Nepal bans schools from using western names

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KATHMANDU — Nepal said on Monday it was banning secondary schools from using names like "Oxbridge", "White House" and "NASA" over fears that the education system is losing its Nepali culture. The announcement follows a series of protests by student and youth groups -- sometimes violent -- outside schools across the country which have chosen foreign names. "We have informed the schools to change their name to Nepali. This is clearly written in the laws but several schools were found violating them," education ministry spokesman Janardan Nepal told AFP. "They will be given enough time to change the names. But it should not take long," Nepal said, without specifying a deadline. Nepal depends on foreign governments and aid agencies for around 25 percent of its 65-billion-rupee ($715 million) education budget and cash-strapped schools often try to attract funding and pupils with "prestigious" western names. An estimated 250 secondary schools in Kathmandu are named after European and US historical figures, institutions and places, such as "Einstein Academy" and "Pentagon College." Last month the United Nations voiced "deep concern" over escalating violence against schools in Nepal by militants it said were endangering children's lives and jeopardising their right to education. Local media have blamed student wings of various political factions for destroying computers in a Kathmandu college and torching school buses in the capital, the southern district of Chitwan and the eastern city of Dharan.   Student Unions Want Schools With Foreign Names To Be Replaced With Nepali Names   KATHMANDU, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- The Department of Education (DoE) has proposed replacing English and foreign names of higher secondary schools with Nepali names within six months. The DoE relented after various student unions started a series of protest against higher secondary schools with foreign names and even attacked a few, claiming that such names were against national interest, according to local media. DoE director Tek Narayan Pandey said the proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Education last week and would be implemented once the ministry endorsed it, Xinhua news agency quoted local media as saying. "All the schools with foreign names will have to rename themselves within six months of the proposal being endorsed," said Pandey. Pandey said no higher secondary school will be allowed a foreign name once the policy is implemented. Although the Education Regulations, published in the Nepal gazette on January 23, 2011 clearly states that academic institutions should be named after national figures, religious figures and natural resources, the DoE, District Education Offices (DEO) and Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) have been granting affiliations to academic institutions with foreign names. "Since we provide affiliations only on the recommendation of the DEO and the DoE, they are more responsible for the present situation," said HSEB member secretary Bhim Lal Gurung. Some 250 higher secondary schools have foreign names in the capital Kathmandu Valley. --BERNAMA   Last edited: 06-Aug-12 09:53 AM

cybernepali · Aug 6, 2012 9:52 AM · 27,984 views

20 Replies

There are over 250 schools in Kathmandu? Isn't that alot?

mercynova · Aug 6, 2012 9:58 AM

What are the list of schools with english names? I will be happy to convert them to Nepali names.

sajha onion · Aug 6, 2012 10:07 AM

"OXbridge" re......LMAO Does it mean it has the best of Oxford and Cambridge ....??? These people who select those names and the one who enroll in those colleges need a serious help.

SAP Dude · Aug 6, 2012 10:09 AM

yo ma&%$#$^%@ Nepali politician haruko aru kehi kaam chaina ki ke ho. Yesto bakamfuse kura pani garne ho. Desh lai nai pagal banaisakyo

bad boy · Aug 6, 2012 10:13 AM

Let's count some names that are in typical Nepali and some with western names.

atomic · Aug 6, 2012 10:29 AM

im sure the government has smth better to do than waste their time on such things.

mercynova · Aug 6, 2012 10:32 AM

Nepali haru jaile pani kina naam kai pachi dagurchan hun? kaile school name, kaile airlines ko name, kaile desh nai name, kaile jhanda waiyaat Just changing the name doesn't do any thing and it sounds kinda stupid Indeed, nepalese people don't want development in Nepal. They just know how to blame leaders. Look at the mirror my dear nepalese fellas. You are so so backward

sajhamitra · Aug 6, 2012 10:41 AM

Sajhamitra its not because of nepalese people, its the politicians who are doing these things

rethink · Aug 6, 2012 10:43 AM

Can a democratic government really regulate the naming of a private entity? I am not sure if I agree with this move, regardless of how ridiculous some of the school names sound (e.g. White House, really??).

