this flower, why?

In addition, we memorize the same old data for seed rate, fertilizer dose and spacing distance. The fertility level of soil has been changed, climate change and many other factors are also associated with nutrient depletion in soil plus there is a new concept of climate change adaptation strategy. These things are impacting seed rate, fertilizer dose and planting distance for crops, however, there is no any changes in subject content and we are memorizing old outdated data rather new up-to-date contact. 

Most important is we do not have any employability skill enhancement content in our undergraduate program. There are clear three options for students to build their career in future  (i) Employment (ii) Business and (iii) Further study. 

 Further study: For students who want to study further, there is small component to gather experience such as Undergraduate Practicum Assessment (UPA), even it is not enough. Some few project works and UPA just be enough to give information about what is research, it does not give any clear idea in detail how research can be carried out, though in some extent it is helpful for students to understand what is research who want to build their career in research in future. 

Employment: For student who want to get employment in future, there is no any subject or any practical course available to teach them how to get employability skill. Immediate after when these student finish their degree, they struggle to find job because of not having enough information for how to apply for job. If government wants to grab these students to work in agriculture, why there is no any small course content available to make professional CV, cover letter, why there is no any workshop to prepare these students to face job interview etc....???? Building employability skills are equally important like getting degree. We are studying our agriculture in same old fashion and we giving priority to something else but when you go to real work for employment then you will realize what is the priority should have already given. Then how government can expect from these students to work in agriculture where government is teaching something else and in reality there is something else?

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

Business : Additionally, for students who wants to come with business in agriculture in future, where is the enough preparation during undergraduate level? There is not even a small content available to introduce the benefits of agribusiness in Nepal, schemes available and business management concept. Government should prepare these students to become business owner or entrepreneur in future which would be more sustainable approach to develop agriculture plus capture these technical manpower within Nepal. 

Now this is the time to raise voice to bring significant improvement and change in our  subjects/content in traditional agriculture study program. To prepare students studying agriculture for future career opportunity, university should integrate career promotion content in subjects such as career ready, employability skill development workshops, business proposal and concept note competition, CV competition, career expo with potential career providers and their key selection criteria etc...... Therefore, these students can be well prepared to grab opportunity within country and can help government to develop agriculture. Now let's raise voice for:

1. Change in up-to-date subjects

2. Change in up-to-date contents

3. Integrate employability skill

4. Integrate business building skill

5. Integrate industrial placements and internships

6. Only UPA for last semester with detail study

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?