Caught up in an ugly rat race, schools in Kathmandu Valley are chucking aside traditional blackboards and wooden desks and hastily replacing them with e-boards and interactive ‘smart’ desks. Unfortunately, many of these technology enhanced classrooms come without a solid grounding in pedagogy.
Rajarshi Gurukul, a primary school located in Bhaktapur, is focused on having the basics right while also offering modern amenities and teaching aids. Breaking away from conventional, rote-learning education system, Gurkul wants its students to learn through self exploration and play.
Says Principal Dilip Rana Magar: “We want our students to grow up to become independent, creative, and analytical thinkers and look at the world with new possibilities.”
When five-year-olds learn their ABCs at Gurukul, instead of simply writing the word apple on their notebooks, they get to touch and taste the fruit. For science lessons on plants, students visit farmers in nearby paddy fields to learn about local sowing and harvesting techniques and in math’s class, teachers use pizza slices to illustrate the concept of fractions. Students also learn about their culture, the government, and how to manage waste and save water.
Beyond academics, Gurukul strives to ensure the overall mental and physical development of its young ones. The sprawling school compound includes a well-endowed library, computer lab, and an outdoor playground. In addition to extra-curricular classes in music, skating, swimming, the school also offers value education classes, which aims to inculcate good social values like respect and humility.
At the end of each term, parents are provided with a 16-page progress report card detailing not only the grades, but also an in-depth summary of their children’s strengths and weaknesses, participation in the classroom, peer relationship, and health.
Although the school opened only last year in May, the institution is well-staffed with highly trained teachers and caregivers who go beyond the syllabus to instill a love of learning among the children. Currently, there are 26 students ranging from grade one to six, with two teachers per class. “Our low student-teacher ratio means that we can accommodate the individual learning styles and needs of each child,” explains Magar.
As admission slowly picks up, Rajarshi Gurukul’s administration remains optimistic of the future and has plans of expanding the school and introducing classes like Mandarin to provide a globally competitive education in Nepal.
“Many parents here still believe that they have to send their children to India for better education. We want to change this negative mindset and convince them that Nepal has the potential to provide world-class schooling,” says Chairman Rajesh Chaudhary.
Toh Ee Ming
Sallaghari, Bhaktapur
(01)6610885/6612232
[email protected]
www.rajarshigurukul.edu.np