Kiddo · Aug 6, 2012 12:45 PM

नेपाली शब्द नै नभाको जस्तो के तो oxford र white house राख्या. Pentagon school, NASA रे बाप रे बाप |  That is plagiarism or patented name . अब school ले नै plagiarism गरेपछि student के सिक्ला हो. बरु नेपाल को सबै हिमाल पहाड खोला नाला को नामे मा school खोल्नु कि त ३३ कोटी भगवान को नाममा खोल्नु | मरे पछि स्वर्ग पुगिन्छ त्रियोग रातो बुन्गला बुद्धनिल्कण्ठ अरनिको बागमती ज्ञानोदय AVM सिद्धार्थ बनस्थली These are all top schools.   Last edited: 06-Aug-12 01:25 PM

mno · Aug 6, 2012 1:04 PM

Yeah that's funny, white house Rey lmao

atomic · Aug 6, 2012 1:25 PM

 Liverpool geda geda 

jhilkeJetho · Aug 6, 2012 2:38 PM

काम देखाउनु परेंन त सरकारी ओहदामा बसे पछी ? गोह्रो छाला भने पछी उत्तम, तेही ठाम को कालो छाला न्युन हुने | व्यापारिक स्कूलहरुले नेपालिको मनास्थिलाई नगदिकरण गर्नलाई बिदेसी नाम राखे पछी पुगी हाल्यो , अनि नानीले स्कूल बात टूईन्कल् तूईन्क्ल को गित गएर सुनाइदिए पछी क्या पढे छ भन्ने भै हाल्छ . खाल्डो नै खन्न नदिएको भए अहिले पुर्नु पर्ने थिएन , नेपालि को बुद्धि चाक पछाडी छ भनेको कुरा एसले पुस्टि  गरें त ?   

MaGorkhe1 · Aug 6, 2012 2:49 PM

Huna ta naam ko kura garne ho bhane finance ra banking sector ma pani koi kum chainan. Recently I heard about International development bank. Afai Lai laaj lagyo, national development ko ta k kaam garlla!!!!! Aba k hisab kitab ley "international development" rakhe ho tiniharu ley nai janun.

atomic · Aug 6, 2012 2:51 PM

What about schools like little angles and Xavier ? Little angles will sound something with " sano pari bidhyalaya" if they change their name.

hilllguy · Aug 6, 2012 3:09 PM

काम पाइनस बुहारी पाडा को चाक कन्या !

dHwasE · Aug 6, 2012 4:33 PM

 ध्वासे  ब्रो: उखानले तारो त निसान मै हान्नु भो | एसतै उखान लेखि बस्नु भयो भने साझामा हंगामा आऊलाहै  | आइ ह्याभ सींन पिपुल नट लाईकिंग हु कमेन्टस विथ उखान !

MaGorkhe1 · Aug 6, 2012 4:45 PM

It seems like they wanted to control schools from using world renowned patented words. like intel, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Obama high school. But in third world countries, brands do not have any value. St Xavier St Marys are missionary schools. they  open their branch in Nepal. little angels, little flower, little stars, little moon, galaxy etc are not patented name so anyone can use it I guess. Last edited: 07-Aug-12 08:03 AM

mno · Aug 7, 2012 7:59 AM

सुचिकार र खुद्रे पसलेले नया चालु फिलिमका नाम राखेर ग्राहक बढाए जस्तै त हो नि यो पनि , हैन र ?   एक मित्रले ब्रान्ड नेम जोडी दिनुभै आग्राको कुरालाई गाग्रामा पुर्याई दिनु भए जस्तो लाग्यो ?

Magorkhe1 · Aug 7, 2012 11:43 AM

Since when did "Obama" become patented?

rethink · Aug 7, 2012 11:46 AM

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Nepal bans schools from using western names

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