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Budhanilkantha School

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Budhanilkantha School
Address
Map
Narayansthan, Vishnu VDC

Kathmandu

Nepal
Information
TypePublic, Independent school, Boarding school , Coeducational
MottoCentre of Excellence
Established1972
School districtKathmandu
PrincipalMr. Narayan Prasad Sharma
Number of students1000 approx
Websitebnks.edu.np

Budhanilkantha School, often referred to as BNKS, is a public boarding school in Nepal. It located in Narayansthan, 8km north of Kathmandu on the beautiful foothills of Shivapuri mountain (2,732 metres).[1] It is named after the Budhailkantha Temple which happens to be nearby.

It is one of the most prestigious and elite schools of Nepal.[2] Students are enrolled from all over the country and about one third of them study on scholarships provided to the meritorious and needy after a very selective entrance exam. The school aims to impart quality education for rich and poor alike in an environment that fosters unity and equality. It is the government designated ‘national school’ of Nepal.[3]

Overview

The school was established in 1972. [4] The school covers about 29 hectors of land. It is a full boarding school for student from 5th grade to A-Level. The school is equipped with modern day facilities like three full size multi purpose sports field, a swimming pool, assembly hall, dining hall, sports hall, Learning Resource Center, library with wi-fi internet, modern science labs and living quarters for its faculty. The students come from all over Nepal.

Although, the school is governed as a Public Educational Trust, it charges tuition fees for most students and also receives funding from the Ministry of Education. This makes the school a blend of private and public school. Approximately one third of the students receive scholarships based on merit and need. The scholarships are mostly funded by the Ministry of Education of Nepal. The Pestalozzi International Village also funds scholarship for 34 students.[5]

Budhanilkantha School, since its inception has produced a considerable number of exemplary citizens. Almost all of its graduates go on to universities. Several of its graduates have attended the most prestigious universities all over the world and can be found active in aspects of public life. A lot of them have risen to be enterprising businessmen, academics, researchers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, public officials and leaders of major companies.[6] The school has gained an good reputation both within and outside Nepal.[7]

History

Saraswoti (the goddess of learning) Temple at Budhanilkantha School

Budhanilkantha School was established in 1972 as a joint venture between the governments of Nepal and United Kingdom. The first batch of students took the School Leaving Certificate Examination (the national exam that is equivalent to the British O-Level) in 1980. In 1983, English was made the official language of instruction at Budhanilkantha School. The University of Cambridge(CIE) O-Level and A-Level programs were introduced in 1985.

Budhanilkantha School converted from a boys' single sex school to a co-educational institution in 1992. Co-education at Budhanilkantha has been very successful.[8]

In 1994, the British management handed over the administration to Nepalese management.

Academics

The school operates three courses of study:

  1. School Leaving Certificate level (a nationwide curriculum up to class 10 prescribed by the Department of Education of Nepal,
  2. 10+2 Level (2 years of study post S.L.C., prescribed by the Higher Secondary Education Board of Nepal and
  3. Cambridge International A-Level.
Shivapuri mountain, the Middle Pitch and outdoor basketball court

Entry into the school is highly selective and students must pass an entrance exam to gain admission into the school. Normally, entrance examinations are taken for entry into class 5 and post SLC levels. This is intended to continue the high academic status of the school.[9]

The academics of Budhanilkantha School is rigorous and demanding. Students are expected to perform very well. Out of 95 students who took the School Leaving Certificate Examination 2010, 56 secured Distinction and the rest 39 students passed in First Division.[10]

Budhanilkantha School currently offers A-Levels in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Economics, Business Studies, Sociology and General Paper. It is compulsory for students to sit exams in than five subjects. Mathematics and General Paper have to be studied by all students. Most students choose to study science based subjects and some choose to combine sciences and social sciences. In A-Level exams of year 2010, 12% of entries from the school secured grade A* and 30% entries secured grade A. 56% entries from the school secured more than or equal to grade B. 73% of the total entries, excluding General Paper, was on either math or science subjects.[11] Budhanilkantha School students regularly feature in the CIE outstanding achiever list as the best achieving A-Level candidate in Nepal and worldwide.[12] This reinforces that Budhanilkantha School is not only an elite institution within Nepal, but also one of the prime schools internationally. [13]

