on

“Understanding teaching , learning and assessment practices in Nepal in the context of Disasters”

Galli Galli is looking for an eligible and competent service provider to commission qualitative exploratory research on “Understanding teaching, learning and assessment practices in Nepal in the context of Disasters”.

Interested service providers are invited to submit their proposal at asernepal16@gmail.com or hardcopy (GPO Box 9434 Kathmandu) and should reach latest by 17:00, 3^rd September 2023 with subject “RFP Submission for research on Learning in the context of Disaster”.

For Terms of Reference (ToR) please click here.

For more details please call 01-5424815 [Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00].

for

facilitating logistics and service to re-engage with Learning Assessment Alliance, to conduct consultation meetings with stakeholders and establishing an accountability apparatus in Surkhet and Dailekh Districts

Galli Galli is looking for an eligible and competent service provider firm/company to provide logistics service to re-engage with Learning Assessment Alliance, to conduct consultation meetings with stakeholders and establishing an accountability apparatus in Surkhet and Dailekh Districts.

Interested service providers are invited to submit their proposal at asernepal16@gmail.com or hardcopy (GPO Box 9434 Kathmandu) and should reach latest by 17:00, 3^rd September 2023 with subject “RFP Submission to provide logistics service for re-engagement with assessment alliance and consultation meetings”.

For Terms of Reference (ToR) click here.

For more details please call 01-5424815 [Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00].

for

Consultancy service to conduct orientation to understand  “Voluntary National Review of Sustainable Development Goal 4 Quality Education in Nepal.

Galli Galli, Lalitpur based profit-not-distributing company, is looking for an eligible and competent service provider to conduct orientation to understand “Voluntary National Review of Sustainable Development Goal 4 Quality Education in Nepal.

Interested service providers are invited to submit their proposal at asernepal16@gmail.com or hardcopy (GPO Box 9434 Kathmandu) and should reach latest by 17:00, 7^th September 2023 with subject “RFP Submission for Consultancy to conduct orientation on “Voluntary National Review”.

For Terms of Reference (ToR) click here.

for a national seminar on

“Current Debates of Foundational Learning and Assessments”

Galli Galli is going to organize a one-day national seminar on “Current Debates of Foundational Learning and Assessments” on 24^th November 2023.

Interested authors are invited to submit their original articles at asernepal16@gmail.com and should reach latest by 17:00, 25^th October 2023 with subject “Article for National Seminar”. Only selected articles will be included in the seminar and the selected authors will be provided nominal honorarium as per organizational rule.

For Terms of Reference (ToR), Click here.

For details  call 01-5424815 [Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00].

I was introduced to CLA during the year zero of the South Asian Assessment Alliance: Communicating and Collaborating for change project, when I worked as a research intern at Street Child of Nepal to conduct a landscape analysis of learning assessments in Nepal. Not having worked in the education sector but having been the product of the education system of Nepal, understanding the problems faced in the education sector was quite comprehensible but being unaware of the solutions, I was attracted to this project since the project aimed to provide solutions for quality learning. This was when I learned about the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Citizen-led Assessment (CLA) in Nepal and globally as well.

The ASER’s hands-on experience was exciting, daunting yet inspiring. I got involved in all the assessment processes and activities both directly and indirectly. I feel fortunate enough to be engaged in this ASER 2022 cycle from the very beginning till the end. My involvement in CLA started with numerous literature reviews on citizen-led assessments and ASER reports from different countries. Then slowly I started exploring the current school curriculum, and textbook analysis of different grades 1, 2, and 3 particularly Math, English, and Nepali.

I underwent many question-and-answer sessions with my Program Manager to understand the process and to understand why we were doing what we were doing. There were training sessions organized by ASER Center (India), a pioneer in the ASER process, which further helped me to clarify some of my questions. The different training and learning modules were key to the ASER process and the materials and explanations provided by the trainer were informative and useful to implement in the context of Nepal.

We then developed the Testing Tools which were tested and retested in the field through pre-pilot and pilot assessments. I had not realized that developing testing tools was a repetitive test, and several rounds of revisions. But in the end, it was all well worth it since, in the final testing tool, we knew what the things we would be including and what we would be excluding.

