Sashi Kayastha Kaspal is an experienced educator with an MPhil degree from Kathmandu University. She has been teaching for the past twenty years and is currently serving as the Coordinator at Modern School & College, Thimi, Bhaktapur. Additionally, she is a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University. Recently, she shared her valuable insights on education with College Readers. Here are some excerpts from her interview:

Sashi Kayastha Kaspal is an experienced educator with an MPhil degree from Kathmandu University. She has been teaching for the past twenty years and is currently serving as the Coordinator at Modern School & College, Thimi, Bhaktapur. Additionally, she is a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University. Recently, she shared her valuable insights on education with College Readers. Here are some excerpts from her interview:

Modern School is one of Nepal's leading institutions. How do you ensure progress in student learning?

We don't claim to be unique from other schools since we follow the same curriculum nationwide. However, the primary focus of Modern School is to teach values, culture, discipline, and morals. Our goal is to make students not only learn but also become diligent and hardworking individuals.

Can you please describe the steps or actions you have taken to improve the quality of education at Modern School?

Every child is unique and possesses different qualities. In academics, we follow the curriculum. Our school values every student, and the way we treat, deal with, and counsel them is what sets us apart from others. We believe that every individual has a different nature, capacity, and knowledge. Therefore, the growth of our students should be natural because forced growth is temporary.

We have shifted from traditional rote learning to progressive teaching and learning pedagogy, where equal value is given to skills, knowledge, technology, morals, and culture. How have you adopted these attributes in your institute?

We are currently in the phase of progress. Technology integration alone is not sufficient for progressive education. Various aspects such as social, emotional, community, and infrastructure development are equally essential. To enhance critical thinking, we have multiple projects and field research initiatives. We are promoting practical and experimental knowledge in a step-by-step manner, as per the current requirements.

Have you taken into account the involvement of parents and communities in ensuring quality education?

We believe that parents and communities play the most significant roles in a child's development. Three pillars support a student's growth: parents, schools, and the community. Each of these pillars is equally important, and we prioritize parent meetings and community involvement programs to strengthen them. It's crucial that students feel connected to their community and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities within it.

Parents often have high expectations from their children, but not every child can excel in all areas. How does your school address this?

I believe that high expectations are a result of the competitive world we live in. However, I have noticed that most parents are now more understanding and supportive of their children's interests. In today's global market, what is required are skills and attributes, rather than just meeting expectations. We should focus on our capacity instead of trying to win the world constantly. We can never truly be satisfied with just meeting expectations, so it is better to focus on what we can do and strive to improve ourselves.

What are the main challenges faced by private schools, and what steps can we take to overcome them?

I believe that the English language is not an indicator of quality education. Private schools not only focus on developing bilingual capacity but also provide good care and individual attention to their students. Another key factor that sets private institutes apart is the responsible behavior of their teachers. Ultimately, quality education is measured by the success of students and the kind of human beings they will become tomorrow. We are not engineers of other people's lives.

As the coordinator of Modern School, what advice would you give to parents and students?

As a piece of advice for students, I would say that there are no shortcuts when it comes to achieving excellence - it requires dedication and consistency. Therefore, you must strive for excellence in whatever field you choose. To help their children achieve their goals, parents should support their children's interests and teach them morals and values that they can apply in their personal and professional lives. It's also crucial that parents understand their children's needs and psychology, as we are the guardians of our children, and we should behave like that.