Quality Education is Possible in Public School
Dhurba Shrestha
Ganesh School is situated in Naryansthan-5, Balewa of Baglung
District. Recently, it celebrated its 28th Anniversary. The four days
long program was visited by more than 800 guests, parents, ex-
students, individual donors, teachers and district officials.
This school previously known as Janata Primary School was established
in 2014 BS. The district soldier board supported it with two teachers.
This school was closed by panchayat regime in 2021 BS and reopened in
2023 as a lower secondary school. In 2028, the school transferred to
Naryansthan ward no 8 Garlung where now Janata Dhan Higher Secondary
School is running.
In 2037 BS, the community people opened Birendra Prathamik School
where Janata Primary School was opened in 2014 BS. But, to use the
name of King, prior approval was needed thus, the community people
named it as Ganesh Primary School after the name of Ganesh Temaple
that is close to School.
In 2054, Ganesh School started lower secondary level and in 2064 it
started secondary level. The school initiated quality education
movement in 2063 BS.
The need for quality education was raised when Maoist closed Boarding
school that was running in the VDC. Many parents migrated to Kushma
and Baglung (the district head quarter of Parvat and Baglung district)
to educate their children to Boarding Schools leaving old parents at
home to work. The migrated were the young women. The husbands of these
women were abroad to earn money. The poor parents had to work at field
and young women were at town doing nothing. This resulted cold war at
homes.
There were 8 public schools in Narayansthan VDC. But parents who could
afford boarding fees at district head quarters were not ready to send
their children to those schools. This was mainly because those public
schools had lost their faith that they could provide quality
education. Teachers were enough, classroom and furniture were also
enough there. However, the result of schools was poor.
In 2063 BS Ganesh Lower Secondary started a movement that quality
education is possible in public school. For the first time in the
school history it developed a quality education model and set a clear
goal for the 10 years. To achieve this, the school formed a new school
management committee of young people who were below 40 years in age.
It also started teaching in English medium. Surprisingly, 40 children
of 35 households who had migrated to district head quarters to educate
their children returned back to village. This inspired the school.
School also started to collect 80 ruppes per month as fee for those
who could afford. This had a quality impact at village also. Parents
who migrated to district HQ to educate children had to invest almost
5000. rupees for the lodge, food and school fee. This was saved. The
money also remained at village. The poor parents also received care
and the barren fields stared to be cultivated. This increased the
production of village.
School has now started English Medium teaching up to grade five. Class
room are well managed. School has adopted grade teaching in lower
grades. School has a computer lab and a library. Now 529 children
study in this school where the neighboring schools are struggling for
the children to protect their job because in one of the school there
are only 17 students.
This was not easy says Mr Jhalak Kumar Shrestha, the SMC chair of
school. "We struggled hard. When we applied the resource center did
not accept us. This is happening still now. This has created pressure
to teachers of the neighboring schools and they always spread rumors
about school,. When the district and vdc facilities to school is
concerned, they make a coalition and put pressure to VDC and district
education office". The school head master says that " the private
schools are not the solution".
Dhurba Shrestha
Ganesh Secondary School
Narayansthan, Baglung