Cultural silence in the context of early grade reading in Nepal

• In Event: Improving Teaching and Learning

Proposal

Cultural Silence in the Context of Early Grade Reading in Nepal

Reading skill in early grades is considered as one of the most important skills as it is the fundamental skill of learning. Enhancing reading skills helps students to improve overall outcomes of education. In the context of Nepal, the Ministry of Education (MOE) focused its education strategy on improving the reading skills of early graders (student of grade 1 to 3) in its School Sector Reform Plan 2009 to 2015. Strategies were formulated, however, the reading skills of the students is still very poor (MOE, 2014). This situation is the most severe in plain districts (ERO, 2016) out of Himalayan, hill and plain area in Nepal. One of the most important reasons for the poor reading skills of the students of all districts is considered as parents contribution and engagement to the learning of their children as “parents and teachers must collaborate both inside and outside the school” (Goldenberg. 2010) for enhancing reading skills. Consequently, the collaboration produces learning environment for students. However, collaboration is considered very poor and ineffective in Nepali schools’ context. Therefore, a comparative case study from qualitative approach was conducted in a hill and a plain district of Nepal to explore why parents do not engage actively to enhance reading of their children.

The study was carried out on the two schools from each of the districts. The schools were selected in coordination with District Education Office considering schools’ average performance. Five parents of early graders from each school (total 20 from four schools) were selected for this study. In addition to the parents, two teachers, a head teacher, a School Management Committee member, a Parents’ Teacher Association member of each of the schools were consulted for in-depth interview. Four to five rounds of interviews were carried out to each of the principal participants and single interview was conducted for the other participants. The understanding and experience of the participants was examined with the researchers’ personal reflection. Then, the information were analyzed through transcribing, coding, and categorizing. The themes were generated and meanings were sought out of them. The ethics of the study was maintained by respecting autonomy of the participants. The credibility of the study was maintained by reflexivity, prolonged engagement and informed consent. The meaning generated through the study was examined with the personal reflection and “Social-Ecological Behavior Change Theory” (Green & Kreuter, 1991).


Having an adequate income stood out as the most important concern for all parents’ lives and they engaged in economic activity for their survival. They do not get time to engage in children’s reading. Parents, according to teachers, do not understand what they need to do to support their children’s education although they are aware of importance of it. Mothers, being less empowered and educated because of cultural norms, expressed a lack of confidence in understanding what needed to be done to help their children’s reading. Parents, in many cases, were hesitant and did not understand school cultures, such as school provisions and their own roles. Teachers felt that the parents did not listen to their advice and they did not understand the importance which contributed to a breakdown in communication and active participation in children’s education. Parents’ educational status and their awareness greatly influenced their attitudes towards their children’s education. This situation differs in hill and plain district, and thus their engagement in schools varies that influences reading of early graders.

In conclusion, there is the huge gap in the communication caused by the cultural practices of school and perception of the parents. Parents are mostly engaged in economic activities and they do not know how they can be engaged in the early grade reading enhancement. In this context, the role of school is important. However, there is no practices to involve the parents in school to improve early grade reading. Social-Ecological Behavior Change Theory reflects individual factors as well as environmental variables that influence the parents’ behaviors and decisions. Therefore, on one hand parents individually are not aware and on the other hand outer environment such as school is not friendly to engage them by cultural practices of school and community. This shows that educationists and policy makers need to break the cultural silence between parents and schools to enhance early grade reading skill.

References

Education Review Office (ERO) (2016). Classroom based early grade reading assessment survey. Kathmandu: Author.
Green, L., and
M.
Kreuter.
1991.
Health promotion planning: An educational and environmental approach (2nd ed). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing.
Goldenberg. C. 2010. Reading instruction for English language learners. In M. Kamil, P. D. Pearson & P. Afflerbach (Eds.). Handbook of reading research. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Ministry of Education (MOE) (2014). National early grade reading program (2014/15-2019/20). Kathmandu: Author.

Author

• Hit Kumari Gurung, USAID Early Grade Reading Program