Please do not disturb

 It is not that I hate concerts. I enjoy them a lot. I remember the time of my school days when I never used to miss any concert in Biratnagar. I used to travel 40 km just to see 1974AD band members and Robin Tamang live. Not only then, I still enjoy them a lot. The entrance of Bryan Adams and MLTR with the cheap excuse was wholeheartedly welcomed by my heart, and I know that when such international artists come here, there has to be a grand lightning system, sound system and stage.
But at a point it dissatisfies me. It is understandable that the organisers have struggled a lot to bring international artists to Nepal, but why are they really ignoring the life of other normal citizens? Did anyone ever think what must have been going on in the minds of the patients at Bir Hospital while the concert was being held? Did it occur to anyone that they must have been disturbed? When the sound of the concert at Dasharath Stadium could be heard all the way to Putali Sadak and Old Baneshwor, no one can deny the fact that the patients nearby must have got disturbed.
There are various complaints when neighbours turn up the volume of their music systems, but why don’t they care about such issues during concerts? Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of international music, and I understand the necessity of loud music at any concert. The louder the music, the more the fun. But there can be other alternatives like seeking another appropriate place. Such open places may not be available for grand concerts, but they must not create trouble in normal living lives as well.
Places a bit far from the centre of town, like Bhaktapur or Dhulikhel or around Kirtipur or around Kakani, where there will be comparatively less disturbance, can be preferred. There used to appear questions when concerts were organised at the Jawalakhel ground for animal’s rights, now this indeed is amazing regarding why the concerned department becomes silent when it is for human rights. The entrance of such international celebrities is a positive thing for Nepal, and more such events must be organised. But let that not disturb the other world. I really get frustrated when there is a marriage party going on near my house, and I am sick because of the sounds. Anyone can imagine what a difficult time the patients and their relatives at nearby hospitals must be going through with the ear-shattering music. Let the concert be enjoyed by the participants, and let it not trouble others. Happy listening.

Published in The Kathmandu Post under Post Platform on December 19.2012

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School Phobia

   ‘Please mom! I don’t want to go school’. Are you familiar to these types of cries? Or is it that your child says ‘Mom! I am not well’ at the time of putting uniform? There may be various excuses that a child makes before going to school. It’s never wise thing to scold or threaten them at such time. It becomes a responsibility to figure out why? This can be a warning to all the parents regarding the obstacle for the bright future of the child.
            Your child may not like the environment of school because of the bullying problem. Because it sounds stupid reason, your child might not be trying to explain regarding it. Anyone can imagine regarding it. Will a matured person as well remain satisfied if he is being teased by his boss, other members in the office? So this can be one of the reasons why child hates school. If it is the main thing, parents need to take necessary initiative as well, that maybe either by changing the school or talking to the administration. Other reason might be that the friends of your child don’t belong to his or her category. Their topics of talk, interest don’t match. This will create loneliness for your child. This problem can be easily figured out through minor initiative. All parents need to watch is if their child has got friends or not. It can be depicted through phone calls that your child receives or through the team sporty act. It can also be that the child has been lagged behind in studies and it is difficult for him to catch it. Jus consider, if your child don’t know how to a hand over the course where he is today is that he needs to do simplification. It’s much obvious that the child will be empty minded at such case. And he will not be able to understand simplification, no matter how hard he try. This will certainly create trouble at the time of his class works and homework’s and is much more likely for the child to have negative vision of teacher. This corrupts teacher-student relation. For a medium class family, if the child is admitted in hi Fi School, the child may have the feeling that he is not as smart as others. ‘All other comes school in their car, and I have to go on foot’. This sort of feeling as well can create trouble in those young minds. From the broad vision, the environment of the school, friend’s circle, stress given by school on studies can be the basic reasons why a child hates school. I remember my sister who always used to cry before going to school. Later when the school was changed, the problem erased and she improved her studies as well.
                     One major problem regarding the education system in Nepal is that we focus only on theoretical knowledge which keeps us behind when we have to compete with the external world. There definitely exists some entertaining ways to teach children how to learn. Various games are there, It will be a good idea for sure if we teach “A for Apple “and give them apple to eat. But the system we undergo is we explain A for apple and compel them to mug up. Even at secondary level, the course has been designed in such a way that student have to mug up the life cycle of fern, but I wonder in how many places it is exactly shown. So implementing practical side is one best way. It’s common thing for any teacher not to notice one particular student out of the mass. But this can create a problem. Proper distribution of students in class and proper notice to each and every student is required. A teacher should be full friendly with students. Ah! I remember my school, where teacher used to check our vest and if its not of white color, they used to punish. All of us used to hate teacher. What’s wrong with the vest inside that we wear? Okay, checking nail, handkerchief is considerable but what is wrong with the vest? School should never implement such stupid rules. Pressures simply burden students. Schools should never give pressures to the students. Homework, class work should never create pressure on them.  Why cannot you think of changing the school if your children totally hates the life within the school? Maybe new environment is what your child wants, with new identity and that could let him to forget his old identification.

                   Two parties, school and parents are equally responsible for giving birth to the problem of school phobia in the students. A mutual understanding among a child, teacher and parents is necessary to drag the assents of nation in a correct and right path.

Published in The Rising Nepal on Friday Supplement on November 23.12

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