Bhuvaneshwari
School: Where students
learn themselves; teachers just create environment.
Last week I had to facilitate a two
days training program on Capacity
Building and Good
Governance of the schools in my resource center. Participants were principals and
management related parents from 6 feeder schools around mine. The topics of the
orientation were instructional and educational planning, child friendliness in
schools, disaster management in education etc. I had to struggle hard to conduct
the orientation. Major cause on the issue was the gap of the understanding
level among the participants. Some of our participants were just literate and
some post graduated even. So, in the second day, I proposed a field trip in two
successful schools in the same district. I know observation can be one of the
strategies which can enrich the learning and aware all level of learners. About
the resources, I motivated the participants to pay themselves for a good work.
They were ready to spend a little on it.
The 31st of Baishakh or the 14th
May was the fixed date to move. 22 among 28 participants were there in bust
stop in time. We traveled up to Dharke (30 KM) by public bus. The group was
diversified in all aspects.
Mr. Ramchandra Acharya, the principal of Bhuvaneshwari School was waiting us. He made us to visit all the classrooms, laboratory, libraries and office room. Our participants were excited to observe the lessons run, the decoration of the students works etc cleanliness and else. There were grade rules and all the information required on the walls. Teachers were not ‘teaching’ but trying to make students learnt. After the observation of 20 mins all the participants were gathered in a meeting hall. Mr Ramchandra Acharya and Chandra Prakash KC led the discussion. They shared the background of the school, teachers training support by the Rato Bangalaw Foundation (RBF). The impact of the training, the financial status and income sources of the school, governing policies were discussed etc. Our participants raised questions and excited on the achievements of the school.
Major reflections of the observation for me;
1. Nepalese schools need managers as school leaders than academicians.
2. Schools can boom only with their own resources than the donations either by formal or non-formal sectors. Money doesn’t come alone and fees paid by the parents bring pressure to reform.
3. Teachers can make the change and students lead the changes.
4. Rules regulates the situations, rules made by ruled is diamond rule.
5. Private schools are side product of malpractices of public education system. They diminish in the process of education reforms in public schools.
6. We teachers can learn more from the schools than from the trainings run now a days and universities classrooms.
Janajagriti: Dreams come true here
Just a decade back, I had conducted training in Janajagriti School few young teachers. It was the response of excitement with the orientation on Child friendly schooling in Dhulikhel. I was amazed with the dreams on their eyes. They had started a school for local stone breakers kids there in a small market, Mahadevbensi at the banks of the stream. Already there was a private school. It was beyond their economic level. They had a small hut left by the Chinese Road constructors here. It was in debate of ownership and at least they had to pay nearly a million rupees to get the land and the hut but they had not. Most of them were not from education background and higher degrees. They were doing as they had seen their teachers in their own classrooms. All the attempts were old and outdated strategies in classroom. I was new trainer on the topics and the discussions held there was valuable for me too. I had to travel many venues of the country as I was nominated as one of national trainers for.
I have been visiting Janajagriti for many times. Those teachers are matured now. They have more than a thousand students from different 27 districts. They have many facilities gathered in school. Day care centers, class for blind students. Open school up to SLC level. More than 300 students get different educational supports from this school. School has a very good relation with more than a dozen INGOs and NGOs working for education and development.
