Could you please share with us your journey to and of National PABSAN?
I have been continuously working for National PABSON for the past19 years and felt the need of umbrella organization when I was running Standford School at Kaushaltar. In 2068, I received the membership of N-PABSON and till the date I have been involved in this organization. During this time, I have accomplished the responsibility as an elected Vice President of district committee, elected President and unanimous President of Kathmandu district. After then, I have held the responsibility as Secretary and General Secretary to the Central Committee. Currently, I am working as co-President, and as per our gentle agreement, I am going to be the President.
You’ve earned a long experience in private sector education in Nepal. How is the role of private education in the development of Nepal?
We cannot imagine the development of education in the absence of private schools and colleges. While comparing the results and overall performance between institutional and community schools, institutional schools are far better in their performance. The 21st century is the era of progressive education. In the early 21st century, the world entered into the 3rd industrial revolution and digital era and then into the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Private sector education has been working as per the demand of this competitive era. In this regard, the private sector has been working for the development of education by consolidating it into skills, culture and technology. Moreover, education should be incorporated in ecosystem and life. When we are able to impart education according to the demand of the era, we will be able to produce globally competitive leaners.
You have shared with us that education should incorporate skills, culture and technology. To what extent have you implemented such attributes of quality education in your institution?
Grooming and mindset are the traditional approach of education. So, it is inevitable to bring a paradigm shift in education which has been started by the private sector. Private education sector has been making efforts in connecting education with professionalism and ethics. Our institution focuses on proactive and ethical education fulfilling the demand of the present world.
Currently, you are the copresident of NPABSON and incoming president after 18 months according to a gentle consensus. In this sense, what will be the standpoint of NPABSON in this regard?
We had successfully completed National Convention on 22nd23rd Falgun in Nepalgunj with the participation of more than 2000 representatives. The convention spread the message of consensus, cooperation and unity. We had made a gentle agreement to lead the institution in rotation every 18 months. According to the agreement, Mr. Pandav Hamal will lead for18 months, followed by my tenure for the next 18 months. We have a good understanding of helping one another during our tenure.
There have been many other identical organizations since National PABSON was established for working for the upliftment of private education sector, such as PABSAN, HISSAN and so on. To what extent is it possible to extend cooperation to these organizations?
The academic issues and objectives of these organizations are identical, and our destination is the same. We are working in different organizations to accomplish the same goal. So, there is a lot of possibility of cooperation among us.
You are advocating progressive education with true spirit of redefining the concept of education in Nepal. In your words, what is progressive education?
Progressive education is pertinent teaching and learning model across the globe. It is the education system which is based on the learner’s aspiration and capacity. In fact, progressive education is student-centric activity-based education. In this system, teachers are only the facilitators, coaches and mentors. It focuses on building up the character, strengthening skills, and inculcating creativity of learners to enable them to adjust in global settings. In short, an activity-based education which is imparted by incorporating skills, culture and technology is termed as progressive education.
Many graduates of your schools/colleges are in foreign swathes. How far do you agree or disagree that they have been successful in competing globally?
We have been alleged that Apex is just imparting foreign education and creating an environment for sending students to foreign lands, which we strongly oppose. In fact, many products of our schools/ colleges have not got opportunity in Nepal despite their high efficiency and capacity; thus, they are heading towards lands of opportunities with full confidence that one day they will settle there. And they are all successful in solidifying their dreams.
We have produced globally competitive human resources who can continue their higher studies and achieve a fame and fortune in a foreign land. Among the 17goals of sustainable development, producing globally competitive citizens is one of them. In this regard, we have focused on meeting the goal of sustainable development by producing globally competitive human resources.
You are at the leading position of National PABSAN. Since progressive education is said to be expensive for the general public, why can’t we make it affordable for all?
The fee structure is determined on the basis of education each institution offers. Progressive education focuses on holistic development of students which requires adequate means, resources, efforts and determination. Such education focuses on communicative skill development, physical, social and emotional development of the children. So, it seems to be somewhat expensive in comparison to traditional education. But in comparison with progressive education in foreign country, particularly of India, the education of Nepal is far better and cheaper. For example, to complete the management course in India, a student has to spend at least 10 lakhs, but in Nepal the same course will be completed in 4 lakhs.
Based on your long experience, how should the private schools/ colleges move ahead?
Private education institutions have to shift the paradigm shift in education from traditional approach to progressive approach. Some attributes of quality education like teachers’ dedication, devotion and determination make it possible. A private education institution has a huge responsibility of delivering quality education and preparing skilled human resources and developing the nation. In this condition, private education institution should win the trust of the parents and the public.
There is a huge lacuna between government schools and private schools in Nepal in terms of delivery and results. What is your view on ensuring equal standard of education by both the institutions?
The Nepal Government has allocated 10% of national budget in the name of education, especially for government schools and colleges. The teachers are well-trained in government schools. Still, the performance of private institutions is far better than that of government schools/colleges. It is due to the continuous efforts of private schools/colleges in the development of education. Quality education has become possible only with the efforts of private sector. So, why is it not possible to ensure quality education in government-funded institutions when the government has made all the efforts? It is due to lack of proper efforts, mentoring, monitoring and evaluation in the government schools/colleges.
