There are now 300 students enrolled from Early Childhood Development classes to Grade 8 at Shree Saraswati Basic School. But earlier, this school which is located in a remote village of Shyala, Rukum West, survived in a poor condition without any safe classroom management. Without any compound wall, even the cattle showed up at the school!

The School Management Committee (SMC), Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and school teachers didn’t know how to improve the school. They lacked proper vision until UMN and its partner, Christian Society Development Campaign (CSDC) organised a School Improvement Plan review workshop.

Facilitators from UMN and CSDC conducted a one-day review and asked them to draw a picture of the school before 2015 and to create a five-year plan from 2016 to 2020. Then the participants analysed the photos which presented the real scenario before 2015 without basic facilities like a school compound, computer lab, kitchen garden and drinking water. Another picture reflected the school’s vision with all those amenities and more.

The workshop gave the participants a sense of direction. The headteacher, SMC and PTA members, parents and child clubs were all inspired to work to achieve the vision. They received funding from the former Home Minister and built the school wall compound.

Today the school is transformed. Some changes include child-friendly teaching methods and a new kitchen garden. The students get to eat fresh vegetables from this kitchen garden during lunch break. There is now a separate toilet for girls and boys, a child-friendly water tap, and solar support for computer lab management. This has made it possible for 90 students from Grades 6 to 8 to take computer lessons in the school.

The school has indeed become a model school, all because of the effective school team and kind support.