How commitment and passion from students and teachers impacts education-based challenges in Gorkhe

During our stay in Gorkhe, we had the opportunity to visit the local elementary and high school, giving us the chance to interact with the teachers, administrators and students. The visit was organized by one of the teachers, Bishal. Our group got a tour of the school facilities while discussing the challenges faced by teachers and students to improve the learning experience in their region. 

I was able to ask several questions surrounding the development challenges in education. The teachers and administrators explained that in Gorkhe, many students have to walk up to 2 hours to get to school each day. A significant number of the students also lack opportunities due to poverty, which can discourage them from going to school due to the added obligations they feel in their home lives. Additionally, the teachers outlined that the majority of students stop attending school after grade 10 and only about 20% graduate from high school.

For students with demanding responsibilities for work and in the household, the long commute can be an obstacle in continuing their education, which leads to a decline in the number of students per class in upper years. Also, for students living in poverty who worry about basic needs like food and proper housing, education can be a lower priority for them and their families. I really admire the dedication of students who consistently attend school despite their daily obstacles, highlighting their commitment and effort. However, some students must drop out of school due to challenges that are out of their control, even if they would wish to attend. 

For the teachers, providing the best learning experience possible for their students can be a challenge due to a lack of educational resources and equipment. When we toured the science lab, the teachers showed me that they do not have access to the necessary biology tools to run the class in the ways that they would like to. From my conversations with the teachers, it is clear to me that they play an essential role in encouraging their students to keep pursuing their education, as well as finding ways to help fulfill their students’’ needs to give them the best learning experience possible. I think that in environments where students face various challenges outside of school, teachers are important motivators to help keep their students invested, which Gorkhe’s teachers illustrate through their passion and commitment to their students. 

Overall, our interaction with the teachers and administrators displayed that they play a large role in providing and advocating for their school, rather than relying on external support for funding and supplies. I learned that the teachers will find a way to provide their students with the resources they need to succeed. Their dedication to their students was obvious to me in a story they told about how they would go house to house during the COVID pandemic, delivering lessons to each student to keep them on track. I think that success in the education sector is largely driven by the teachers’ effort who could ideally use more support and funding to enhance their schools. 

My visit to the school taught me the resilience, perseverance and dedication displayed by the students and teachers in Gorkhe who continue to pursue and provide quality education to students. I also learned more about the struggles that these students face each day to continue going to school, which gave me both respect for them and the teachers who encourage them. The interaction at the school reminds me of how similarly to the students in Gorkhe, I have been lucky to have teachers who believed in my potential and in pursuing further education.

Additionally, my visit to Gorkhe taught me that there are many committed students with the desire to take their education as far as they can, but are often held back by uncontrollable life situations that determine what opportunities they are given. My time spent in Gorkhe showed me that they are already equipped with teachers who are eager to lift up their school and students with the will to learn. In my learning journey as a student studying International Development, my conversations with the teachers and students reminds me that creating solutions for education-based challenges require a passionate community to push them forward, but also the resources to make improvements.  

All photos were taken by the author. 

Madeleine McCormick is in the second year of a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree with specializations in International Development and Ecology at the University of Guelph.

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