How do you assess the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the local government? In your view, who should be given the authority of education at local level between private and government sectors?
Still, there is a shortage of skilled human resources and experts in the local government. The authority should be able to understand the theme of education for a better performance. So, if the local government is given unanimous authority to choose the subject of mother tongue and make local curriculum without consulting the experts, it will not be fruitful and will not last long in the future.
You are the co-president of NPABSON too. What would be your strategic planning to diminish the status gap between government and private institutions?
Although we have been struggling for the equal policy and act between private and government education institutions, still there are many discriminatory provisions and policies that belittle the efforts made by private schools/colleges. In this regard, our ongoing brawls are for equality and disinterestedness in the existing educational policies and acts.
To what extent is Apex Life School distinctive from its contemporaries?
Schooling for life is our motto. So, we are focusing on holistic development by adopting holistic teaching and learning approaches. We have focused not only on marks but also on holistic development of learners ensuring their global exposure and confidence in them. Our emphasis is on cocurricular and extracurricular activities based on aptitude of the children and exploration of their inner talents. We have formed different clubs and encouraged the students to participate in club-based activities every day after 2:00pm. Similarly, parent counseling is regular in our school with the view to make teaching and learning effective. Moreover, we have made the provision of providing food to the students at school, which develops the sense of equality to the children.
What message would you like to convey to the parents and the students?
It is inevitable to learn art of parenting if the parents wish to witness a better progress of their child(ren). For this, the parents should ensure a friendly environment at home. They should encourage their child(ren) to socialize themselves in order to learn life-skills and bear responsibility of being noble citizens. There is a triadic relationship among parents, students and the school. So, let’s make this bond of cooperation even stronger in order to foster education in students that incorporates culture, social ethics and discipline.
Today’s generation is less innocuous, more aggressive; less sensible, more reacting; less responsible, more complaining; less goal-oriented, more hypothetical; less active, more lethargic; less social, more personal; less candid, more skeptical; less benevolent, more sordid; less humane, more selfish; less reserved, more outspoken: less open, more sycophantic; less protective, more destructive; less friendly and more hostile. Relationship is a strong bond between people. And this relationship could be between like-minded people, relatives, pals, near and dear ones, which sustains in a tenuous line but dwells in trust, faith, affection, fidelity, apathy, mercy, forgiveness, generosity, confidentiality, parity and so on. However, many relationships are very fragile that they cannot become long-lasting if their traits turn out to be stigmas. Intimacy between people enables them to strengthen their relationship perennially whereas a growing rancor in them embodies very harsh results, which finally make them isolated with disgrace and hatred. Relationships are intricate; they have a tenuous line to survive if there is no faith on relationship. Moreover, whenever we talk about relationships—formal or informal—they are related to either personal: kith and kin or organisational.
Husband Vs. Wife
Wife The matrimonial bond between a husband and a wife is considered eternal in Hindu mythology. However, there are both visible and invisible situations where this relationship comes to an end. One of them is trust between husband and wife. These days, most couples need to work for survival and fulfilling their daily needs, and it is not possible to survive if one of them has no jobs. No one wants to be dependent on others, both financially and personally. But the situation exacerbates after the advent of a baby in their lives. Starting from job responsibility to ending the day with household chores including fostering a baby loom as challenges for the couple. Now, one of them must compromise on the very situation, but due to attitudinal superiority in the mindset of couple they are unlikely to accept their drawbacks. Although the burden of nurturing the baby is taken by mother, it is expected that the father should mitigate some familial burden reasonably. However, because of lots of official, social and personal obligations, the male member cannot fulfill the responsibility of household chores. In addition, it is a growing trend in Nepal that male member (husband) comes home late after work and if the female member (wife) gets involved in late arrivals, the relationship of husband and wife starts worsening. And there come the accusations of infidelity, skepticism, disgrace, stigmas and so on that will completely vandalize their strong matrimonial bond. Similarly, extra marital affair brings about bitter situation in a family where mythic relationship is at the apex level. If a smell of infidelity starts stinking, the matrimonial bond is sure to lose its fragrance.
Parents Vs. Children
The relationship between parents and children seems unbreakable. However, this relation has to cope with myriads of challenges to strengthen this tenuous integration. Familial, social, political causes, along with the circle of friends, determine how long the relationship between parents and children can last. Parents take up all challenges of bringing up their children and expect the reciprocal espousal from their children when they grow older. In reality, parents observe every tiny activity of their children when they are growing, but their protective care becomes a curse for the same parents when their offspring celebrate their 16 years of existence. This could be true as children pass their years of survival, they generate strange feelings of being over-protective by their parents and start looking for ways to abstain from the maternal and paternal care. As a result, their relationship becomes toxic. The global trend shows that children take their parents for granted as if they were a source of fulfilling their worldly pleasures, viz. buying attires and different amenities to live a sophisticated life. But parents should concentrate on good parenting which incorporates finding personality defects and embodiment of good qualities in the lives of their children, and thereby helping them find the edge of their stress-free and successful life. On the contrary, some parents unintentionally exacerbate the relationship by persistently trying to find faults in their child(ren).
