Nepal is ranked by the United Nations amongst the poorest countries on earth. Poverty, illiteracy, sexual inequality, caste-discrimination and political instability are widespread. High quality education therefore is a crucial to ensure Nepal’s successful development.

However, economic realities mean precious little funding reaches the country’s under-resourced, ill motivated and highly politicised government schools. Government institutions tend to have poor facilities, insufficient staff, uncommitted teachers who miss lessons and use outdated teaching methods. In addition the academic standard achieved at these schools is rarely good enough for a child to gain access to further education.

At the other end of the spectrum, an abundance of privately run, largely profit-making institutions offer the only other alternative. Sadly, there is plenty of money to be made from education in Nepal. Every parent lives in the hope that by providing their children education they have some chance to rise above the poverty that engulfs much of Nepal and better their quality of life.

Most private schools have exploited this market. The majority of them operate simply as moneymaking businesses. Most lack clear aims or vision and are generally based on a western model of education that is often inappropriate for Nepal’s needs. This is further encouraging the ‘brain drain’ of the country’s brightest minds to more prosperous foreign parts, raising a generation ignorant of their own culture and identity with an absence of real knowledge or concern for the huge challenges Nepal is facing.

The Hindu Vidyapeeth (HVP) institutions aim to counteract this. Their vision of an ‘ideal education’ is unique in its holistic approach that embraces the best aspects of the conventional, modern western style of academic education together with an emphasis on open-minded thinking, global awareness, tolerance and the value of selfless service to society. This aims to give the students a good grounding for their chosen careers so that they can prosper in an increasingly competitive environment whilst at the same time preventing them from dissociating with their Nepali identity, their own rich culture. Their hope is to inspire individuals with the desire, confidence and skills they need to contribute towards Nepal’s sustainable development.