When the testing tools were developed, I thought that the hardest part was over but it was not. Organizing training for volunteers in the community and collecting data in the rural areas of Nepal were one of the hardest parts of the ASER process. It was hardest because one needs to be wary of the local context. One of my major learnings is the importance of coordination with local education institutions and government, especially universities, to gather volunteers required for the ASER.  Recruiting, training, and mobilizing youths from the local level for assessment and survey also gives them hands-on experience to work in research and data collection. In addition to that, familiarity with the locality also supports them in data collection. The assessment experience in their community also provides them the knowledge of the situation of foundational learning in their locality.

After the data collection, we entered data in the system that needed to be checked, rechecked, and verified. The training provided by the ASER Center (India) came in handy to verify our data where needed. Later, we discussed back and forth, brainstorming on the required information that would be interesting and relevant to analysis and data presentation. After data analysis, we started working on report writing. For this, we also had several rounds of consultations with experts, brainstorming topics, and tables to be included and excluded in the report. We had the plan to disseminate the report in the rural municipality. We needed to present and write the report in simple language with a simple design for local people to understand.

After the report was completed, we thought dissemination in rural municipalities would be easier, but it was otherwise. Some of the leaders of the rural municipalities had difficulty accepting the results since they had not expected that the learning level would be so low. Plus, we also learned that engaging local authorities from the beginning of the ASER process would make report dissemination and the process easier. In our case in one of the rural municipalities, a change of leadership took place so the new leader was not aware of our process and so, when we went for report dissemination, the leader along with other local authorities asked us many questions about ASER and its process and finally agreed to give us time to talk about the report. Therefore, local authorities must be engaged in some way in the ASER process so that these authorities feel ownership of the evidence that is generated. The evidence on foundational learning status can also act as a basis for policy formulation for quality learning at the local level, hence their ownership of ASER is critical.

Through these various processes of ASER, I feel that I have become more skillful in conducting ASER in the future. I understand ASER fully, and engaging in various processes has further developed my analytical, reporting, research, and coordination skills. I am glad to be part of the assessment process as part of this project. The process has not only built the capacity of local volunteers and master trainers on CLA but has also developed my capacities in doing background work for ASER which is equally rigorous yet gratifying.

 As I am almost at the end of my 6 months internship with Galli Galli, I would like to share my experience. I applied for this internship with the objective to learn some organizational skills, teamwork, admin, finance-related work, and other professional skills required for my career and personal development.  

 While reflecting on my involvement with Galli Galli at this point, I believe that I have been able to achieve my objectives. This six-month internship has taught me about planning, giving attention to detail, analysis, documentation, writing professional emails, data entry, office management, record keeping, time management, and prioritizing to-do lists among others. On top of fine-tuning my interpersonal and organizational skills, I have also learned many more life lessons and skills from the team members whom I work with.

Apart from admin, finance, and operations, this internship has also exposed me to the world of children’s foundational learning and assessment through Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) –  Citizen-led Assessment (CLA). This has always been one of the areas of my interest. I have had great learning from this internship, and I know that I have to learn a lot more to be professional in this work sphere.

After spending time working with many different organizations, I can certainly say that Galli Galli has been a unique learning experience for me. It is an interesting with the combination of learning and working that helps employees to be versatile. My deepest appreciation and gratitude to Ms. Pramila Bisunke and Mrs. Jasmine Shakya for guiding, motivating, and supporting me at every step, as well as providing me with a warm and welcoming environment during the internship period. At the end I would like to say that the internship here for this short period of time has sharpened me for my personal life and professional career. 

Manisha Gahatraj

कर्णाली प्रदेश अन्तर्गत ५ ओटा जिल्लाका  ५ ओटा पालिकामा असर नेपाल र गल्ली गल्लीको संयुक्त पहलमा समुदायमा बालबालिकाहरुको सिकाई उपलब्धि मापनको लागि दिईएको तालिममा म पनि सहभागी हुन पाउँदा सर्वप्रथम धन्यवाद दिन चाहन्छु।    

