Pokhara to Host 19th National SQC Conference
Quest Nepal is set to organize the 19th national conference of Student Quality Circle (SQC) in Pokhara.
The conference will be held from 2082 Poush 30 to Magh 2 at St. Mary’s Secondary School located in Newagaun, Pokhara Metropolitan City. The program states that the conference will be inaugurated by Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Shraddha Shrestha.
According to the organizers, the conference will have participation from more than 600 students and 100 observers from 74 schools across the country. With the objective of developing students into well-rounded individuals, the Student Quality Circle program has been implemented in Nepal’s educational institutions since 2005. At present, more than 200 schools nationwide are running it as both a curricular and co-curricular program.
Providing information about the conference at a press conference held in Pokhara on Friday, Quest Nepal President Narad Rijal said the conference is being organized to develop students’ social, moral, and practical skills, rather than limiting them only to book-based knowledge. He said the conference would help students become confident citizens who can identify their problems on their own and seek solutions.
The concept began in 1962 in Japan’s industrial sector and was introduced into Nepal’s education sector in 1999 by Prof. Dr. Dinesh Prasad Chapagain. The concept aims to teach students life skills needed for the 21st century.
St. Mary’s Secondary School Principal Sister JC CJ said Student Quality Circle helps children learn to reach the root of a problem and find solutions collectively. She said it adds to character building and also develops leadership capacity, which is indispensable for today’s world.
According to Conference Director Devaraj Ghimire, student representatives selected from 27 hubs across the country will present reports on their problem-solving work under Student Quality Circle. In addition, students will take part in an AI workshop, a sustainable development workshop, dialogues on various topics, and educational tours to different places in Pokhara.
The organizers stated that, on the occasion of the conference, an international-level “Dinesh Chapagain Quality Award” as well as national-level “SQP Hub Award” and “SQC Quality School Award” will also be presented.
Pokhara Conference