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Introduction

Core Value

Board Members

Partners

It has been realized that investments of funds and human resources to develop physical infrastructure of schools is not sufficient to ensure quality education. Children learn best when the classroom environment is conducive to their learning: when their social and emotional needs are met, when learning is meaningful and enjoyable, and when they have caring and confident teachers that support their learning. This was the basic premise for the establishment Rato Bangala Foundation.

RBF's focus on primary education is based on the fact that the foundational learning has to be good. If all Nepali children get good education through Grade VIII, they will be able to create a better life for themselves than if they did not have the basic education. Often institutions focus on higher grades, as well as in higher education, but unless all children get the basic skills required through the primary grades, our institutions of higher learning, as well as high schools will not be able to access capable students, and the development of Nepal will take a much longer time than if proper primary education was provided to all students.

Since its legal establishment in 2002, RBF embarked on a tri-partite partnership with Bank Street College of Education, New York, and Kathmandu University to develop an academic training that would produce professional teachers who are well-equipped with the skills to manage a classroom in a child-centered manner. Primary Teacher Training Program and the Post Graduate Diploma in Education are the academic courses offered by the Foundation. One hundred and fifteen teachers have graduated from this course (by 2007), and our experience shows that they are the prime choice as teachers in the Valley and beyond.

RBF has been able to directly access the decade long experience gained by Rato Bangala School and is uniquely placed to provide practical and meaningful classrooms and to ensure that children get the important life skills they require, and where parents form an inalienable part of the school community. In 2003 Rato Bangala School embarked on a unique Public-Private Partnership where a portion of the money parents paid the school was reserved to help strengthen government / community schools. Rato Bangala Partnership in Outreach Program (RBPOP) was established with representation from parents and school. In the first phase, RBPOP decided to work in five districts, covering 50 schools, and the commitment was made for five years. This venture was initiated with close collaboration with the Department of Education, and the respective District Education Offices.

RBF developed appropriate training packages suitable for government schools. The Skill Development Training for Primary Teachers was offered to empower primary teachers with basic skills of conducting meaningful classes, and for improving schools in general.
The changes that was observed in the partner schools was the best judge for the work done by RBF. Other institutions working in education began to partner with RBF in order to improve schools. German Nepalese Help Association, Save the Children Norway, World Vision Bhaktapur and Nick Simons Institute have been our major partners. A national level conference titled Quality in Education: A Development Imperative for Nepal, held in 2003, was sponsored jointly by Unicef, Nepal and The Royal Norwegian Embassy, Nepal.

Working steadily with partners and expanding the area of influence, RBF has, in its brief history trained teachers from 21 districts. RBF is now evolving as an education development institution, an institution that knows the context, needs and reality of the country and is able to offer workable and comprehensive plans for improving schools, beginning, always, from classroom teaching.