Due to high academic achievement and a strong focus on extra curricular activities, after their A-Levels most students go on to study in some of the most prestigious colleges and universities of the world. Budhanilkantha students also regularly gain places in Ivy League institutions.[14]


Houses

Budhanilkantha School operates a house system. It was possibly borrowed from house system operating in Britain. [15] The school is fully residential and there are about 920 students in a school year.

Pumori House

These students are divided into 12 houses based on sex and grade. All the houses are named after randomly chosen Himalayan peaks and have a colored flag and motto. Each house has a Housemaster, Assistant Housemaster and duty teachers who are responsible for the students of each house. The houses compete in various extracurricular activities throughout the year.

The Housemasters look after the daily affairs of the house while other members of the house help him/her do this. The houses are categorized as boy-junior & girl-junior, boy-senior & girl-senior and boy-upper senior & girl-upper senior. Each house has its one parallel house, Byasrishi parallel to Gauri Shankar for instance, that compete in different inter-school competitions to lead their houses. There is always a rivalry between parallel houses. The rivalry between Pumori House and Nilgiri House is probably the most ruthless. Different houses hold different motto. These motto help each of them to cooperate and be self respecting.

There are student House Captains and Sports Captains within the house. They are supported by a team of House Prefects. Their duty is to maintain discipline in the house and to lead the house while participating various extra-curricular activities.


Name Motto Category Classes Color
Dhaulagiri United We Succeed Boys - Junior 5 and 6 Orange
Makalu Per Verancia Per Vincit Boys - Junior 5 and 6 Dark Blue
Annapurna Service Through Leadership Boys - Junior 7 and 8 Green
Kanchenjunga Wisdom, Integrity and Respect Boys - Junior 7 and 8 Sky Blue
Nilgiri Working Better Together Boys - Senior 9 and 10 Red
Pumori In Societate Vita Boys - Senior 9 and 10 Yellow
Hiunchuli Aim High Girls - Junior 5, 6, 7 and 8 Purple
Saipal United We Stand Girls - Junior 5, 6, 7 and 8 Pink
Ratnachuli Ever Onwards Girls - Senior and Upper Senior 9, 10, A-Level and 10+2 Green
Choyu Learning for Life Girls - Senior and Upper Senior 9, 10, A-Level, 10+2 Black
Byasrishi Quest for Enlightenment Boys - Upper Senior A-Level and 10+2 Dark Blue
Gaurishankar Spes Sibi Quisque Boys - Upper Senior A-Level, 10+2 Gray

Governance

The school is managed under the Public Educational Trust. The Ministry for Education being the main trustee, the Board of Trustees (BOT) is chaired by the Education Secretary of Nepal. The school Management Committee (SMC) is responsible for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of all policy level matters. The Principal takes care of the day to day administration with the help of three Vice-Principals, Chief Administrative Officer and a team of Senior Management Team (SMT). The school is also supported by Friends of Budhanilkantha School (FOBS), the parents' representative association and Society of Ex-Budhanilkantha Students (SEBS). They also actively participate in the school governance.[16]

The current principal of the school is Mr. Narayan Prasad Sharma. There are currently three vice principals in the school; Mr. Keshar Khulal, Mr Ramesh Nath Dawadi and Mr Lal Bahadur Rana.[17]

The list of Headmasters/Principals of the school are as follows: 

