Asta-Ja Education and Training for Ecological and Environmental Sustainability and Sustainable Economic Development in Nepal Part II

Abstract

Nepal’s educational system has evolved from the ancient education of the Vedic and Buddhist system to the modern education system of global standard. In its structured educational system, basic (1–8th grade), lower secondary (9–10th grade), higher secondary (11–12th grade), and higher education (colleges and universities), Nepal has introduced a wide range of modern educational measures and pedagogical approaches such as a letter grading system, semester system in higher education, student-centered learning, experiential learning, project-based learning, e-learning, and hands-on education, among others. Nepal has also focused on building educational infrastructures including school buildings, laboratories, e-learning facilities, and training teachers for practical education. However, Nepal is facing the challenges of delivering practical education, developing skilled manpower, employment generation, checking massive outmigration of students for higher education abroad, poverty alleviation, climate resiliency, and ecological and environmental sustainability. There is a serious mismatch between the Nepalese education system and the country’s geography, history, culture, tradition, ecology, environment, economic development, and other facets of Nepalese lives. Therefore, there is an urgent need to restructure the Nepalese education system to align with the country’s natural, cultural, and human resources. For this, a theoretically grounded educational transformation framework is necessary. The Asta-Ja Framework, meaning eight “Ja” in the Nepali language, Jal (water), Jamin (land), Jungle (forest), Jadibuti (medicinal and aromatic plants), Janashakti (human resource), Janawar (animals), Jarajuri (crop plants), and Jalabayu (climate) serves as a robust framework for aligning natural and human resources to educational system for practical education in Nepal. The Asta-Ja Framework represents the four sub-systems of the Planet Earth, hydrosphere (Jal), lithosphere (Jamin), biosphere (Jungle, Jadibuti, Janashakti, Janawar, and Jarajuri), and atmosphere (Jalabayu). Five themes of the Asta-Ja Framework, the theory and principles, Asta-Ja assessment, security challenges, industries and businesses, and governance, serve as critical elements in developing a practical, problem-solving, and holistic educational system for sustainable economic development in Nepal. This article demonstrates how the five themes of the Asta-Ja Framework can be well integrated into higher education and high-school curricula and formal and informal training programs in Nepal. By integrating Asta-Ja in education and training programs, Nepal can transform its educational system into a practical, problem-solving, innovative, and community-oriented educational system enhancing ecological and environmental sustainability, accelerated economic growth, employment generation, and fast-paced socio-economic transformation in Nepal.