In 2008, Karuna-Shechen’s president Matthieu Ricard and Uttam Sanjef, the founder of Samata Siksha Niketan, formed a partnership to help him achieve his ambition to build a school in each of Nepal’s districts.
This partnership has been successful. Together with Karuna-Shechen, Samata Siksha Niketan has built eight
Bamboo Schools (Banepa, Kawasoti, Lumbini, Pokhara, Jhapa, Ilam, Itahari, and the Jorpati College) in different districts of Nepal.
Each circle shows 8 of the bamboo schools constructed by Karuna-Schechen.
In Nepal, the education of girls is generally considered to be of little importance. Even in the bamboo schools, a small percentage of girls attend school. In general girls are made to stay at home and help their mothers in domestic work. Most families send their sons to a private English medium school. Girls are generally only sent to governmentsponsored schools that are poorly funded and are often over-crowded.
One of the objectives of the Bamboo School Project is to make education available to these girls. The school’s staff has been doing outreach to families explaining how important education is for girls and how it will benefit their communities.
Samata Siksha Niketan manages the schools. The management committee is responsible for the formation, implementation, and monitoring of all policies and administration.
Energetic and experienced principals run the schools and their prime duty is to upgrade the quality of education through creative and constructive supervision. The principals are responsible for the day-to-day administration with the help of a Coordinator and Vice-Principal.
Frequent staff meetings are conducted to promote teachers’ interaction and cooperation in attending to the students needs. Several activities are organized for students including drawing competitions, essay competitions, and so on.
The teachers are qualified, honest, and dedicated to their job. More than fifty percent of teachers have obtained professional degrees and the rest are in training. There is a low changeover rate of teachers, as they are committed to the school and students. There are discussion groups in all classes and students receive regular homework assignments. Parents are encouraged to help their children in their homework.
Almost all schools are located outside of town and are not affected by noisy and crowed surroundings. Parents are enthusiastic about sending their children to a local bamboo school. Some even privately arrange for transportation to bring their children to school demonstrating a keen interest in their children’s future.
Assembly is held every day in the schools’ large courtyard for half an hour before classes begin. This is one of the most positive aspects of the bamboo schools’ education as the assembly emphasizes ethics, compassion, and moral behavior. This helps the students to become good citizens. It also influences the family members and thus, the nation. Students are regularly chosen to to speak on front of the assembly so
that they can express their views and increase their ability in public speaking.
Some bamboo schools offer special classes to the senior students. The classes are conducted in the morning or evening to assist students in difficult subjects like science and math.
Computer education has not yet been introduced in the schools and we hope that in the future we will be able to equip the students with new technology. There are also no real libraries in any of the schools. Funds are needed for books and essential texts.
Bamboo schools provide clean drinking water in the school compound. There are 8 to 10 toilets and sufficient water taps in each school. Health education and dental and medical camps are offered in some schools by the Shechen Clinic.
Source:
Progress Report On Bamboo Schools (Samata Siksha Niketan) 25 November 2011, Revised in 2012
Prepared By Birendra Singh (Program Officer for Education Program, Nepal) Karuna-Shechen
http://karuna-shechen.org/pdf/en/project_reports/Bamboo%20Schools%20Progress%20Report%202012.pdf
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