Education – A Story of My Childhood

Does Privatization in Education Create Two-Class Citizens?

I largely agree that privatization in education creates two classes of citizens, although I think this is true only to the extent that the state fails to do its duty.

In Nepal, private (institutional) schools usually have better buildings, smaller classes, English-medium teaching, computer labs and extra-curricular activities. Community (public) schools, on the other hand, often suffer from a lack of teachers, laboratories and learning materials. Because private schools charge high fees, only well-off families can send their children there. As a result, children of rich families receive a better education, find good jobs or go abroad for study, while children of poor families, who study in weaker schools, are left behind. In this way, a gap in income becomes a gap in opportunity and a social division is created between those who can speak English fluently and those who cannot.

Even so, privatization has some advantages. Private schools have raised the overall standard of education by creating competition, and they have taken a great financial burden off the government by teaching millions of students. They offer parents choice and often use modern teaching methods. Some also give scholarships to talented but poor students.

The problems, however, are serious. High fees, donations and costly uniforms and books put pressure on parents. Education sometimes becomes a business whose main aim is profit rather than learning. Poor students are denied equal opportunity, which goes against the spirit of the Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory basic education.

The government therefore has a vital responsibility. It must improve community schools by providing trained teachers, buildings, libraries, science labs, internet access and free meals. It should regulate private schools by controlling fees and checking quality, and it should require them to give a fixed percentage of free seats to poor and marginalised children. Teachers in public schools must be made accountable and given training.

In conclusion, private schools are not bad in themselves, but without strong public education they divide society. If the government provides equal quality education for all, the two-class system can be ended.

Although she worked hard, she didn't pass her exam.

"Although" introduces the contrasting clause; the sentence can also be written as "She didn't pass her exam although she worked hard."

As a part of the project work, the students had to work physically. Therefore, they requested their teacher to stop studying.

The word "study" is wrong. After the verb "stop", the gerund "studying" is used for the activity that is stopped.

To help me calm down, the teacher advised me to put several cabbages in the room where I practise.

After "help me", the bare infinitive "calm" is used (not "calming" or "to calming"); "advised me" takes the to-infinitive "to put"; and "practise" is the verb form (the spelling "practice" is the noun).

despite (or in spite of)

He couldn't score a good GPA in the exam despite his brilliance.

The connective shows contrast between brilliance and the poor result, and takes a noun phrase.