Inauguration session of 6th International Teachers Conference on "Peace, Respect, Access and Partnership in Nepali Education"

L and G, Jan 5: A three day long international teachers education conference on “Peace, Respect, Access and Partnership in Nepali Education” organized by Saraswati Teacher’s Training Resource and Research Center (STRC) opened today at Shuvatara School, Sanepa.

Welcoming participants at the inaugural session on January 3rd, Mrs. Rani Gurung Kakshapati co-founder of STRC said, “Teachers are the most important people in the world who can bring change.” She stressed on values of sharing and caring that need to be inculcated in our culture of education. 

The conference strives to deliberate on a shared vision of the needs and modalities of a creative, effective and realistic peace curriculum for Nepali schools through sessions on themes including Strategies for gaining respect in the classrooms, Socio emotional learning for children, Crossing borders and bringing respect back to pedagogy, Peace education in classroom settings, Keeping girls in school and Conflict transformation approach among others.

In his keynote address, Dr. Richard Johnson, Faculty of Art and Education from Deakin University, Melbourne said, “Teachers need to speak up and not wait for someone else to do it.” His five key messages to teachers were on - Speaking up, Intercultural teaching, Discussing their teaching practices, Demonstrating with evidence and Pedagogy of respect.

Chief Guest Hon. Prof. Tirtha Khaniya, member of National Planning Commission stressed that education needs to be made a priority and political will is key in bringing reform. He said, “Ultimately, it is teachers who can bring reform in classrooms, not ministry officials.” Prof. Khaniya also expressed keen interest in receiving the outcomes and recommendations of the conference to incorporate in national policy.  

From Jan 3^rd to Jan 5^th, the conference will feature a range of paper presentations and workshops by resource persons from Australia, India and Nepal and will be attended by teachers, principals, managers and other decision makers from private, government and community schools in and out of Kathmandu. For the first time members of the corporate and business communities will also participate in the conference.