EDUCATION

the people aware of their importance?

What makes them work hard? What induces them to love their country? A simple answer to all such questions is education. Thinking about the importance of education, all Nepalese celebrate Feb. 24 Falgun 12 in the Nepalese calender as "Education Day" with much pleasure.
Bhanubhakta Secondary School
R. KharelThere is a proverb in Sanskrit that says "Vidhya Dhanam Sarba Dhanam Pradhanam." It means "Of all the wealth, education is the greatest." It cannot be stolen by thieves. Neither can it be confiscated by the king or the government. The more we give it to others, the more it increases. Because of which, education is regarded as the greatest wealth.

The founder of modern education in our country was Junga Bahadur Rana, the founder of the autocratic family rule of Ranas. When he visited England, he was impressed by the English education system, their cultural language and technological advancement. Realizing the importance of the English language, he hired an Englishman from British India to teach his sons English. Thus, he established a private English school at the Thapathali Palace the present Nepal Rastra Bank building in 1953.Another Rana prime minister, Rana Uddip Sigh, had a liberal vision towards education. He opened Thapathali Durbar School to the children of the Ranas and high officials. He shifted this school in Ranipokhari, Kathmanudu. In 1877, he established a Sanskrit school near Rani Pokhari with a goal to give Sanskrit education to all talented scholars.Later, during the rule of Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher, the doors of Durbar High School was opened for common people as well.

After Chandra Shamsher, Bir Shamsher became the prime minister who changed the name to Bhanubhakta Madhyamik Vidhalaya (Bhanubhakta Secondary School). The Sanskrit Pathashala school was run in the ground floor and Durbar High School on the first floor. Now, the School of Sanskrit is also running on the ground floor and Bhanubhakta Secondary School in the first floor where thousands of Nepalese are studying. Though Durbar High School was established as early as 1853, no significant progress in modern education was made during the Rana regime, which lasted for a century (1845-1950). The literacy rate of Nepal in 1951 was only 5 percent.

After the fall of the Rana regime and the introduction of democracy in 1951, an educational wave swept over Nepal. Nepal began to be exposed to the outside world; people became more conscious about education and the government formulated plans to educate the people. Education in Nepal has not flourished, but improves gradually. Now, the literacy rate of Nepal increases year after year and has reached 54.1 percent males at 65.5 percent and females at 42.8 -- for the year 2001.The combined efforts from the government, private industries and internal agency programs have been functioning very effectively. The country is progressing slowly but steadily to reach its goal of 100 percent literacy in the near future.