Whether private or government, colleges are meant to be the platforms for individuals to be groomed for developing the nation. However, in the present context, private colleges are garnering much attention and social respect as compared to public colleges.
“I prefer private colleges because the classes are held regularly, unlike in government colleges,” says Arati Tiwari, 24, who has experiences of studying in both private as well as public institutions. She shares that while studying in a government college, she couldn’t concentrate on her studies much because many of her classmates were engaged in politics, and due to this, classes wouldn’t be conducted regularly.
“There weren’t enough infrastructures, like proper chairs and tables, computer labs and libraries in the college I attended,” she reminisces. “If students were slightly late for classes, they would have to stand up and listen to the lecturers the entire period as there weren’t enough chairs for the students admitted.”
Arati also felt that teachers weren’t dedicated enough to provide proper guidance to the students. “While in the private college I attended, teachers were like parents and gave necessary academic and professional guidelines,” she remarks.But for many students, like those belonging to lower economic status, there is no option but to attend a government college, observes Bishow Deep Dhungana, 24. Currently a postgraduate student of Business Studies at Shanker Dev Campus at Putali Sadak, he has many classmates who have come from all across the country for the course.
“Many students come to Kathmandu to pursue higher education from different parts of Nepal and they cannot afford to invest a lot in education as they also have to take care of accommodation and food expenses,” he says.
Private colleges are too expensive; the same course can be completed in a government college in less than half the amount as that of the private institutions, he observes.
Unlike what Arati experienced, Bishow feels that studying at a public college means getting chances to network with old and experienced professors, which most private institutions cannot facilitate.
Yadav Raj Sharma, Assistant Professor at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus in Bag Bazaar, agrees with Bishow. “Since many professors of government colleges also teach at private institutions, the quality of education in both private and public colleges isn’t that different,” he observes.
Further highlighting on the advantage of studying in a government college, he opines, “People from diverse backgrounds and cultures from different parts of the country attend public colleges that are comparatively cheaper. This way, students can interact with each other and learn about different cultures and lifestyles of the country,” he adds.
Sarita Joshi, 29, who also has experiences of studying both in private and public colleges, feels that the government colleges aren’t that inefficient, after all.
“Students become more independent if they study in a public college. The teachers don’t keep nagging them for assignments and studies, and won’t spoon-feed them like in private colleges,” she observes. She adds that students will work on their own while doing assignments and researches independently, and learn a lot more.
However, there are many aspects the government colleges need to bring about changes in, she shares. The government should emphasize on recruiting hardworking and dedicated teachers, she suggests. “And more budget should be allocated for the infrastructures in the colleges so that they meet the standards of education as provided in private colleges,” she adds.
Since a large percentage of the population of the country relies on government colleges for education, bringing about necessary changes in such colleges to ensure quality education will be beneficial for the development of the nation as a whole, she concludes.
source: republica,10 july 2014
