It's virtually impossible to address a social ill without the society first acknowledging it for what it is. When the education system does NOT do that, what chance is there at all of there even being a discourse about it, forget take steps to address it?! That is the situation with the caste system in Nepal.
Because of the LONG social, political and economic casteist history of Nepal, the hill co-called High Caste Hindus benefit from many (structural) privileges, while others are disadvantaged. But what percent in Nepal are aware of that, forget doing something actively in their everyday lives to counter their devastating impacts? What percent are even knowledgeable about what caste privilege is? This blog post summarizes some of that which constitutes caste privilege.
The caste system has corrupted the minds of a vast majority of Nepalis, if not all. This is yet another example of how it has corrupted the minds of the Hill so-called High Caste Hindus.
Blinded as they are by structural privilege and their sense of entitlement their social group has enjoyed for generations, they demonstrate subtle internalized casteism stemming from their unconscious belief in superiority and greater knowledgeability.
Nepali society suffers greatly from the legacies of our long casteist history. One of the legacies is that caste can be triggering. What it triggers and how depends on the individual and more importantly on their caste. However, the abysmally poor quality of education system and poor level of education of the population of Nepal means that most don't know much about that, and worse react inappropriately when those who are triggered speak up.
BUT those who don't know, can learn about all that from those small numbers who are speaking up. All that is required of them is to listen! That's it.
Studies in the US have demonstrated differential treatment of black students by white teachers affecting their learning outcomes as well as, in the long-term, their lives. 80% of public school teachers in the US are white.
In Nepal, disproportionately high percent of school teachers are Khas-aryas, the hill so-called high caste Hindu. How do they treat students belonging to other castes? Likely not the same way they do their caste and that likely has affected the educational achievements of students of other castes, as well as their lives later on.
The caste system has corrupted the minds of Nepalis. Here is an example of how it has corrupted the minds of the Hill so-called High Caste Hindus.
Blinded as they are by structural privilege and their sense of entitlement their social group has enjoyed for generations, they demonstrate subtle internalized casteism stemming from their unconscious sense of superiority.