Dharan, June 15:Participants of a seminar here, consisting mainly of school and campus teachers, voiced the need to bring about some changes in a book on civic education provided to them for comments and suggestions.

The discussion was the latest in a series being organised by Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies (NEFAS) in different parts of the Kingdom under its Educating the Young about Democracy Programme.

Some of the changes suggested were minor while some wanted additional chapters, requiring a change even in the higher secondary curriculum.

Kamal Pokhrel was one such participant. He said, “There have been attempts to undermine even Constitutional bodies like the monarchy by different elements. People should be educated on the implications of such trends,” he said.

Pokhrel felt that civic education had become an urgent need as basic norms of democracy have been tampered from different quarters including the very basis of the nation state. “Nepal’s border has moved for the first time after Sugauli treaty, whether in the Kalapani area or in Mechi, that too during the tenure of a democratic government. The book should include these aspects,” was his conclusion.

Ananda Acharya, political science teacher was one who saw democracy being undermined by its weaknesses. “There is a feeling that people are talking about looking for alternatives to multiparty democracy. We need to identify the weaknesses of the system, root them out and build on the positive aspects to save multiparty democracy. We need to share the blame for the criminalisation of politics by people’s representatives, because it is us that voted them to power.”

“We need to develop a national character which every citizen makes every effort to protect. Politics has remained the preservers of a few, it needs to reach all the people, the women, the oppressed and the marginalised. Politicians appear to be narrow minded and self-centred. They need to develop respect even to their opponents,” Acharya said.

“The seminar can have a great impact if your can go to the district level and make the people aware of their rights”, said Gokul Prasad Shrestha, a school teacher.

Bishnu Sharma Dahal, another teacher said, “Politics has been limited to power mongering. Only those who gather at Chhata Chowk of Dharan to discuss politics are not people, even those in the fields are people. Does a porter know what a Constitution is?”

“Other countries have education systems that teach students about their countries on every aspect of life. But our books have so far been vague,” he said.

Rajiv Shrestha, another teacher, said, “The term ‘majority’ needs to be defined properly and ‘minority’ should also be defined in the book. It is not quite clear as of now.”

“Building of moral character needs to be moulded as the society moves on. What kind of a character does democracy require? The book still appears a bit complicated and needs to be simplified further.”

Sabita Mallik, wanted to see the inclusion of conflicts of traditions and norms with the rights being promoted. “The book talks about the rights of people, but what if the traditions and norms start disappearing with the introduction of western values on rights,” she asked? The book needs to include the traditional aspect and show the need to preserve traditional norms along with acquiring new rights.

“Nepalipan needs to be preserved as we appear to be lacking in this,” she said.

Kumar Karki: the local campus chief saw problems in the very curriculum itself. “Do we have teachers who can teach the subjects of 10+2? Will the book not face the same problem that Panchayat and Nepal Parichaya faced, i.e. lack of teachers who are experts in the subject?”

The presentations were done by Prof. Ram Kumar Dahal, Dr. Krishna Bahadur Bhattachan and Lal Babu Yadav from the different chapters of the book titled “Contemporary Nepali Society” which includes content necessary for the civic education curriculum recently introduced for 10+2 students.

Ananda Shrestha, NEFAS executive director explained the rationale of the seminar at the start of the programme while Shiva Raj Dahal gave the vote of thanks.