यो तालिमको क्रममा नेपाल तथा अन्य देश विदेशमा रहेका नागरिकहरुले आफ्नै नेतृत्वमा गरिने सिकाई उपलब्धि मापनका विधिहरु के कस्ता छन् भनी प्रशिक्षक सर तथा मेमहरुले तीन दिनसम्म लगातार छलफल र फिल्डमा गएर गर्नु पर्ने सम्पूर्ण कार्यहरुको जानकारी गराउनु भयो त्यो अभ्यास मार्फत म आफैमा यस असर जस्तो कार्यसंग सम्बन्धित रहेर आफ्नो समुदायमा थुप्रै खालका काम गर्न उत्साहजनक विचारहरु सिर्जना भएका छन्।  

तालिम पश्चात म आफ्नो गाउँमा गएर सर्भेक्षण सुरु गर्नु पुर्व पालिकाको उपाध्यक्ष सहित विभिन्न सरोकारवालाहरुसंग भेटघाट गरि बालबालिकाहरुको सिकाईको अवस्थाको बारेमा व्यापक छलफल गरियो . त्यसपछि गाउँपालिकाको प्रत्येक वार्डबाट स्वयंसेवकहरु छनौट गरी जम्मा १८ जना स्वयंसेवकहरुलाई ३ दिन तालिम दियौ। त्यस पश्चात् गाउँमा सिकाई मापन सर्भेक्षण गराउन स्वयंसेवक खटाइयो । त्यस क्रममा हामी आफैंले सर्भेक्षण अनुगमन गर्न गयौं। सर्भेक्षण सिकाई उपलब्धि मापन सकेर आएको तथ्यांकको आधारमा त्यसको प्रारम्भिक प्रतिवेदन वार्ड न ५ का वार्ड अध्यक्ष जस्बिर ओलीज्युको अध्यक्षतामा र शिक्षा शाखा प्रमुख मान बहादुर बस्नेतज्युको  प्रमुख आतिथ्यतामा सिकाइ उपलब्धि मापन नतिजा सम्बन्धी  छलफल पनि भयो।

प्रमुख अतिथिहरुकै हातबाट सर्भेक्षणमा सहभागी स्वयंसेवकहरुलाई प्रमाण पत्र वितरण गरियो । हाम्रो पालिकामा सिकाइ उपलब्धी को अवस्था साह्रै न्यून रहेको यस सर्भेक्षणले देखाएको छ । यस कार्यक्रम पश्चात फेरी पनि पालिकामा सबै टिमसंग बसेर कार्यक्रम राम्रो रहेको र यसलाई अझै निरन्तरता दिने उहाँहरुले प्रतिबद्धता जनाउनु भएको छ। अन्तमा यस तालिममा सहभागी हुँदाका क्रममा सरल तथा सहजताका साथ मापन सामग्री तथा सम्पूर्ण सर्भेक्षणका बारेमा खुल्ला रुपमा तालिम प्रदान गर्नुहुने प्रमिला मेम, ललित सर, राजिब सर र अरुण सरलाई विशेष धन्यवाद ज्ञापन गर्दछुं।

सम्पुर्णमा मेरो नमस्कार !

सर्बप्रथम त म यस असर नेपालले एउटा अनुसन्धान विधिलाई नेपालमा संचालनमा ल्याउनुहुने टोलीलाई हृदय देखिनै धन्यवाद दिन चाहान्छु। किन भने यो असर नेपालले बालबालिकाहरुको सिकाई र सिकाईमा गरेका उपलब्धिहरु मापन सम्बन्धि धेरै कुराको जानकारी लिन सकियो ! सिकाई उपलब्धिमा रहेका असहजको कुराको मापन गरि कसरी सहज तर्फ लैजाने भन्ने कुराको महत्त्व बुझियो ।हाम्रो सामुदायमा बालबालिकाहरुले नेपाली, गणित ,अङ्ग्रेजी विषयहरुको पढाईको अवस्था कस्तो रहेछ त भन्ने कुरा र सिकाईमा गरेको उपलब्धि कसरी थाहा पाउन सकिन्छ र यसलाई कसरी मापन गर्न सकिन्छ भन्ने कुराहरु हामीले यस असर नेपालले दिएको ३ दिने तालिम बाट धेरै कुरा थाहा पाउन सकियो। यो तालिममा सहभागी हुन पाउँदा धेरै खुसी छु र अरु अझै धेरै बालबालिकाहरुलाई समेट्न पाएको भए झनै राम्रो हुने थियो भन्ने कुराको महसुस भईराखेको छ। यो कार्यक्रम मलाई धेरै नै राम्रो लागेको छ। र हजुर हरुले यो कार्यक्रम कर्णाली प्रदेशको ५ वटै जिल्लामा ल्याउनु हुनेछ भन्ने पुर्ण आशा राखेको छु। र यो असर नेपाल कर्णाली प्रदेशका विकट जिल्लाहरु सर्भेक्षणको सुरुवात गर्नु हुने टोलीको राजिब तिमल्सिना ,गल्ली गल्ली नामक गैह्रनाफामुलक संस्था, रोशन पोखरेल, प्रमिला बिसुके, ललित जंग शाही सर मेम सबै जनालाई मेरो पुनः धन्यवाद दिन चहान्छु ।

