Pavitra Bahadur Gautam is the CEO and co-founder of Karkhana, a social organization that fosters a spirit of local innovation with global effect. He did his academics in electronics & communication engineering and has been actively working in different social sectors to bring change in society. He started the Robotic Association Nepal (RAN) along with his friends, where he volunteered for some years before establishing Karkhana.
Revolutionizing education isn’t just about what happens in classrooms. It is also about reimagining the entire education system to better prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Education is a dynamic field that constantly adapts to societal needs, technological advancements, and evolving methods of teaching. Over the years, the education system has undergone significant transformations, shaping the way students learn, teachers teach, and schools operate.
In this podcast, Gautam talks about the importance of the revolution of education in Nepal and how the teaching method plays a vital role in making students interested in the subject. He has been working on revolutionizing education and is an entrepreneur and CEO/Co-founder of Karkhana.
Nowadays, Mr. Gautam has also been actively involved in the Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum (NYEF) as a Member and Learning Co-Chair. He has been associated with NYEF for more than 8 years.
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Role of Karkhana in Changing the Education System
Karkhana is a social enterprise that focuses on giving students the right skills and attitude so that they can solve problems on their own and eventually build their future. Karkhana has been working to implement the STEAM Education approach in the Nepal Education system as Nepal’s education is backward because of a lack of new teaching methods and old traditional teaching styles.
According to him, STEAM education is a methodology/inter-disciplinary and integrated approach to education that helps students learn about the topic in more detail and clearly from the foundation. With the STEAM approach in education, the students can be more interested in the subject.
Karkhana has started the education program from 1 to 9 classes where they want to change classes into labs of discovery. Karkhana’s program approach includes teacher training and providing educational materials and lesson plans, which help to make learning more engaging and entertaining.
Karkhana has been part of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) book-free Friday, where it has been providing STEAM education classes for 34 to 35 schools every Friday.
Gautam and his team have been working for more than 4 to 5 years with the City Planning Commission in 25 schools and 10 clubs to make students pass on their knowledge to others.
STEAM Education Approach in Nepal
STEAM Education combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education and offers an in-depth educational experience. It promotes practical study and problem-solving, developing critical thinking and teamwork. The goal is to provide students with a variety of abilities so they can handle problems in the complicated world of today.
Gautam mentions that the STEAM approach can make students get knowledge from the scrap which can help students to build interest in subjects like science & mathematics. With an interest in this type of subject, students can build creative and logical thinking.
However, introducing STEAM education alone may not be sufficient to change the education scenario in Nepal. In the past, there was a lack of advanced learning technology, but education was straightforward, and teachers were dedicated and serious, teaching to their full potential.
Nowadays learning has become more advanced, shifting from teacher-centered to student-centered learning which has resulted in the active involvement of students, improvement of communication skills, and promotion of critical thinking and creativity. He gives examples that if we can build a culture of experience, we can make subjects like Science more interesting. As a result, we can make thinking more scientific and creative.
For more detail information, visit Karkhana website.
Pavitra Bahadur Gautam’s Revolutionizing the Education System in Nepal
Gautam mentions that the education curriculum development part has always been backward in the context of Nepal. Nepal’s backwardness in Technology is because “people who think & people who do” are completely different people. To utilize theoretical knowledge in practice, Karkhana has been working towards STEAM education in Nepal.
Karkhana has been working to develop material that aligns with different curricula making students entertained, and making the environment of schools and colleges more friendly.
A positive teacher-student relationship is crucial in understanding the behavior of children. The research required to provide quality education to the students by the school’s teachers is done by Karkhana so that school teachers are updated with current education needs as well as materials, lesson plans, and content design are provided to teachers making class activities more engaging with the students. With the fun activities in the learning style, students can be more engaged in the subject and he believes that students can be more interested in gaining knowledge.
Challenges For Karkhana to Approach Change in Education
As Nepal is still in the developing process, there are various challenges in the field of the education sector. Lack of resources is one of the main problems, especially in rural and remote areas with inadequate infrastructure and facilities. Sometimes poor quality of education and a lack of resources for the training and development of teachers present further difficulties.
Gautam believes that mindsets are changing rapidly. However, some resist changing the old traditional system and setting as it affects the whole existing education. In Nepal, people make education a business. So, it is very difficult to challenge the whole system.
Conclusion
The revolution of education in Nepal is not just about introducing new methodologies like STEAM education but about reimagining the entire system to better prepare students for the future. Pavitra Bahadur Gautam, through Karkhana, has been actively working to implement STEAM education, enhance teacher training, and provide engaging learning materials. Despite challenges such as resource constraints and resistance to change, there’s a growing recognition of the need to modernize education and empower students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By creating a culture of experiential learning and adapting curriculum development to meet current needs, the education system in Nepal can evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.