Teacher Service Commission — Secondary Level Teacher (Grade 3rd)

1. Ways of Using Online Platforms to Teach Language Skills at the Secondary Level (5 marks)

Online platforms can be used to develop all four language skills — listening, speaking, reading and writing — if they are used purposefully rather than as a substitute for teaching. The following are practical ways:

a. Listening skill

• Upload or share recorded audio/video (podcasts, BBC Learning English, VOA Special English, Nepali English news bulletins) on Google Classroom, YouTube or Viber groups.
• Assign pre-listening, while-listening and post-listening tasks (gap-filling, true/false, note-taking) through Google Forms.
• Use Zoom/Google Meet for live dictation, story listening and "listen and repeat" drills.

b. Speaking skill

• Conduct short live sessions on Zoom/Google Meet/Teams for role-play, dialogue, debate, picture description and interview practice.
• Ask students to record their own voice (mobile recorder, WhatsApp voice message, Flipgrid) on a given topic and submit it for feedback.
• Use voice-note feedback so learners hear correct pronunciation, stress and intonation.

c. Reading skill

• Post reading texts, e-books, online newspapers (The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal) and graded readers on Google Classroom or a class blog.
• Use hyperlinks and QR codes so students can open texts on their mobile phones.
• Give online quizzes (Google Forms, Quizizz, Kahoot) on comprehension, vocabulary and inference.

d. Writing skill

• Use Google Docs for collaborative writing, peer editing and teacher comments.
• Assign e-mail writing, diary writing, paragraph and essay writing through Google Classroom; give written feedback with a rubric.
• Encourage a class blog or Facebook group where students publish their writing for a real audience.

e. General principles

• Blend online work with face-to-face teaching (flipped classroom): send video/reading before class, practise in class.
• Keep tasks short, level-appropriate and linked to the curriculum.
• Ensure access for all — use low-data options (audio, text, WhatsApp), pair students who lack devices, and give offline alternatives.
• Give clear instructions, deadlines and regular feedback; monitor participation.
• Maintain cyber safety and netiquette rules.

2. A Local Story of My Culture for the YouTube Channel (5 marks)

Story: "The Clever Jackal and the Foolish Tiger" (a folk tale from the Chitwan–Nawalparasi Tarai)

Once upon a time, in a dense sal forest near the Rapti River, there lived a fierce tiger. He was proud of his strength and always boasted, "I am the king of this forest. No one is cleverer than me."

One day the tiger caught a thin jackal. The jackal was frightened, but he thought quickly. He said, "O great king, I am too small for your meal. But I know a place where a fat goat is tied. Let me show you."

The tiger believed him. The jackal led him to a deep, old well covered with dry leaves. "The goat is inside," said the jackal. The tiger jumped in and fell to the bottom. He roared and roared, but no one pulled him out. The jackal ran away safely and told all the animals, "Strength without wisdom is useless."

Value for teaching and learning English at the Secondary level

1. Moral value: It teaches that wisdom is greater than physical strength — useful for character education and discussion.
2. Listening and speaking: The story can be played as an audio/video; students retell it, act it out in role-play, or hold a debate on "Is brain more powerful than brawn?"
3. Reading: A printed or on-screen version can be used for comprehension questions (who, what, why, how).
4. Writing: Students can rewrite the story in their own words, change the ending, or write a dialogue between the jackal and the tiger.
5. Vocabulary and grammar: Words such as fierce, boast, frightened, dense, wisdom and structures like past simple and direct speech can be taught from the text.
6. Cultural value: It preserves local Tarai folk culture, builds pride in Nepali oral tradition, and gives learners meaningful, familiar content while learning English.
7. Digital skill: Uploading to YouTube with title, description and subtitles develops students' digital literacy and confidence.

(b) Problems and challenges in using ICT tools for teaching mathematics in Nepal, and suggestions

Major problems and challenges (2.5)

1. Poor infrastructure and connectivity: Many community schools, especially in rural and remote districts, lack reliable electricity, internet bandwidth and even computers. Load-shedding and weak signals make online classes and software-based teaching irregular.

2. High cost and economic inequality: Smartphones, laptops, data packs and licensed software are costly for poor families. This creates a digital divide between private and public schools, and between rich and poor students, so ICT-based learning becomes a privilege of a few.

3. Lack of technical skill and digital literacy: A large number of mathematics teachers have not received proper ICT training. They cannot operate apps such as GeoGebra, Desmos, spreadsheets or learning platforms confidently, so they continue with the chalk-and-talk method.

4. Inadequate and irregular teacher training: In-service ICT training is short, one-time and not subject-specific. There is no follow-up or mentoring, so teachers forget the skills and cannot integrate ICT with the mathematics curriculum.

5. Lack of curriculum-based, Nepali-language digital content: Most apps and videos are in English and based on foreign curricula. There is very little digital material matching the CDC syllabus, local context and Nepali language, so teachers find it difficult to use ICT meaningfully.

6. Abstract nature of mathematics: Concepts like geometry, algebra, trigonometry and calculus need stepwise reasoning and practice. Poorly designed ICT tools or mere video watching cannot develop these skills; students become passive viewers.

7. Distraction and classroom management: When students use mobile phones, they are easily distracted by games and social media. Teachers cannot monitor every screen, and this reduces the effectiveness of the lesson.

8. Lack of maintenance and technical support: Devices break down, projectors fail and there are no nearby technicians or maintenance budget. Schools cannot repair or replace equipment in time.

9. Digital divide and unequal access: Girls, differently-abled students and marginalized groups often have less access to devices. The gap between "haves" and "have-nots" widens learning inequality.

10. Weak policy implementation and monitoring: Although policies emphasise ICT in education, budget allocation, teacher incentives, monitoring and follow-up from local governments and education offices remain weak. Many teachers also resist change due to technophobia and the extra workload.

Suggestions (2.5)

1. Strengthen infrastructure: Federal, provincial and local governments should ensure electricity (with solar backup), broadband internet and well-equipped ICT labs in every secondary school, prioritising remote areas.

2. Make ICT affordable: Provide subsidised or free devices to poor and marginalized students, free or low-cost educational data packages, and open-source/free software (GeoGebra, Desmos, Khan Academy, PhET) instead of costly licensed software.

3. Continuous, subject-specific teacher training: Organise regular in-service training, refresher courses and mentoring on how to teach specific mathematics topics using ICT. Include ICT integration in B.Ed./M.Ed. mathematics curricula and in TPD programmes.

4. Develop local digital content: CDC and curriculum experts, with teachers and IT professionals, should produce Nepali-language, curriculum-aligned digital lessons, videos, interactive worksheets and GeoGebra applets for each unit.

5. Adopt blended learning: Use ICT only where it adds value — GeoGebra for geometry and graphs, spreadsheets for statistics, simulations for probability — and combine it with guided practice, discussion and problem solving.

6. Establish technical support and maintenance: Form district-level technical support teams, allocate a maintenance budget in school funds, and train at least one teacher as an ICT coordinator in each school.

7. Awareness and digital citizenship: Conduct orientation for parents and students on responsible, ethical and limited use of devices; frame clear classroom rules for mobile phone use.

8. Partnership and funding: Promote public–private partnership, CSR support from telecom and banking sectors, and donor/NGO support for equipment, training and content development.

9. Ensure equity: Give special attention to girls, differently-abled and disadvantaged students through targeted device support, offline materials and community access centres.

10. Monitoring and motivation: Local governments and education offices should monitor ICT integration, include it in teacher performance evaluation, and reward innovative teachers; teacher networks and online professional communities should be encouraged to share resources and experiences.