“Tell me & I will forget. Show me & I may remember. Involve me & I will understand.” Confucius 450BC.

It’s an honor and great pleasure for allowing me to take part in Early Learning & Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (ELANA).  It’s astonishing how people are capable of thinking over the hedge and ELANA has made me feel it.  Usually we live only for ourselves here and now but this project is futuristic which commits to upcoming generation.  The ELANA, which is being implemented in middle income global south countries including Nepal that requires direct child assessment. This is my first fresh experience which has forged a new meaning on classroom theory.  Many people asked me if this was related to my work or education and I answered ‘NO’ then again ‘Why, what do you gain?’ Because I want to step out of my boundary and try new. So, this opportunity gave me something new that’s out of my everyday personal and professional life by linking with new people, places, scope with different human approach and aids me as research student. Confronting entirely unknown people from different field was like chalk and cheese. Being a critical care nurse for past 7years I’ve learned much to handle life and death as being around children is not viable but the moment I got indulged, I was able to enjoy my time with children more than expected, also realized that harmonizing children is just as challenging.  I salute all teachers who spend every day with children because its oodles of effort and patience required to blend with them.  As a surveyor of ELANA field trial 1, conducting digital assessment on tablet felt much easy and effective. Children seemed keen to participate with us.  The booklets were child friendly and attractive. Though it requires few changes and all the surveyors have given feedback, it was appropriate and well-built set for the child assessment.  I am grateful towards Ellaine Memorial School for allowing us to collect the data in the school. I am not sure if I have actually been able to fully meet the objective of FT 1 or not, it surely was a step for me to build my experience, confidence and knowledge in the field of child assessment. My heartfelt gratitude to Rotaract Club a local partner in this initiation, ASER Nepal hosted by Galli Galli and all my fellow surveyors from the ELANA team. Many regards to Rajib Timalsina sir for your motivational briefing and Pramila sis for your valuable guidance and support throughout the survey process.

Thank you.

(केनिशा अधिकारी, कक्षा–७, सेन्ट जेभिर्यस स्कुल, जावलाखेलमा अध्ययनरत छिन्)

‘महिनावारी भएकै कारणले पोहोर साल मैले दसैंमा टीका लाउन पाइनँ,’ कक्षा सातमा पढ्ने एक विद्यार्थीले भनिन्।

एक गैरसरकारी संस्थाले आयोजना गरेको भर्चुअल कार्यक्रममा उनले त्यस्तो भनाइ राखिरहँदा मेरो मन अमिलियो। ९ देखि १६ वर्षका बालिकाहरू सहभागी उक्त कार्यक्रममा महिलालाई समाजले बुझ्ने र हेर्ने दृष्टिकोण लगायत यसका चुनौतीका बारेमा पनि छलफल गराइएको थियो। अझै पनि महिनावारीलाई प्राकृतिक प्रक्रियाका रूपमा मात्र स्वीकार्न सकिरहेको अवस्था छैन।

नेपालको विभिन्न भूभाग खासगरी पश्चिमभेगमा निकै जरो गाडेर बसेको यो परम्पराले आधुनिक सहरको पहिचान बोकेको राजधानीलाई समेत छोड्न सकेको छैन। विश्वकै शक्तिशाली मुलुक अमेरिकाको एक सहरमा रहेकी मेरी आफन्त दिदीलाई पनि महिनावारी हुँदा ११ दिन लुकाइएको सुनेकी थिएँ।

