Rajan Shrestha ‘DHARATAL’, the Managing Director/ Campus Chief at Manaslu World College/ Manaslu Team of Entrepreneur, is a young energetic and vibrant personality. He has been involved in dozens of social organizations. Education entrepreneurship is his first field of priority. He is also involved in N-PABSAN, the umbrella organization of private and boarding schools. He is also a district executive committee member of HISSAN Kathmandu. Mr. Shrestha has shared his academic career journey. Some excerpts:
Could you please share your journey of teaching profession?
After passing SLC, I joined Wits Institute, Gokarna. During my Bachelor’s level of education, I started teaching career as a lower secondary English teacher at Gokarneswor School, Gokarna. Apart from teaching, I worked for three months as security guard in Boudhanath Stupa; as an accountant in City Top Restaurant; as a sales manager in Chabahil Gahana Griha, and worked at call center for some months but my priority has always been in teaching from the beginning. I had also worked in National Ideal Boarding High School as coordinator, at Nightingale School as an ECA Coordinator and English Teacher, as an English lecturer in KU City College and Nightingale Nursing College, News Editor and Senior English Teacher at DAV Sushil Kedia School.
I started my teaching career from Gokerneswor School as a lower secondary English teacher right after my +2 education. Prior to this, I taught at Wit Institute after SLC. During my college days, I happened to be my family’s bread winner. So, I indiscriminately worked whatever job I got.
I had also worked at National Ideal Boarding High School as coordinator, Nightingale School as an ECA Coordinator and English Teacher, English Lecturer in KU City College and Nightingale Nursing College, News Editor and Senior English Teacher at DAV Sushil Kedia School.
The year 2072 was the turning point of my academic journey. I entered Pioneer English School as the founder Principal and started the journey of my educational entrepreneurship where I worked for six years. Currently, I am holding my responsibility as the founder Principal/ Campus Chief at Manaslu World School/ College and as Director of Manaslu team of entrepreneurs.
What factors inspired you to be an academic entrepreneur?
Mr. Rajan Poudel, the then Nepali teacher of Janajagriti School, is the legend and the source of my inspiration who fired my enthusiasm to venture into the education sector. He admired and prophesied that I would become a professor in future in front of the Head Teacher after hearing my speech that I participated in. His accolades tailored my confidence which later became the fountainhead of my current stance as an educationist. But when I shifted to another school for my secondary education, a colleague of mine who was a Nepali language teacher, disparaged my willpower as he showed immense hatred of teaching as a promising career. In spite of dilemma, it did not belittle my willpower rather I would always think of another colleague of mine, Mr. Rajan Poudel, who had shown infinite prospects in teaching career. Mr. Rajaram Poudel (ARE THEY THE SAME PERSON OR DIFFERENT?) germinated a seed in my mind that the professor is a highly respected person in the world. This was the reason why I commenced my teaching career from Wit Tuition Institution following my SLC graduation. Similarly, my involvement at Nightingale and DAV Sushilkedia inspired me to be a risk-taking person, i.e., entrepreneur, because I met many frustrated teachers who rendered their passive teaching there. This phenomenon pushed me further to take a risk as an educational entrepreneur. I, therefore, decided to invest in education sector. It is a risk-taking field as well as the field of ecstasy.
How are you replicating the knowledge and skills you garnered while you were a teacher from your current position as an administrator?
I was sincere, hardworking and honest towards my duty even in those days as I am at the present moment. In those days, I used to expect from the administrator to adopt the system of reward for the good work and to honor the sincere service. I am standing in the same perspective in this matter. I used to expect good facilities, responsibility with power to the teachers and to evaluate their performance positively and independently by the authority. My mindset has not fluctuated at all. I have always believed that our faculty and institution should always stand robust and stalwart.
There are many senior faculty members but they appreciate me as a motivated, energetic, and enthusiastic wunderkind as well as risk bearing person. I always stand on their shoes while deciding on their responsibility and right. So, I am always guided by their right suggestions. We believe in team spirit and unmarred dignity of education. We had provided full salary to all the faculty members even during COVID pandemic. In fact, I believe prosperity can be achieved with combined efforts of the entire team.
In your perspectives, what are the essential qualities to be a good teacher?
There may be many upheavals in institution due to internal and external factors. The existing global crisis may affect our institution, too. So, I expect consistency of teachers and cooperation with the management team. The faculty should be well-aware of and alert for upcoming hardships and prosperity. They should consider that school is a family where both ruptures and raptures are equally shared.
So, the essential qualities to be a good teacher are dutifulness, honesty, hardworking and finesse in their related field. Sincerity towards the institution, students and the society is another equally important quality that a good teacher possesses.
What attributes of Manaslu World College attract the public towards the institution?
Team-work spirit, camaraderie among the founders, administrators and faculty members are key to success of our institution. Other equal attributes consist of good facilities to faculty members, communication skill of our team, cooperation of parents and the public etc. These are the fascinating assets to a progressive institution.
Manaslu World College is one of the emerging institutions that offers Grades 11 & 12 education in Nepal? How could you ensure such a phenomenal progress in a short span of time?
Manaslu World College is at the apex as a private institution in Nepal. As you have said our success is phenomenal, which is possible only because of a strong team, teaching team’s commitment, and the cooperation from all the stakeholders. Due to these reasons, the institution, even during corona pandemic, had been sustainable in term of retaining both the students and teachers. We worked consistently and succeeded in admitting around 400 students in its initial session. Similarly, we managed to enroll as many as 600 students in the second academic session of its establishment. The institution has experienced continued success since its establishment. Similarly, the institution accomplished outstanding results in the very first batch and the legacy has been maintained till today. At present, the college is run under state-of-the-art infrastructures accompanying more than 3000 students.
Most grade 12 graduates are flying to foreign lands in the name of quality education. What possible solution can you propose as an educationist to mitigate such embarrassing brain drain predicament?
In my analysis, the problem is created due to lack of proper counselling to the students, parents and even the society. Another reason is due to the lack of job opportunity in Nepal. So, we should change the perspective of individuals and the society, and strong trust should be developed for quality assurance from Nepalese educational institutions. Similarly, hour basis job opportunity should be provided to employees. Moreover, the poor mindsets of the society members that only see the lucrative aspect of foreign education and employment should be eliminated and people should be aware of hardships and struggles an expat student has to undergo while being in a foreign land.
Why should students study at Manaslu World College?
Manaslu World College never compromises on quality. So, it is a fully techno-friendly institution. It focuses on skill-based and digitalized education and always concentrates on producing motivated and independent citizens. The college has managed to recruit highly qualified faculty members and stands robust under sophisticated physical infrastructures. Besides, its examinations results are outstanding since its establishment. Therefore, all these attributes corroborate that Manaslu can be the best destination for quality education pursuers.
