Budhanilkantha School

Introduction

Budhanilkantha School is considered the national school of Nepal. With the joint venture effort of Government of Nepal and the Government of the United Kingdom, the school was established in 1972 with the sole aim to impart quality education. The school is situated in a large area of about 600 ropanies (1 ropanies=5476 sq. feet), half of which can be said to be utilized. The school boasts for its excellent physical facilities akin to a first grade residential school with numbers of playgrounds, swimming pool, assembly hall, dinning hall, sports hall, language research centre, well equipped library, modern science labs and living quarters for its staffs. Almost all of its students, from class 4 to class 12, reside inside the school premise. The meritorious students come from nook and cranny of the country, thus representing different races, brackets, cultures and economic conditions. They come through self pay or under scholarships under HMG/N after nationwide entrance exams. Approximately one third of the students receive scholarships based on merit and need.

At present the school operates 3 course of study: School Leaving Certificate level (a program of study up to class 10 and the exams are conducted by the Ministry of Education and Sports, MOE): A-Level (exams are conducted by Cambridge University, UK) and 10+2 Level (2 years after S.L.C., and the exams conducted by and the exams conducted by HSEC, Nepal). The school has maintained excellent results in all the examinations taken so far. In fact, the results of its A level is absolutely astounding.

Similarly, the SLC result are equally good and the school regularly secures a number of positions on the board (the first 10 positions are considered board positions in the SLC Exams), in addition to excellent overall result In the 1996 A-Level exams, ten students secured triple A's, a stupendous achievement by any account. The school not only achieves high academic standards but also imparts multi-dimensional skills and leadership qualities through an array of sports and extra curricular activities. Among others, it produces high quality drama (both in the senior and junior levels) and holds exciting debates.

The school is managed by a Board Of Governors (BOG) consisting of the Chairman (nominated by MOE); a representative of the British Embassy; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports; Director, Central Region Education Directorate; a representative from the palace; two representative from the parents; the chairperson of the Friends Of Budhanilkantha School (FOBS) and the principle of the School as member-secretary. In the first 2 decades of its operation, the school was managed by a succession of British head-masters.

History

Budhanilkantha School is a public and boarding school in Nepal. The school campus occupies an area of 300 ropanis (1 ropanis=5476 sq. feet) and is located at the base of Shivapuri mountain, far north of the Kathmandu valley. Instructions start from the 4th grade through high school.

Budhanilkantha School was established 35 years ago in 1972. The main objective of the school is to produce quality man-power in the country in order to provide valuable assistance in the national development. A complete description of the precise purpose of the school is to conduct the national education program, which includes the provision of knowledge or learning skills and to generate the creative abilities in order to enable the students to lead country forward.

The school was boys oriented until 1991 when it was declared as a co-educational institution. The year was very significant and a milestone in the history of the school as it saw the introduction of the first batch of girls into the system. Co-education at Budhanilkantha has indeed been very successful. Many brilliant girls have, too come a long way after graduating from the school.

In 1994, the British Management handed over the administration to Nepalese management. Many concerned feared that with the hand over, the quality would deteriorate. But, the Nepali management team, amazingly, has done an excellent job of establishing and maintaining the school as a center of excellence. On the contrary, there has been no deterioration, and in fact, there have been improvement in some areas. School discipline seems to have vastly improved.

In order to perform these tasks from time to time the school had to encounter many difficulties and problems to achieve the goal. In spite of various problem the school has been successful in provide quality education within these twenty eight years. With the support of Board of Governors, SMT, Teaching and Administrative staff, Students, Parents and many other well-wishers, the school has been able to become a true center of excellence. To-day many Budhanilkantha School students from different parts of the country, whatever their financial background, are now highly qualified doctors, engineers, pilots, administrative officers, army officers, police officers and so on.

Curriculum

The school educates students from grades 4 to 10, following the Ministry of Education and Sports, Nepal Curriculum for Class 4 to 10 and SLC. After completing grade 10, students can choose between studying for the University of Cambridge GCE A-levels or the Higher Secondary Board, Nepal Curriculum for 10+2 (Class 11 & Class 12)programme.

