Students will leave after SEE exams at the end of High School at about age 16.
As the end of the Nepali year 2081 approaches (mid-April) and the school year has just a few more weeks, there are a lot of exams as all students from Nursery up sit down and show what they can do. At about aged 14, students sit the public Basic Level Exam (BLE), when they must pass all. Our children average an A- or B+ each year across all subjects (with D+ being the government target). After this, our students have been sponsored to attend the best school in the district town of Taplejung for two years.
We have obtained permission to run Classes 9 & 10: our students can continue to live at home until aged 16+ at the end of High School, after their Secondary Education Exam (SEE). This will mean no more 14-year-olds renting rooms on their own, cooking their own food, washing their clothes, studying alone, managing illnesses alone. Nor will they be in a hostel with poor accommodation, poor food, no shower and minimal toilet and wash facilities.
Our children join the school at about 4 years old. To encourage parents to send children to school every day even in critical farming times, such as rice planting and reaping, most parents contribute a few pounds a month to the school – but for girls this can be as little as £1 as we continually try to achieve 50% girls/boys in each class. (Parental contribution remains an important but overall small part of the cost of running our school.) Grants for girls at our school are 80% of parental contribution and up to 75% for boys (55% at Kangchenjunga School, including accommodation and food) and are generously paid for by Mentors and Eifion Trust – The earth is one country and humankind its citizens. All children are given school textbooks, uniform, PE clothes, school trips, festival food and, if necessary, glasses and sanitary wear – as well as access to toys, sports, music, karate and other extra-curricular activities. Thank you each one of you, for your support.
Class 8 School Trip
For the last 4 years, after Basic Level Exams, Class 8 students have had a school trip to Darjeeling, just over the border in India. They are given spending money so that they can buy spare clothes, ice creams or a souvenir of the trip. For almost all, it is their first time away from family and home. Many have never travelled further than a few miles to the
nearby town or another village, and so a trip to another country is very exciting. They go to a zoo, a museum, ride on a cable car, a horse and in a boat and see an entirely different way of life not solely dominated by the weather and farming cycles. It opens eyes to new possibilities. In previous years, we have had specific donations to cover this trip but this year we did not. So it had to be debated as to whether to fund it, at the cost of other choices. It would seem hard to learn about the world without experiencing it. And so…they went!
The School Estate
Many of you will know that we reached a point when we had to consider taking money away from education to put it into a fence and lockable gate for our early years’ school. This is mainly for safeguarding our children, but also for protecting our computers etc and stopping children and balls tumbling down the mountainside! We asked for help from you for the gate – cost £4,700. You responded and we raised £3,660 – so we still need £1,040 more. If you can help, please go to: Donate to Fence & Gate for Early Years Montessori School
   
Our Head Girl is called Swastika. This is a popular girl’s name meaning ‘good fortune’ or ‘well-being’.
Meanwhile, our Head Girl has been busy making beautiful the Yellow School (for students aged 9-16) by planting flowers around the building. She asked very nicely if the school gateway could be painted and so we brought in a couple of local artists. In just one day, they transformed the weather-tarnished gateway with cultural emblems and writings in Limbu, Nepali and English (we are on Limbu tribal land).
Life is better with cake – 15 traybakes and 3 very fancy round ones!
To mark her ‘big’ birthday, Lesley (Chair Q. Learning Nepal Trust CIO) invited the villagers to a party, repaying the incredible generous hospitality received over the last nearly two decades. A feast for more than 600 (as well as cake) meant three sittings.
There was comedy, dancing, singing, games, music (including the first ever orchestral performance in Hangdewa): all great talent and enthusiasm. Afterwards, the villagers gave ‘tokens of love’ which included giving Lesley 130 scarves, many garlands, pictures, local crafts, religious and cultural items. It was overwhelming! Friends Anne (Trustee) and Lesley were very much included.
Why Mentor Visits are so Important
When Mentors visit their Ambassadors, there is a fantastic journey into each others’ worlds. Sitting in the West, it is easy to make assumptions such as, ‘I expect the children are having their Christmas holiday. I will ask them what presents they have.’ Nepal is multicultural – about 80% are Hindus, 3% indigenous religions including Limbu and 1% Christians – and so there is a public holiday for Christmas Day and our children have a day off school.
Ambassadors draw Christmas cards and learn about Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer. It is unlikely that many know about a baby called Jesus. As for presents, it is likely that not one of our children has ever received a present for Christmas or indeed their birthday, unless a Mentor has given them money or a relative some chocolate. It is equally difficult for the children: when asked to describe their favourite festival, they cannot imagine anyone not knowing about Dashain or Tihar and what happens on those days. And so, during a visit, many amazed and amazing conversations take place. ‘My sister was quite ill last week.’ ‘Oh, I am sorry. What did the doctor say?’ ‘She hasn’t been to the doctor; my mother didn’t have the money so she took her to the Shaman. He said her aura was poor and gave her a herb to drink as tea. So, really she wasn’t ill.’ Anne and Lesley visited the homes of their Ambassadors and were treated to local foods and enjoyed meeting their families and animals.
Our children know they go to a wonderful school which provides a rounded education. They and their families are incredibly grateful for this opportunity their children have. They wish me to pass on their thanks to Mentors and Donors who make this possible.
