Nature of Children

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

The nature of children is quite unique and odd which we can find much different according to time and context. They have performed quite unique behaviors which we can’t guess in normal situation. The nature of children makes me puzzle and I have even learnt some lesson from them. The thing which we see impossible would be done by the children with their own style.

I am a school teacher so I have seen such different activities of them. I went school at 8.00am yesterday and spent sometimes in office reading newspaper and doing some official works. It was raining; sometimes it stopped and sometimes it was drizzling. As the weather was uneven we should look after the children neither would they play in the water ignoring the harmful effects from it. The children take water and mud as their friends which aren’t liked by adults. The children have got much pleasure and they feel joyous to play with these things. They don’t care what would happen rather they do what they have seen.

Child psychologists proved that children can think one thing at a time. It comes true when I observed the nature of children. I had been staying in the ground taking umbrella and asked all the students to stay inside class room. Some of them stayed inside the room but some of them had been looking at me only. I thought they had been waiting chance to come out and play in the rain.

I had been warning one of the students that he couldn’t go to the vehicle from the mud which was heaped in the ground. We have got mud heaped in the ground for construction. Despite my warning the boy had gone from the mud and his leg was sunk down. He couldn’t pull his shoes out which was left in the mud and I had to go to take that out.

It made me think that the boy had seen only the vehicle. He thought to reach at first than other friends so he had run like that. Since he had targeted to go to the vehicle, he couldn’t think about other things. He had done it so spontaneously that made me realize that children are too much innocent and emotional. The thing which we take impossible would be possible by them. They have done it all of a sudden; neither can we think; nor can we do.

So the behavior of the children made me puzzle that they are emotional rather than careless. They have the habit of doing anything at any cost what they have thought. I have seen that class one student has competed with the class five student. They have the sense that they shouldn’t be loser among others. It reflects the childish nature. Neither they know the future consequence nor do they care about their condition. They just think about present and fight for that so that they are living carefree life.

Neither do they have enmity, nor do they have friendship with their colleagues. Though they fight today, they would be friends tomorrow. They have the habit of forgetting enmity among them so they always remain happy and friendly. They don’t mind what their friends have done. If someone beat them, they will return that either they may be weak or strong. So the nature of children is unique, interesting, odd, and so on.

The thing which we think impossible can be possible to them. If they see something they do that without thinking about the future consequence. They have the habit of doing it so they have proved themselves as the courageous or adventurous man among his/her friends. Hence the habit of children guides adults as William Wordsworth quoted “child is father of the man”. 

Incendiarism in School Bus

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

There was havoc yesterday that I got call from bus driver who had gone to bring students at 8.00am. He called me from the way that one of the school buses was torched by some gang of students. I didn’t hear any such rumor before; if they had declared bandh (strike) it would have been known sometimes already. The driver asked me what he should do; I suggested going on the way because I hadn’t heard any such rumor before. However, it created a kind of havoc to all the persons who had heard that.

The driver transferred cell phone to a junior police officer to explain about the incident. The police explained to me that one of the organizations, Young Communist League had done such activity. They hadn’t declared bandh already and it happened all of a sudden according to the police. He stated that they had their duty to inform us and we had to decide what should be done. My decision was that we could go ahead and I delivered the message to the driver. The other fact was that First Terminal Examination has been going on so we had to conduct the examination at any cost.

Till the bus didn’t return to the school, I had been undergoing mental torture. When the bus was in the school premise, I felt released. Torching flame in school is a heinous activity which the students had done that. Actually they aren’t students in reality. The underlying fact is that they have bargained for donation. I guessed that the so-called students have gone to ask money in the name of donation and the school would be unable to pay for the money so they set fire in the school bus. Some people have such job that they go to ask money in private schools if they don’t have anything to do in the name of organization. When they haven’t got money they would set fire in school bus.

On the other hand, I have seen on facebook that the authentic organization had released press statement stating that there was no connection of the organization with the incident. On the other hand, the new came that the students claimed that they belonged to the same organization and some leaflets had been also found from the spot. The question came who the people were. Actually, it’s a good pretention from their side. Their cadres have been habituated to raise money in the name of organization; when they didn’t have money they would go to school for money. If they didn’t get money, they would do such activities as they are above than law.

This is a good example of the failed state. The state can’t arrest these persons who have been involved in such activities. Such persons have the habit of asking money with schools threatening administrators. If schools haven’t given money, they would do these sorts of activities. It is evident that private schools are in the quagmire of threats, extortion, violence and so on from some gangsters. They didn’t have any sympathy towards students and their future; rather they are ready to exchange the future of innocent children with money.

