Education

UPDATE: Thursday, July 10, 2008

An education update is a little overdue. The Nepalese school year begins in April, the beginning of the calendar New Year in Nepal. Sadly, Nepal Orphans Home has lost control of Papa’s Trinity Academy due to the prevailing political climate of Nepal. Though we have lost our complete investment we are free of any encumbrance created by the school.

Others decided to take over the school, where NOH had given a completely free education to all the poor in the neighboring villages for two years, and last year to over half of its 350 students. The school has been turned into a business with high fees, and those who were supported by NOH have been turned away.

Because of this NOH has enrolled its 59 children and six other very poor children from Dhapasi into the Skylark School. We are very proud to have been accepted into Skylark, an English medium school of long running that consistently wins valley wide awards for academic excellence.

Nepal Orphans Home continues to support two schools in the hilly region of Nepal with a total of around 150 children between them. There we provide a hot lunch program, teachers, uniforms, and all the educational needs of the students.

The Skylark School is an expensive proposition, even after a very kind discount; but the intensive English-speaking-only curriculum makes the extra effort to pay for it worthwhile.

Papa’s House for girls in the upper corner of Dhapasi brought eight girls from our Papa’s House “Lawajuni” for Kamalari girls in Lamahi, Nepal to live in Dhapasi and attend Skylark. Upon doing this we rescued eight new girls to take their place. We also brought the little brother of one of our Kamalari girls to our boy’s home in lower Dhapasi. He and the others are shown here before the gates of the school. Our two Dhapasi Homes are now at capacity.

The Skylark School runs through class 10 this year; class 10 being the year students test out of school. The idea is currently being floated to have class 12 the new exit time from school. We intend to keep our children in this very excellent school now and into the future.

We started in 2004 with ten children, which became thirty by the end of the first month and sixty by the end of that first year.

The school is a refuge, an oasis for many children from the deprivation and oftentimes abusive situation in their homes. Here, during school hours, their home problems are forgotten, replaced with realizing the potential that they all have for a better life. Our teachers listen, stimulate, nurture, and offer a steady and loving hand.

In August 2006 we received our certificate from the Ministry of Education to enter 2007 with permission to teach through class 8. Most schools are able to add just one class each year after a careful review, so this stamp of approval by the ministry speaks well of their review of our practices and facilities.

Our new building

Papa’s Trinity Academy began its third full year in a new building and in a new location in Basundhara, the village nearest us, and more central to the many students who have joined us. The school year begins in April and runs year round. As of this writing (August 2007) we have 365 students registered from nursery through grade seven. Our teaching staff consists of 16 very bright, young and energetic men and women. We have Milan Godar, our principal, entering his second full year, and this year we have hired an accountant who squeezes in the teaching of computer science. Classes are provided in the subjects of English, Nepali, Science, Math, Social Studies, and Health. Instruction is in English. On the artistic side, we currently have an inspiring dance instructor. We have three full-time Didis to manage the cooking and cleaning and to act as surrogate moms to the many children experiencing school for the first time.

Principal Milan and Papa arriving at school

Our mission this year was to continue to offer free education to those children who would otherwise be economically forced out of school, while gathering as many paying students as possible to defray the cost. Consequently we implemented a schedule of tuition and fees for families who can afford to pay. These monthly per student charges range from 275 rupees (approximately $4.35) for nursery and the lower kindergarten to 600 rupees (approximately $9.50) for class seven. Many students, including the children of Papa's House, continue to attend for free. Even if all the student fees were paid (an annual total of 1,451,000 rupees or $23,000 based on current enrollments of paying students), the income would fall far short of the expenses of running the school (1,796,400 rupees or $28,510). These expenses include the lease on the building and grounds (438,000 rupees or $6,950), staff salaries (1,064,400 rupees or $16,900), and school supplies and equipment (164,000 rupees or $2,600), and other administrative costs (130,000 rupees or $2,060). Under optimal conditions, then, the shortfall is $5,510.

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to collect fees in total from parents; the average student may pay 60% of their total bill. Using these expected income figures, the annual shortfall between income and expenses increases to 925,800 rupees or $14,690. Based upon the present 365 children attending the school, the uncovered cost per student would be approximately 2,500 rupees or $40. We receive no government or philanthropic funds at all to date and this loss is not sustainable.

Our school has an excellent reputation and is providing quality education for over 350 children. We need help. If you are able or interested in donating to an education fund please specify that on your PayPal contribution page.

Racially Nondiscriminatory Policy of Papa's Trinity Academy
Papa's Trinity Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and school-administered programs.