Most students go on to attend colleges and universities in Nepal, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The alumni association of Budhanilkantha school is actively engaged in uplifting Nepalese society through various programmes.

The school is fully residential and there are about 920 students in a school year. These students are sorted into 12 houses based on sex and grade. All the houses are named after randomly chosen Himalayan peaks and have a colored flag and motto. Each house has a Head of House, Assistant Head of House and duty teachers who are responsible for the students of each house. The houses compete in various extracurricular activities throughout the year.

Name	Motto	Category	Classes	Color
Dhaulagiri	United We Succeed	Boys - Junior	4, 5 and 6	Orange
Makalu	Per Verancia Per Vincit	Boys - Junior	4, 5 and 6	Dark Blue
Annapurna	Service Through Leadership	Boys - Junior	6, 7 and 8	Green
Kanchenjunga	Wisdom, Integrity and Respect	Boys - Junior	6, 7 and 8	Sky Blue
Nilgiri	Working Better Together	Boys - Senior	9 and 10	Red
Pumori	In Societate Vita	Boys - Senior	9 and 10	Yellow
Hiunchuli	Aim High	Girls - Junior	4, 5, 6, 7 and 8	Pink
Saipal	United We Stand	Girls - Junior	4, 5, 6, 7 and 8	Maroon
Ratnachuli		Girls - Senior and Upper Senior	9, 10, A-Level and 10+2	Gray
Choyu	Learning for Life	Girls - Senior and Upper Senior	9, 10, A-Level, 10+2	Black
Byasrishi	Quest for Enlightment	Boys - Upper Senior	A-Level and 10+2	Dark Blue
Gaurishankar	Wise is the Man who looks Ahead	Boys - Upper Senior	A-Level, 10+2	Gray

Entry into the school is highly selective and students must pass an entrance exam to gain admission into the school. Normally, entrance examinations are taken for entry into class 4 and post SLC levels. This is intended to continue the high academic status of the school.

Status

The school is considered the National School of Nepal. The main aim of the school is to provide its students with quality education and various extra curricular activities. There are several clubs in the school which organise programs of various sorts throughout the year.

The current principal of the school is Mr. Narayan Prasad Sharma.There are currently four vice principals in the school; Mr. Keshar Khulal (Lower Secondary Level),Mr Romesh Nath Dawadi (Higher Secondary Level), Mr Lal Bahadur Rana (Extra curricular) & Mr. Chaitanya Nath Pandey (Administrative). Almost all of the teachers also live within the school campus making it easier for the school to conduct classes during bandhs and strikes. Because of these circumstances many argue that Budhanilkantha School is an educational bubble greatly lacking in providing a thriving environment for social skill development. Others criticize it as a launching ground for both students and teachers alike to go abroad. Apart from this, the school is considered mostly without fault producing a number of highly successful graduates each year. The school also sends a number of graduates to foreign institutions of higher learning, especially in the United States. Budhanilkantha alumni usually perform well in even the most prestigious institutions, like Ivy League Universities, the most recent example being Budhanilkantha 2002 graduate Prabesh Regmi, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Wharton School of Business, of the University of Pennsylvania.

Key Events

1. In 1983, the school became an English Medium School and a big adjustment in administrative management occurred.
2. The Cambridge University O-Level program was introduced in 1985.
3. Primary knowledge of computer education was started in 1986 and a computer installed in the general office.
4. A-Level Programme introduced in 1986.
5. In 1991 Budhanikantha School became a co-educational institution as well.
6. In 1995, the management was handed over to a Nepalese management team by the British government.
7. In 1997, on the occasion of the school's Silver Jubilee Year the school introduced 10+2 program of the Higher Secondary Education Council.
8. In 1997, a Micro Hydro Plant was installed in the school campus by the help of Pestalozzi Overseas Children's Trust U.K.

External link

• Budhanilkantha School web site
• SEBS Online - Budhanilkantha School's Alumni Website