I have seen these persons staying idle around tea shops or pubs. They have been staying throughout the day without jobs. Certainly, they need money be sustained and they have targeted to private schools. They have the habit of getting money doing nothing. The government can’t punish them as they have been covered with politics. These people think that they have owned all state mechanism in their fist. Thus they have courage to do such activities.

The motto of students’ union should have to instruct or facilitate schools to promote educational quality. They can demand to frame policies with the government to make education more practical to deal with the existing problems of the country. In our country, the task of such Unions seems to raise money; if not, they set fire in the school bus.

It is clear that the system of the country is out of order. Unless the state and society along with political parties can’t improve such condition, we would be far back in the process of development. Education is the key to development either it may be given by private or public. Everything depends on the government policy and people should be assistant or advisor to the government. Anyway, we shouldn’t involve in such activities which has no single positive message at all. 

Professional Ethics

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Last time I visited a solicitor who is from my village. We have been living in Kathmandu, capital city of Nepal, and we have good relation. I thought that he would help me in all aspects, so I went to him for help. At the first visit he shifted his duty to his colleague who has been together with him. I understood that he wanted to shift his duty to that man whom I hadn’t known at all. I have the concept that he had shifted that to another person for bargaining.

I got short time period so that I had left the document and returned back. Next day I followed him due to the time constrain and he admitted me differently. He had told me that I have been grumbling with him so it would be difficult to work. I also told him that it would be better not to work. I thought to change the solicitor but three days’ time was already spent out of seven days. So I couldn’t think about other possibility rather I had to make the work done.

I thought to change him and I didn’t talk anymore with him; rather I consulted others that the work what he had done could be shifted to others. Since I could easily change the solicitor, I thought to complete the work first being inferior to him. Though I wanted to test him once whether his attitude had been changed or not. I gave him one month’s chance to look at his attitude. I didn’t find any improvement and then I went to the next one.

In this matter, I want to discuss the professional ethics of that solicitor. He was a man from Chitwan who had reserved quality. He listened to me on the first day that helped to recognize his as a cold man. The man who facilitated me should have told something about me to him so he had also treated me somehow differently. I stayed adaptive at first evaluating his attitudes to me which was totally negative. From this time, I had formed negative attitude towards him. Or he might have thought that he could treat me the way he liked. I didn’t like his behavior at all as I had already been haunted from first visit.

I got the materials just before a day and they told me that I had to pay for typing and printing. I told him that I had computer and printer I could do that if they didn’t have computer man. The man intentionally told to his colleague, “He could type himself and it would be better to return back”. I thought that I could also treat him how he had treated me. So I didn’t speak anything to him rather took the paper paying money to the typist.

I evaluated that the man had no professional ethics at all. He had also shown some weaknesses once while talking that he had no experience regarding the issue. He said, “I did it some years before”. I also enquired him if he had no such experience in this case. He boastfully said that he had more than 35 years of experience. I also couldn’t praise his writing neither did I find amiable behavior from his. He had behaved so rudely that helped me to form even more negative attitude towards him. Then I didn’t have any chance to go there.

The professional ethics is that one should be able to convince his/her clients as far as possible. He had done nothing at all rather he told that he had no interest in payment. If so, why did he do such job? He told me that he had sons and daughters in USA or Australia also. I didn’t take his attitude positive to and thought to cut off the relation. 

Adult Learning

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Adult learning is a latest concept in education field which was known as non-formal learning in the past. Non-formal learning has got its area as one of the important aspects in education field. The policy makers and governments of the world have been focusing on it due to the benefit it has ensured for national development. It has encompassed a broader area like school education because the persons who haven’t attended school in their prime age can have such knowledge in their adult age.

This concept was much popular in Western countries in the 80s decade. They have framed plans and policies to deal with the adults either they have educated or uneducated. Educated people even can learn more in their life through non-formal learning. It means they have learnt different skills which may not covered by their education. Or they may have chosen some different areas of interest so that they would get knowledge of it. Mostly adult learning has focused on vocational type of education or skills. So it is much fruitful for the adults who want to be self-employed.

On the other hand, uneducated people have also got golden chance to find job through adult learning. They have the chance to learn reading as well as vocational skills to sustain their life. The governments have focused on it due to the double benefits they have got. It makes people educated as well as helps to contribute for national economy. Their reading mostly targeted to create job and adults have also interest to read for the purpose of earning. So the concept of adult learning is much effective while implementing.

The developed countries have focused on such education like school education; whereas developing countries still can’t pay attention on it. The developing countries have been busy in their internal political problem or they don’t have budget to conduct such educational programs. The non-formal concept of education came into effect with the concept of making the old people engage in their life who are thought unproductive.

