Budhanilkantha School

Template:Infobox high school

Budhanilkantha School is the government designated ‘National School’ of Nepal^[1]. It is categorized as a public school, situated in the breathtaking panorama of the capital, Kathmandu.

Overview

A joint venture effort between the 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 covers about 600 ropanies (1 ropanies=5476 sq ft). The school has excellent physical facilities of a first grade residential school with several playgrounds, a swimming pool, assembly hall, dining hall, sports hall, Learning Resource Center, well equipped library (With Wi-Fi Internet), modern science labs and living quarters for its faculty. Almost all of its students, from class 5 to class 12, reside on school grounds. The meritorious students come from all corners of Nepal, representing different races, ethnicities, cultures and socio-economic levels. Enrollment is tuition based but there are scholarships offered under the Nepali government after a very selective entrance exam taken every year. Approximately one third of the students receive scholarships based on merit and need.

Cultural traits and quirks

Budhanilkantha School has slang terms, house systems, calendaring methods and a handful of quirky cultural traits that distinguishes it from other schools in Nepal. Some of these are typical of 'public schools' with roots in the British educational system. Others are uniquely from Budhanilkantha.

Places, events and slang terms such as the following are part of regular usage among the school population:

tuck shop: for purchasing stationery
morning study/prep-time/quiet-time: before-breakfast-study/evening study/after-supper-study
day room: a room in each 'house' where above mentioned studying activities take place. Day rooms are also supplied with indoor sporting paraphernalia such as table tennis boards etc.
leave weekend: weekends when students are allowed to go home, accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian
long holiday: one of three, generally month-long vacations
TPS: Short for 'ten-past-six', a particularly severe form of punishment that takes place at exactly 6:10 in the morning (now bordering towards archaic). Mostly carried out by senior students of a house, on junior miscreants
black gate: well known, well visited location within the school compound, marked by a black colored metal gate that remains closed on most days except during school events. Many illegal activities are known to take place here, purchasing of items from across the wall being the most prominent (owing to a particularly short portion of the compound wall). Frequently referred to as BG
band hut: tiny, two door hut located at the vicinity of the above mentioned 'black gate' where school band equipment such as drums, bagpipes, bugles etc are stored
'assembly hall muni': section below the school assembly hall where a stream/brook flows through. It has been a rich source for speculative legends (including one particularly morbid myth concerning human sacrifice). A generally good location for crab hunting
silver-jubilee park: previously unused portion of land in the vicinity of the school weather-station that was turned into a garden with a fountain on occasion of the school's 25th anniversary in 1997 AD.
road-race: running event that takes place during winter (third term). Race starts and finishes near the school main gate. Final stretch of the track before finish line falls on the public road outside school walls.
cross-country: well known, grueling long distance race, also taking place in the 'third term' that covers unforgiving terrain in and around the school compound. The track runs through thorny bushes, muddy pathways, riversides, steep uphills, nettle-ridden grasslands and football fields. It starts and ends at the 'middle-pitch' (school's main sporting field) and is known to be a true test of endurance, stamina and perseverance.
dammi/kharaat/harrip/jhakaas/check: various terms, all used to the effect of 'AWESOME'
'baal': this is a staple term, mostly among senior students. It has been argued that 'baal' cannot be defined because it is a multifaceted idea, a state of mind, way of life, a philosophy, an abstraction of a set of ethos that can only be lived, felt, experienced and understood, but never defined. In keeping with this tradition of obscurity surrounding the idea of 'baal', no further attempt will be made to define it
milan chowk: 3-way intersection of roads near the girl's hostel and the upper-senior basketball court where lovelorn souls meet
lights-off: time of night after 'quiet-time' when students are expected to go to bed and lights are turned out. Specially in junior houses, this often kicks off the time of night when stories are told in dormitories and students look for mischief to indulge in
bhangeri: generic name given to the school cobbler, regardless of their individual identity. This negates the need to learn a cobbler's name when an old one is replaced by a new one.
locker-check: periodic rifling through of personal possessions by teachers or prefects, in search of edible contraband or stolen goods. These are common right after leave-weekends and holidays when illegal edibles imported from home are confiscated, and right before holidays when theft is perceived to escalate
nilo-jacket: the very beloved school jacket intended as informal wear - theoretically wind and water resistant. A common place to hide foodstuff during locker-checks
bhabuk: different to it actual linguistic meaning, 'bhabuk' in Budhanilkantha School means someone whose academic performance is exemplary
blyaadi: someone one is not in speaking terms with (e.g. Ram and Sita are blyaadis)
boka: generally fumbling, precociously mature, socially awkward, often humorous, sporty, foul mouthed male student with below par personal hygiene
chippu/chippad: a student who is suspiciously older than his classmates
nangre: one able to kick a football spectacularly, regardless of general soccer skills. Nangre's are great assets during corner kicks.
chop parne: to unlawfully make ones own an item whose rightful owner is somebody else
crab: tasty croissant from the school bakery
philippines ko pustakari: the as yet unseen, untasted unimaginably delicious mythical pustakari, to be awarded by Mr. JR Wagle to anyone that gets a perfect score in Nepali
cup udaune: to win championship at a sporting event
dhyau: a student with notable height surplus
khyau: a student with notable weight deficit
dodge khane: to be confused, duped, perplexed or otherwise dumbfounded by a person, problem or situation
FOSLA: Frustrated One Sided Lover's Association
FOSLA bench: a particular bench perched at a raised precipice overlooking trees, grass fields and distant horizons whereupon FOSLA members (see definition for FOSLA) take seat, congregate and contemplate their unique predicament to wallow over unrequited love
Gagaluloo: Gagaluloo comes from a moderately known school legend involving African tribes and a couple of protagonists in an interesting situation. In general use, it describes a torturous experience of particular/peculiar hardship
highway star: an individual notable for their fondness of strolling up and down the school main road, seemingly on repeat
house spirit: a notion akin to nationalism but concerning one's house
jamroll: the school baker's invention. Cream from cream-roll is replaced with a filling of jam
LL-CC MG-MG: La La, Chha Chha, Moj Gar, Moj Gar. In other word, 'ENJOY'
pass this: common scenario in a dining hall situation where food items have to be constantly passed around a table
pwaat: an undoubtedly attractive girl
silent rocker: an unusual, original Budhanilkantha term that explores two-facetedness of an individual. Indicates untrustworthy nature hidden behind an agreeable/silent facade
vorya: voracious eater
good try: way to express sarcastic remarks on someone else's unlaughable jokes or unsuitable comments.
untidy: untidy in bnks is generally referred to an undoubtedly ugly girl.

