Students from Grades 1–12 Deprived of Virtual Classes After YouTube Shutdown, Government Without Alternatives
भदौ २३, २०८२ ११:१९
Kathmandu: The virtual classes run by the government have been disrupted due to the ban on social media. The Education and Human Resource Development Center under the Ministry of Education had been providing school-level (grades 1 to 12) curriculum through a YouTube channel called NCED Virtual.
After the government itself banned YouTube, confusion has arisen over how to deliver curriculum materials to children. Mahendra Parajuli, Deputy Director General and Spokesperson of the Center, said it has become necessary to think about alternatives due to the lack of access to YouTube content. However, he admitted that no alternative platform has been identified yet.
Deputy Director General Parajuli said, "Today, preparations were made for Civil Service Day. Tomorrow is International Literacy Day. We have to start preparing for that." He added that alternatives would be considered soon since study materials must be provided to students. He told TechPana that discussions will be held with technical experts on this.
What is NCED Virtual Classroom?
The NCED Virtual YouTube Channel was launched by the government to provide educational materials beyond the classroom, especially audiovisual content targeting children in rural areas. The channel, launched in 2016, has 5,600 videos uploaded since 2017. Initially, the Educational Manpower Development Center (NCED) provided materials specifically targeting SEE students.
After 20 May, 2018, the Education and Human Resource Development Center was formed by merging the Education Department, the Non-formal Education Center, and the Educational Manpower Development Center. Since then, the Center has been producing video materials under the Sikai Chautari program. These resources proved especially valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even now, students use the channel for additional studies beyond the classroom. Teachers share videos in a simple, easy-to-understand format.
The channel has sufficient educational materials for grades 1 to 12, with most available in both Nepali and English. For grades 11 and 12, only compulsory subject materials are included. For grade 11, both Nepali and Social Studies are covered, while grade 12 only has Nepali subject materials.
The channel, which has over 486,000 subscribers, has organized the videos into subject-wise playlists for each grade. However, with YouTube now shut down, concerns are rising that students relying on these resources will be deprived of their studies.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: भदौ २३, २०८२ ११:१९