If they have known to read and write they will be able to create job themselves. The purpose of adult learning is not only making people read and write but also helps them to find job of their interested field. For example it is an area specific reading or teaching. If any area has the possibility of producing traditional bamboo materials, adult learning can focus on such area and makes people aware about the importance of these materials and try to identify the market. Along with this local knowledge can be shared to all others by local adults in which adult learning program can be a facilitator.

On the other hand, people have the chance to identify their indigenous knowledge and skills with the help of adult learning. They can identify their skills and programs that can facilitate adults to deal with the market. So adult learning has direct connection to identifying the area of employment and transfer of such skills to others. Thus it helps people to get better income opportunity in their life. At last it also helps old people to be active identifying various options which they can choose with their interest. 

Duty

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Duty is duty whether is of less or high in quality, quantity, and in payment. We should fulfill our duty either it may be the layman’s duty or the duty of the president. We have to fulfill our duty at any cost neither we may be obstructed for payment nor we may get support of others. The duty is to be followed timely rather to be deferred which is the common habit of Nepalese people. If we defer our duty it will affect us in the future so our habit needs much improvement improving duty habits.

We should be responsible person in the society or in the work place. We have been appointed as personnel of any institution so we should be responsible to do the work what is assigned to us. The thing what is given to us should be done on time so that we can get even more responsibility from the office or officers. It has two consequences: it helps us to increase the trust and we can have chance to get more responsibility that helps in the increment of our income. The final goal is to improve our life style.

Duty and accountability are interconnected elements. We should be accountable to our work as accountability is the condition of taking the responsibility of the work what we have done. We must be accountable towards our clients so that we can get the positive outcome out of it. There are two types of accountability: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal accountability is related to the clients whom we have been working. On the other hand, vertical accountability deals with the higher authority to be responsible. If we can balance both of these factors it helps to produce good result in our life.

Duty should be followed by time which is another factor to determine the quality and efficiency of the worker. If the duty is given to any worker, certainly there is time bound. So we should follow time to make ourselves reliable follower of accountability. If we can’t fulfill duty on time, we wouldn’t be able to get even more responsibility. Accordingly, our job is in danger of being redundant. It will reduce our income and trust, eventually we will be workless. Duty and time are integral factors and only the successful can go ahead. Thus it determines success and failure in our life along with economic and social benefits. So to be a successful man we have to follow duty on time.

Duty also determines payment of any personnel where s/he has been working. If we fulfill duty on time we can get payment duly; neither we have to lose our labor, time and opportunity cost as well. We have done work to get some money or payment. So duty has direct connection with economic benefit or it is also the tempting factor for every individual. Moreover, it also encourages a person to stay away from idleness. Money is the matter to follow duty in a person’s life which always haunts them. Since the payment is on the basis of duty and quality people are prone to follow the duty on time.

Likewise, we can see the relation with duty and identity of ours. We acquaint ourselves along with our duty. For example: he is an officer, she is a doctor and so on. Since our identity is defined by the duty, we have to follow it properly. It also gives us benefit, if we have followed it well neither would we be doomed. In this way, we have taken duty as a social matter more than a payment. Being a social creature we have to form our identity to be recognized in the society. Thus duty is the determining factor in our social life which provides us dignity and respect. If we are unable to fulfill the duty, we have been rated as a coward man in the society and our social identity will be down. If we can fulfill duty on time, we will get even more responsibility that will increase our social recognition along with positives.

At last I would like to repeat that duty is duty as it has played vital role in human’s life. We should be able to fulfill our duty on time so that we can have various possibilities that have been following us. If we are dutiful in our life, we can do what we have planned. Accordingly, our social recognition would be high and we can be an established man in the society. 

White and Blue Collared Job

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Mainly jobs are divided into two types; they are white and blue collared. There is significant different between these jobs as they have been measured from labor perspective. The first type is related to the mental or official and the last type is related the physical labor which can be seen in the field level. Both are necessary or even integral in the world of job so we shouldn’t have any distinction between them for the development of the country. However, we have found significant difference among these jobs.

White collared job is related to service side and the workers shouldn’t do much physical labor while working. They have to do official works to frame strategies so that the labors would be implemented in the field. They shouldn’t go to the field for hard toil rather they have faced mental toil only. Thus it is related to plans and policies to make the labors go to the field. We can find such persons with white collar as they have been away from hard toil. Or their collar hasn’t been dirty like the labors so they are called as white collared.