Most students in Budhanilkantha School are known to acquire a nickname soon after joining, which often attaches for life and can see variations of the same assigned to siblings who might later attend the School. This form of nickname inheriting has also been known to occur between students with the same first name. Nicknaming is not limited to students - most teachers, administrative staff, dining hall bearers and even some house 'aayah' didi's are given one.

History

Budhanilkantha School was established 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, Senior Management Team (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.

Administration

The role of the administrative management of any organization is very important to achieve the desired goals. Budhanilkantha School has had effective plans and programs to run the organization smoothly. To execute the plan and program, Budhanilkantha school has a board of governors, The senior Management team, the teaching and administrative staff. principal, vice principals sr. Teachers and general teachers in the teaching staff whereas Bursar, Deputy Bursar, chief accountant, catering manager, Maintenance Officer, Head Matron and many other members of staff are in the administration section.

Course of study

The school operates three courses of study:

School Leaving Certificate level (a nationwide curriculum up to class 10 prescribed by the Department of Education, Ministry of Education and Sports, Government of Nepal
10+2 Level (2 years of study post S.L.C., prescribed by the Higher Secondary Education Board, Nepal, and
General Certificate of Education

Most students go on to attend prestigious colleges and universities in Nepal, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The alumni association - Society of Ex Budhanilkantha Students (SEBS) of Budhanilkantha school, actively engages in uplifting the Nepali society through various programs and takes an interest in the school's activities.

The school not only achieves high academic standards but also imparts multi-dimensional skills and leadership qualities through an array of sports and extracurricular activities. Among those are drama production, debates and many other extracurricular activities.

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 principal of the School as member-secretary. In the first two decades of its operation, the school was managed by a succession of British head-masters.

Houses

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.

The Head of House looks after the daily affairs of the house while other members of the house help him/her do this. The houses are categorized as boy-junior & girl-junior, boy-senior & girl-senior and boy-upper senior & girl-upper senior. Each house has its one parallel house, Byasrishi parallel to Gauri Shankar for instance, that compete in different inter-school competitions to lead their houses.


Name	Motto	Category	Classes	Color
Dhaulagiri		Boys - Junior	5 and 6	Orange
Makalu	Per Verancia Per Vincit	Boys - Junior	5 and 6	Dark Blue
Annapurna	Service Through Leadership	Boys - Junior	7 and 8	Green
Kanchenjunga	Wisdom, Integrity and Respect	Boys - Junior	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	5, 6, 7 and 8	Purple
Saipal	United We Stand	Girls - Junior	5, 6, 7 and 8	Maroon
Ratnachuli	Ever Onwards	Girls - Senior and Upper Senior	9, 10, A-Level and 10+2	Green
Choyu	Learning for Life	Girls - Senior and Upper Senior	9, 10, A-Level, 10+2	Black
Byasrishi	Quest for Enlightenment	Boys - Upper Senior	A-Level and 10+2	Dark Blue
Gaurishankar		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 5 and post SLC levels. This is intended to continue the high academic status of the school. Different houses held different motto. These motto help each of them to cooperate and be self respectful. Along with the motto, other programmes are also held along each houses to develop a talent in the students of Budhanilkantha School.