  1. John B Tyson,  Headmaster Designate (1966)
  2. Peter J Wakeman, Headmaster (1972 to 1977)
  3. Ken Jones, Headmaster (1978 to 1982)
  4. Dr. Tej Ratna Kansakar, Acting Headmaster (1983)
  5. John Tyson, Headmaster (1983 to 1988)
  6. Brian Garton, Headmaster (1989 to 1992)
  7. Thomas Thomas, Headmaster (1992 to 1994)
  8. Satyanarayan Rajbhandari, Principal (1994 to 1995)
  9. Narayan Prasad Sharma, Principal (1996 to date)

Infrastructure and Facilities

Students using the Learning Resource Centre

Key infrastructures of the school are as follows:

  1. Four multi-purpose sports fields, Middle Pitch, Bottom Pitch, Top Pitch and Garden Pitch.
  2. A 25m competition swimming pool.[18]
  3. Four outdoor and one indoor basketball courts.
  4. Ten volleyball courts.
  5. A tennis court.
  6. A sports hall.
  7. An assembly hall with stage and full light and sound support.
  8. A spacious dining hall.
  9. Six fully equipped laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
  10. A micro Hydro-electric Plant was installed with the help of Pestalozzi Overseas Children's Trust UK.
  11. The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) inaugurated by the First President of Nepal Rt. Hon. Dr. Ram Baran Yadav [19]
  12. Two computer labs, with latest computers and full internet access. One of them is within the LRC.
  13. A library within the LRC with very good collections.


During the past 25 years the school has expanded tremendously. The extension of buildings for the modern science laboratory, student hostels, class rooms, swimming pool, staff flats and office complex. The number of teaching and administrative staff has also increased. Besides this, the school has been quick to exploit changes in technology to facilitate teaching and learning.[20]

Clubs

Students performing on stage

The school has various clubs where students, especially those in the A-Level program, are handed over the responsibilities and they have to search for sponsors and organize and administer workshops, trainings, concerts and other educational programs under their own steams. The members at the end need to hand in a report of the accomplishments. The club works have let the students show their talent and leadership qualities, making the students outstanding in terms of extra-curricular and leadership qualities.

The clubs have designations for students that include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Junior Secretary, members, coordinator, advisor that number from 10 to 35 members. The clubs running are:

  1. Awareness Campaign Club
  2. Creativity Club
  3. Drama And Debating Club (DADC)
  4. BNKS.Net
  5. The Environment Club
  6. Forum of Cultural Unity on Stage (FOCUS)
  7. Forum of Young Economist (FYE)
  8. Interact Club
  9. LEO Club
  10. Junior/Youth Red Cross Circle (J/YRCC) of Budhanilkantha School
  11. Science Club
  12. Society For Open Nepal (SFON)
  13. Social Service Club
  14. Sports Training And Recreation (STAR) Club
  15. Peace And Human Rights Club
  16. Journalism Club
  17. Mathematics Club
  18. Health and Fitness Club

Notable alumni


References

  1. ^ http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/Nepal/Kathmandu-Valley/Budhanilkantha-Temple.htm
  2. ^ http://www.articlesbase.com/history-articles/the-three-rs-and-beyond-education-in-nepal-2682593.html
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/history/
  5. ^ http://www.pestalozziworld.com/circles/scholars.html
  6. ^ http://sebsonline.org/news/news_view.aspx?id=639
  7. ^ http://www.ecs.com.np/cover_story.php?story_id=23
  8. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/history/
  9. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/2010/05/12/a-level-entrance-examination/
  10. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/2010/07/16/slc-results-2066/
  11. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/category/news/
  12. ^ http://www.cie.org.uk/news/features/detail?feature_id=28054
  13. ^ http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/2008/englishweekly/spotlight/mar/mar28/national3.php
  14. ^ http://www.articlesbase.com/history-articles/the-three-rs-and-beyond-education-in-nepal-2682593.html
  15. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/history/
  16. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/school-management/
  17. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/school-management/smt/
  18. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/history/
  19. ^ BNKS History accessed August 20st 2007
  20. ^ http://bnks.edu.np/about/history/

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