On the other hand, blue collared job is related to labor. They have to do hard toil until they have been sweating. They have to work manual jobs unlike the official works. They have to go the field to face sun and water throughout the day. They have to do much physical exercise wearing dirty clothes which is always dirty, tattered, sweating or even bad smelling. However, they shouldn’t have been responsible to frame plans and policies rather they have to follow the order of the supervisor until their work is complete.

The responsibility of white and blue collared job is different. White collared are the forerunners whereas blue collared are followers. Blue ones should follow the plans and policies of white ones. However, the blue collared are the real players of the field or the work can’t be done without their involvement. Socially white collared position is high as they have earned more than the blue collared one. On the other hand, the blue collared have less social recognition and they are economically less prosperous rather they have the power to make others active in increasing economy.

White collared are economically well-to-do who can influence the society and social rules. They have capacity to shape the social processes whereas blue collared don’t have social recognition. They have been struggling for their life running after white collared one to get petty benefit from them. So blue collared is socially and economically weak and fragile. They don’t have social and economic identity in the society though they have been together to complete the work.

We can see such differences due to education. Education plays vital role for any individual in the society to maintain the job condition. If you are educated, you have the high chance to get good job. If you are less or no education, you have the chance to enroll in blue collared work. People who have focused on education would get much benefit in the job world. If they have got proper education they would be able to get the high class job in payment and their social condition can be improved in-no-time. Thus education has upward mobility.

If you are educated you can have various chances to get good job. Ultimately it would improve your economic condition irrespective of your parental social condition. So education is a key which helps you to open the lock of high class job. If we have proper education, we can get socially, economically, and physically high class job. We have to do less labor and the payment is also high and we can be the forerunner in every activities. 

Cost of Labor

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

The cost of labor is too much but we don’t have the habit of valuing. We have taken labor as an extra subject matter which can be easily got or it’s like a leisure activity in our life. Most of the Nepalese don’t prefer labor as they criticize it as useless subject. Though the cost of labor is high, no government or the individual can realize it and do effort to promote. The labors and their condition were often ignored deliberately as the labor was ignored. Thus it hampers the development activities of the nation. We can understand the cost of labor from four different perspectives like: social, economic, physical, and psychological perspective.

The social perspective of labor is too bad or our societal norms haven’t valued the cost of it. The labor is regarded as a mean job or the persons who involve in such activities would be hated as poor. The labors haven’t got any respectable position in the society. They are blue collared and they have been given the last position or often ignored deliberately. Their social recognition is low or often ignored. They have been regarded as labors by their relatives and neighbors as well. On the other hand, the society would respect such persons who haven’t worked at all though they have nothing to feed in their home. Or the persons who involve in cheating would be regarded as prestigious man.

From economic perspective they earn less in comparison to others. The job of labor is disliked as well as the labors and they have been paid less. Unlike other jobs the labors have been paid less due to the unemployment condition of the country. They aren’t able to bargain because of their economic condition so they have been paid less. The country can’t systematize the tax policy so there is less development budget in comparison to ordinary budget. Moreover, the less development budget also can’t be spent on time and the labors can’t get job opportunities. Mostly the development activities are in the reach of well-to-do people; or they have bribed; or do less qualitative work in fewer budgets which also affects labors. Hence it affects their economic condition so they remain poor throughout their life. On the other hand, they have less earning whereas the market price high so they spend what they have earned.

The physical side of labor is also too miserable as they have done manual jobs. They have taken less nutritious food in comparison to others and they seem physically weak. However, they are healthy in the sense that they work throughout the day and got sound sleep and they don’t have digestive problem. Mostly they have taken meat items which also don’t help in their health. They have taken low quality of wine and other things which make their body weak. So their physicality seems too much weak, unhealthy and lanky. They have dirty physique as they don’t get time to take bath. Mostly, in Kathmandu city, labors haven’t got any water to drink, cook and bath, thus their physical appearance is also dirty and miserable.

The psychological perspective comes as the sum up point of the above all conditions. They have been hated or neglected by the society, economically poor and physically miserable. All these conditions determine their psychology as they are weak and seem like beggars. Though they aren’t the beggars they have been treated as mean creatures which affect their psychology. We have seen them always drinking and speaking rough words one another which reflects their poor psychological condition. We should value them as independent men but they sociological condition of them rated them as poor and useless. Though they work throughout their life they don’t have life security. Their family also enters into the vicious circle of poverty and they can’t afford for their old age. So they are psychologically poor as the boss has made them like horse neither they wouldn’t be favored.

The cost of labor is too high from all perspectives as the country is underdeveloped. If we can’t improve their condition, we will always remain same till long. Respecting labor means to initiate the development of the country. If we can value their cost the idle men will also be attracted towards work that can expedite the development work in the country.