Status

The school is one of the most renowned in the country. 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 organize programs of various sorts throughout the year.

The current principal of the school is Mr. Narayan Prasad Sharma. There are currently three vice principals in the school; Mr. Keshar Khulal (Lower Secondary Level), Mr Ramesh Nath Dawadi (Higher Secondary Level)and Mr Lal Bahadur Rana (Extra curricular).The CAO[Chief Administrative Officer], Mr Sushim Poudel used to look after the administration. He has just recently filed his resignation from the post and his resignation has been accepted. The position of Bursar has been filled by Mr. Nani Ram KC who previously held the post before his contract ended and was not renewed. Almost all of the teachers also live within the school campus making it easier for the school to conduct classes during strikes that take place in the current volatile political environment in Nepal. ^{[citation needed]}.

Key Events

In 1983, the school became an English Medium School and a big adjustment in administrative management occurred.
The Cambridge University O-Level program was introduced in 1985.
Primary knowledge of computer education was started in 1986 and a computer installed in the general office.
A-Level Program introduced in 1986.
In 1991 Budhanilkantha School became a co-educational institution.
In 1995, the management was handed over to a Nepalese management team by the British government.
In 1997, on the occasion of the school's Silver Jubilee Year the school introduced 10+2 program of the Higher Secondary Education Board.
In 1997, a Micro Hydro Plant was installed in the school campus by the help of Pestalozzi Overseas Children's Trust UK
In 2007, a student died of Pneumonia, Sparking an inconclusive strike by the students against the school administration. A mass meeting between the students, Teachers and School Management sought to solve the underlying problems they were facing. it was decided that a committee would be formed and would look into all of the grievances of the students. The committee came up with a report months later, and many believe it favors the management.
In 2008, The most-awaited LRC (Learning Resource Centre) which took 3 years for construction is completed.
Inaugural of LRC by 1st president of Nepal Rt. Hon. Ram Baran Yadav

^[2]

During the past 25 years the school has expanded tremendously. The extension of buildings for the modern science laboratory, student hostels, class rooms, swimming pool, staff flats and office complex. The number of teaching and administrative staff has also increased, the introduction of computer education and application of computers in the office are also important changes. Besides this, STD, ISTD, fax and E-mail have also led to quicker help the school to keep up its reputation of being the center of excellence in the country. We hope to develop this institution further by efficient management in days to come.

Budhanilkantha School, since its inception has come a long way and has produced a considerable number of exemplary citizens required for the development of the country. Several of its graduates are now to be found in the most prestigious universities all over the world. In fact, the school has gained an enviable reputation both within and outside Nepal. Having achieved are curricular and co-curricular aims and objectives. The school has developed a unique culture of its own and by virtue of its Scholarship Schemes; it has bloomed into a beautiful garden disseminating the sweet fragrance of Nepali soil.

Clubs

The school has come up with a wonderful concept of clubs where students, especially the seniors, are handed over the responsibilities and they have to search for sponsors and organize and administer workshops, trainings, concerts and other educational programs under their own steams. The members at the end need to hand in a report of the accomplishments. The club works have definitely let the students show their talent and leadership qualities, making the school one of the most outstanding schools in terms of extra curricular and leadership qualities.

The clubs have designations for students that include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Junior Secretary, Members, Coordinator, advisors that number from 10 to 35 members. The clubs running are:

Awareness Campaign Club
Creativity Club
Drama And Debating Club (DADC)
BNKS.Net
Environment Club
FOCUS
Forum of Young Economist (FYE)
Interact Club
LEO Club
Junior/Youth Red Cross Circle (J/YRCC) of Budhanilkantha School
Science Club
Society For Open Nepal (SFON)
Social Service Club
Sports Training And Recreation (STAR) Club
Peace And Human Rights Club
Journalism Club
Mathematics Club
Health and Fitness Club

Notable alumni

Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (Late King of Nepal)
Nirajan Bir Bikram Shan Dev (Late Prince of Nepal)
Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev (ex-Crown prince of Nepal)
Bal Krishna Joshi (creator of Thamel.com)
Bhusan Dahal (Director of Kagbeni)
Sagar Onta (Transportation Engineer)
Ujwal Thapa (Director of Digital Max Solutions)
Pukar Malla (Engineer)
Gyanu Lamichhane (Biologist)
Diwas Gurung (Neo-Nepalese folk music recording artist)
Nabin Bhattarai (Nepali pop musician)

References

↑ [1]
↑ BNKS History accessed August 20st 2007

Bhusan Dahal(TV Personality

External links

[1] [1]

[2] BNKS History accessed August 20st 2007

[1]

[2]