Parbat: Setting up a library of a foreign language is a novel way to attract students in Nepal. A government school in Parbat district replicated this novel idea in use in foreign countries to increase school enrollment.

Hubas-based Baljyoti Primary School is receiving an increasing flow of students after it established a Japanese library. The number of students has almost doubled now.

“With the opening of private schools in the locality, half of our students left the school last year. But now we are back to square,” said Reshamlal Neupane, principal of Baljyoti school. According to him, the school has 108 students now from 60 last year.  A local villager, Himlal Bhattarai, who is living in Japan, is the brainchild of the library idea. He launched a campaign  last year to raise a fund of Rs 420,000 with the help of overseas Nepali students and Japanese people to built the library. The two-room library building has 200 Japanese books up to primary level.

The library is the centre of attraction among parents. More guardians have been enrolling their children at the school. “Earlier the school was without necessary facilities. But now it has improved education,” said a parent, Durga Prasad Neupane, who admitted his three daughters studying in a boarding school at the school.

The school is planning to teach Japanese language. “Apart from the library, we are thinking of imparting education in Japanese language and we are also seeking a teacher with ability to teach Japanese language,” said Neupane. “We will start classes in Japanese soon after completing necessary procedure,” said a member of the school management committee, Tukalal Neupane.

 source: The Kathmandu Post