Medha School: A torchbearer for quality education

While parents in Nepal are bearing much financial burden due to exorbitant fees charged by private schools, Medha Secondary School, a community school based in Bhaktapur municipality, has proved a boon to the many.

As a saying goes, “It is better to light a candle than curse darkness”, Gangadhar Hada, the principal of Medha Secondary School based at Tekha Pukhu in Bhaktapur municipality, has emerged out to be a beacon of hope for quality education among community schools.

The school where students hardly could make through the then School Leaving Certificate (SLC) in the past had only a few number of students then. It was known as Kanya Secondary School during that period.

“The classrooms and toilets were full of dust and filthy while the quality of education was extremely low,” recalls Hada, adding, “It was used as a public toilet and was completely rundown and neglected.”

There were only 80 students in the school. The educational and physical infrastructure of the school was very poor. The number of successful students in the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) was almost nil.

This school got a new lease of life when Hada took over as the vice principal of the school on Falgun 5,  2060 BS (February 17, 2004). There were many things to be fixed at the initial phase and had to start from scratch, says Hada. To attract students, he did not leave any stones unturned including construction of girl-friendly toilets and making available sanitary pads at the school. The first thing he did was he changed school’s name from Kanya to Medha Secondary School.

The teaching should be taken up as a social service rather than a money-minting profession, says Hada. 

He conducted orientation classes for teachers, parents, students and other stakeholders urging them to contribute from their part to improve quality of education. He started conducting extra classes for the weak ones on a nominal fee. Class and home assignments were made regular, while maintaining the punctuality of the teachers and students.

Each room has now been well-equipped with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) including projector and Internet. To monitor the class activities to ensure smooth running of classes, a CCTV has been installed in each class so that the principal can monitor class activities online.

He turns up at the school as early as 8 am and continues working there until 8 pm, inspecting and reviewing the day’s activities and making plans for the next day. In the morning he is always seen receiving students at the school gate.

Due to his constant dedication to the service, Medha Secondary School managed to top the charts of community schools in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) result in 2075 BS, eight years after he took charge as the head of the school.

Keeping in mind that clean drinking water is a crucial factor for students’ health, a Euroguard Water Purifier has been installed for clean drinking water on the school’s premises to improve the institute’s infrastructure.

“The school is my home and the students are my children,” shares Hada

Currently, it has become a dream of many parents to enroll their children at Medha Secondary School. But, all those who wish to enroll their kids at this school cannot do so due to the entrance exam system that the aspirants have to get through for enrollment.

As the academic session approaches, the principal remains aloof with his phone switched off to evade the pressure from the higher authority. “There is much pressure coming from as high as the secretary level around the time of admission calling for the enrollment of students but we admit only those who get through the entrance test,” shares Hada.

He is so devoted to the school that his family members sometimes complain to him for not giving enough time to them. He spends more than 12 hours at the school itself, charting out plans for the next day.

“The school is my home and the students are my children,” shares Hada. As a result, Medha School has received a Best Community School National Award.

The teaching should be taken up as a social service rather than a money-minting profession, says Hada. The principal has an important role in creating an effective environment for the school. If he, as the head of the school, wants to improve quality education, he can bring about a lot of positive changes in the educational system.

He has to orientate and motivate school teachers and if they are motivated, changes cannot be far away, says Hada. Medha Secondary School is the leading example that has disseminated a positive message throughout the country that community schools also can impart a high level of quality education.

Recognizing for his commendable contribution to the school, the government conferred Prabal Janasewa Shree Award, Shiksha Puraskar on Hada as being the principal of Medha School. Likewise, Medha School had received a cash prize of Rs 300,000 along with a medal and a letter of appreciation for becoming the top government school in 2075 BS.

Hada, however, says that teachers should be held accountable for what they teach and discharge their duties and responsibilities without expecting anything in return. “To seek changes in students, teachers have to be positive and change themselves first. The parents have to also cooperate with the initiative taken by the school,” says Hada.

When asked about the motivation done by the school to encourage teachers and students in their jobs, Hada says the schools teachers and students who perform well should be encouraged further through various schemes. Medha awarded those who secured A+ in the SEE results of this year along with a cash price of Rs 10,000 each as part of the encouragement.

“To seek changes in students, teachers have to be positive and change themselves first. The parents have to also cooperate with the initiative taken by the school,” says Hada.

The government has to bring a complete overhaul in the educational system to enhance the quality education of community schools. The changes are possible. The government, however, has no intention to bring changes in the educational field.

It has still put both schools – best-performing and non-performing ones at an equal footing, discoursing those who want to do something in this field, complains Hada. Despite an exemplary feat achieved by the school, the government has done nothing to the school.

Currently, the school has only two blocks- one is for running classes from Play Group to Grade III and the other is to run from IV to Grade X. The buildings could hardly accommodate 800 plus students. The school has no vehicle of its own.

Hada said the SEE results of Medha this year did not come out as expected. The school had expected that more than two-thirds of the examinees would score A+. Out of 107 students who took the SEE exams, only 20 examinees got through the Iron Gate with A+, 52 A, 20 B +, 10 B and 5 with C score. This result is, however, better than that of many private schools based in the Kathmandu Valley, claims Hada.

In spite of imparting high quality education, Medha School does not charge high fees. The school fee is affordable --not more than the ceiling set by the government.