मेरो महिनावारी हुनुअघि नै त्यो सुन्दा म छक्क पर्दै मामुबाबासँग किन यसो गरिन्छ भनेर सोधेकी थिएँ। संसारको जुनसुकै कुनामा भए पनि खासगरी हाम्रो समाजलाई पुरातन र रुढीवादी सोचले छाडेको छैन भन्ने भान मलाई भयो।

‘सधैं झैं घरमै सानोतिनो पूजा लगाएर मेरो जन्मदिन मनाउने चलन छ। तर यसपालि महिनावारी भएकै कारण यो अवसर गुम्यो,’ अर्की एक सहभागीको पीडा थियो।

यी प्रतिनिधि मात्र हुन्। यस्ता धेरै उदाहरण हाम्रो समाजमा छन्। अझ मेरी मामु, अन्य मेरा नातेदारका अग्रजका कुरा सम्झिँदा पनि आङ नै जिरिंग भएर आउँछ।

महिनावारीलाई अझै पनि लाज र शरमको विषय बनाएर खुलेआम कुरा गर्ने वातावरण बनिसकेको छैन। यदि महिनावारी लाजको विषय हो र महिलालाई महिनावारी नै नहुँदो हो त के सृष्टि सम्भव छ त? यो सोचनीय विषय हो।

साधारण रुघाखोकी जस्तै गरी यो विषयलाई लिने हो भने यो त महिलाको अभिन्न अंश नै हो। यस विषयलाई महिलाले मात्र नभई हरेक पुरुषले पनि बुझ्नु र बुझाउनु उत्तिकै जरुरी छ। हुन त, प्रायः घरमा समेत स्यानिटरी प्याड देखिने गरी राखिँदैन। र उक्त प्याड किन्ने बेलामा पसलमा केटा मानिस नभएको अवस्था पारेर र सकेसम्म पत्रिकाले बेरेर ल्याउने गरिन्छ।

महिनावारीकै कारण दैनिक जीवन नै प्रभावित हुनु र साधारण सेवाबाट वन्चित हुनु भनेको महिलाको अधिकार खोसिए बराबर हो।

विगत केही समयदेखि महिनावारीलाई समाजले हेर्ने दृष्टिकोणमा विस्तारै परिवर्तन भने देखिन थालेको छ। सबैले आआफ्नो तर्फबाट परिवर्तन ल्याउन सम्भव पनि छ।

संयुक्त परिवारमा जन्मेर हुर्किँदै गरेकी म ११ वर्षकी हुँदा पहिलो पटक महिनावारी भएँ। चेतनाको कुनै कमी थिएन। तर, पनि मनको कुनै कुनामा थियो कतै हजुरबा र हजुरआमाले पुरानै परम्परा पछ्याउँदै अँध्यारो कोठामा धेरै दिन पो लुकाउनु हुन्छ कि?

२१ औं शताब्दीमा आएर पनि यस्तो परम्परागत सोच विस्तारै हटाउँदै लानुपर्छ भन्दै मेरो हजुरबा-हजुरआमा स्वयंले मेरो महिनावारीलाई सामान्य रूपमा लिनुभयो। फलस्वरुप मैले ती दिनहरू उहाँहरूकै काखमा बसीबसी अन्य दिनसरह बिताएँ।

तर पनि मन्दिर र भान्छा भने सात दिनका लागि बन्द नै रहे मेरा लागि। विस्तारै यो सोच पनि परिवर्तन हुनेछ भन्नेमा म विश्वस्त छु। किनकी एकै पटकको परिवर्तन असम्भव झैं लाग्छ। र, यसले विद्रोहलाई निम्त्याउन पनि सक्छ।

महिनावारी भएका महिलालाई सहज वातावरण बनाइदिन उल्लेख्य रूपमा केही गर्न पर्दैन। मेरो घरमा जस्तै सहज वातावरण तय गरिदिनुको साथै बाहिर पनि पर्याप्त सार्वजनिक शौचालय, पर्याप्त पानी र सम्भव छ भने प्याड उपलब्ध गरादिने हो भने रुढिवादी अवस्था स्वतः परिवर्तन हुँदै जाने देख्छु।

विद्यालयमा महिनावारी बारे दिइएको शिक्षाले पहिलो महिनावारीमा मलाई सहज बनाएको थियो। यस्तै सहज म जस्ता अन्यले पनि पाउनुपर्छ।