Why is this important to me?
While I was studying in a primary school in Janakpur, the Principal hatefully told me in front of my entire class, “I will see to it that you don’t make it to Budhanilkantha School”. I was 9-10 years old then. I told to myself and my friends, “I will see to it that I get into Budhanilkantha School”. I passed grade 4 entrance of Budhanilkantha twice but denied admissions due to the paperworks messed up by my Principal of Janakpur. In my 3rd attempt, I made it to Budhanilkantha School, this time into Grade 7. I checked the papers myself as I was slightly older and could read documents. The Budhanilkantha school literally picked me from a village of Terai and opened up the world’s opportunities to me indiscriminately. The school was my first home in Kathmandu. Here I got equal treatment and opportunities.
This national school has given space to children from all backgrounds of Nepal – mountains, hills, plains; all financial background (full paying, half scholarships, full scholarships); all 75 districts, all castes and ethnicities, royal kids to rural village kids. All got equal opportunities. Despite so much political and power shifts & development funds of the nation, neither the government nor any donor agency has invested into a 2nd such school till date. Now the fear is that the very institution may be at risk of losing its original goals. If politicization is going to block the possibility of rural kids to get this bright education, it will be a huge national loss. If only majority of the graduates were physically in Nepal and working here, Nepal would have been at a much higher level on global standards.
The school brought me to Kathmandu from a village, and if in trying to save the school’s core vision for nation, if I end going back to my village – I think it will be a sweet homecoming…!!! This one is for the nation and future generation.
Let’s be grateful to the very institution that brought values to our lives. And thank you all who have supported me.
