IDEAL SCHOOL

IDEAL SCHOOL

From 1987 till 1989 I was the manager of Adarshya Uchamadyemik Bidyalaya, or Ideal Boarding School, set in a peaceful lane on the outskirts of Kathmandu.  At that time there were about 450 students ranging from Kindergarten to Class 10.  Ideal was established in 1981 by Fulmaya Lama, my wife.  Being only the second woman in Nepal to establish a school, this was a pioneering venture which helped to set the benchmark for other women to advance the cause of education in Nepal.

At that time, and also to a large extent nowadays, the government schools were badly run with overcrowded classrooms, unqualified teachers who thought little of taking time off and unhygienic facilities with little thought given for the academic success of the students.  Consequently, privately run schools were welcomed and parents who had the wherewithal to send their children to private schools instead of government-run schools did so, many in the process making great sacrifices for the education of their children.

Now, having visited the school which is now run by Fulmaya’s brother, Purna Lama, I can see that great changes have been made, there being 920 pupils in total with classes running from kindergarten to class 12.  (In Nepal, the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) is taken in class 10:  classes 11 and 12 are called Higher Secondary.

Apart from the development of the physical environment with more classrooms, added administrative space and an outdoor swimming pool, the curriculum has ad also been expanded to include courses in Nepalese Culture,  Environmental Science, and Social Studies as well as there being facilities for the study of Computer Science with an up-to-date suite of  computers.

Boarding facilities are also available with live-in maids, study hall, dinaing hall and recreation room.  Medical facilities are also available through a registered medical practitionper.

Extra-Curricular Activities are also well-catered for with four intramural houses competing in Debate, Impromptu Speech, Elocution, Essay Writing, Singing, Dancing, Etc.  There is also the Ideal Club membership of which entitles the students to participate in Needle Work, Fabric Painting, Computer Science, Drama, Bagpipes, Yoga, Environmental Training, Sports and Games.

Yes!  Great changes have been made to the school since we were last involved.

When Fulmaya and I ran the school, we had a registered charity in Scotland called Educaid Nepal Trust and we had sponsorships for around 80-pupils at any one time.  The sponsors came mainly from UK and America though we also had sponsors from Australia and Germany.  Nowadays, the school has around 40-pupils who are being subsidised by the regular fee-paying parents, although attempts are being made to identify others who may be facing hardship in providing the fees for their children to study at Ideal.

Following is a description of some of some of the pupils who are in need of sponsorship with a brief description of their circumstances.  

Ang Tshering Sherpa

Ang Tshering is 12-years old and is reading in class 5.  He is the brother of Mingma Sherpa and is doing well in his studies.  His favourite subject is maths and he enjoys football.  His father runs a small business and his mother is a housewife.

Dipa Bhandari

Dipa Bhandari is 14-years old and is reading in 
class 4.  She is the sister of Rupa Bhandari 
and enjoys Maths. She would like to be a teacher when she leaves school.  Her father has a small job from which he earns very little money while her mother runs the home

Kabita Tamang

Kabita Tamang is 12-years old and attends class 6.  She has one younger brother and her father is a driver while her mother is a housewife.  Kabita's favourite subject is English and she would like to be a doctor when she is older.

Mingma Sherpa

Mingma is 15-years old.  She has two-younger brothers, one of whom is Ang Tshering.  Her father runs a small business.  Mingma's favourite subject is science and she would like to be a social worker when she completes her studies.

Rupa Bhandari

Rupa is 11-years old and is reading in class 4.  She is the sister of Dipa.  Her father is a small business man.  Her favourite subject is Nepali and she would like to be a teacher when she grows up.

Siddhartha Niraula

Siddhartha is 7-years old and is studying in class 1. His sister is 8-years old.  Siddhartha's father is a driver and his mother runs the home.  His favourite subject is Nepali and he would like to be a doctor when he completes his education.

Smriti Sapkota

Smriti is 10-years old and is in class 2.  She has an 8-year old brother.  Her father is a watchman and her mother stays at home.  Her favourite subject is English and she would eventually like to be a doctor.






If you would like to sponsor any of these children please contact the Principle, Purna Lama at Ideal School. (http://www.ideal.edu.np/)  The children above are amongst the most needy children in the school although there are others in   need of financial help.  Should there be more than one sponsorship award for a particular pupil, another pupil in similar circumstances will be assigned. 

The monthly fee-structure is as follows:

CLASSES 1-3          £12.70     (£152.40/year)

CLASSES 4-7          £14.18     (£170.16/year)

CLASSES 8-10        £17.80     (£213.60/year)

The cost per pupil for sundry equipment such as pencils, uniform, stationery, etc. is £74.60 per annum.

The new session begins in April, 2013


The following literacy rates are taken from http://www.indexmundi.com 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.6%
male: 62.7%
female: 34.9%