Khagya’s classroom: teachers in West Nepal welcome a new chapter in education

Early Childhood Education Development teacher Khagya in her newly renovated classroom

Now in its second year, the Samridhee Pashchim Nepal Project is revolutionising education for teachers and students in remote West Nepal. AHF’s local partner, REED Nepal is delivering an integrated approach to lift education outcomes in the region. This program aims to improve both the quality of education and the condition of school facilities for 5,816 students in Khaptadchanna. 

Khaptadchhanna is one of the most isolated areas of the country with a population of around 15,900 people. The literacy rate is 60% with only 43% of women being literate. Many classrooms in the region do not meet national minimum safety standards and school environments are often poor with broken or no furniture, dusty floors, dark with limited natural lighting and are extremely cold during winter. 

One school that has already benefited from this program is Shree Meltadi Secondary School. Khagya, an Early Childhood Education Development teacher, has been a key advocate for these positive changes. She joined the school in 2020, facing challenging conditions and limited resources. Despite this, Khagya has seen significant improvements in both the facilities and the quality of education.

“While my primary goal was to see the children progress quickly, I had neither received any training nor had any proper curriculum to follow. I taught the children on dusty floors using the traditional methods I experienced as a child, starting with making them write letters on their first day.”

In 2022, the Samridhee Pashchim Nepal Project offered teacher training programs that helped educators like Khagya advance their skills and adopt modern teaching methods and structured curriculums for early childhood education. REED Nepal organised specialised training in subject pedagogy and professional development for early childhood and primary school teachers. Three teachers from Australia and New Zealand travelled to Khaptadchanna to train 86 local educators, while 10 Local Resource Teachers and REED Nepal staff provided in-classroom support to 237 teachers.

“For the first time, I got the opportunity to participate in their educational training. I felt fortunate as I had only heard of child-friendly education but never had the chance to learn about it. During a 10-day Early Childhood Education and Development training program, I learned a lot and  implemented these teachings in my behaviour and in the classroom. 

After studying the curriculum, I realised that my previous methods were strict on the children. Now, when I enter the classroom, I engage the children by sharing poems, chants, brain gym exercises, and dancing to attract their attention. Sometimes, I show them videos using a monitor provided by REED Nepal.”

While teaching methods and curriculums were being addressed, it was also time to renovate the classrooms to make them bright, engaging and conducive to learning. To achieve this, learning corners were installed for early childhood students. Seven schools received IT equipment and 38 schools were provided with teaching, painting and sports equipment.

“The dusty classroom has now transformed with the installation of carpets provided by REED Nepal. The children's behaviour has also changed significantly. They now attend school regularly and on time. The classroom environment is much more enjoyable, with six subject-specific learning corners (maths, science, language, creative arts, role play and construction corners) and a child-friendly bed for them to rest.

The classroom is now well-decorated with educational materials, and the children organise their shoes and keep the classroom clean by putting waste in the dustbin. They sit in a circle and enjoy their classes. Children, who were once shy, now speak easily, and I have learned that they learn quickly through play and fun activities. I believe that with more training, I can bring about even more positive changes.”

The Samridhee Pashchim Nepal Project is powerfullying engaging villages in West Nepal around shaping their and their children’s futures. AHF and REED Nepal will continue to focus on delivering quality education to the remote region of Khaptadchanna in 2025 to improve the capacity of schools to meet national standards.

“I am grateful to REED Nepal for providing me with training and skills, which have greatly contributed to enhancing my personal capabilities and the children's knowledge. I express my heartfelt thanks to REED Nepal and Australian Himalayan Foundation  for their support.”

This project is funded by generous Australian Himalayan Foundation donors and the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Learn more about our Education programs.