In her childhood, Kiran’s family had moved from Darjeeling to Kalimpong where she was educated in a Convent school. Her family was in car dealership and she could have chosen to just settle down comfortably. But she became the only family member to be working for the Nepali government.[break]
Her experience thus includes working not only as a trainer of education methodology in Nepal but also handling the administration and rising to the post of Secretary at a time when the government was mostly dominated by men.
The Week’s Nistha Rayamajhi caught up with Kiran to talk more about her work and learning experience.
What motivated you to work for the government?
I studied at St. Joseph’s Convent School in Kalimpong and graduated from the University of Oregon. I was an avid reader since my schooldays and was always interested in reading and learning which is how I wanted to contribute something to education. Times were different back then as girls were expected to limit themselves to their household chores. But I wanted to break that stereotype. I was lucky enough to be selected for the Montessori training in Madras and was asked by Nepal government to provide Montessori training to teachers here. I had also taught at Padma Kanya Higer Secondary School in Kathmandu. Since there was no female Secretary in the government Ministries, I was then appointed at the Ministry of Education and I also served at the Ministry of Tourism and eventually at the Ministry of Health until I retired in the 1980s.
What were the obstacles that you faced while working in the government back then?
Being the only female Secretary had both its pluses and drawbacks. There were very few educated women back then, so it was hard to prove our worth. There were times when I was put down by many of my male counterparts for being just a woman. But I took such situations as a learning experience. I always had been headstrong and my approach was right, which is how I overcame all the hurdles in between. Moreover, because of my strict nature, people whom I worked with were in awe of me. But I had the full support of my family, in-laws and also the government, so I hardly had any major problems while working as the only lady Secretary back then.
What were the challenges of starting the Montessori school?
The Montessori approach was completely new in Nepal and when I started it, many guardians were unwilling to leave their children behind at the school or sometimes they would just tag along with them. In that way, the children didn’t get the freedom to learn to be independent. Montessori training is all about allowing children to learn at their own pace by allowing them to explore their creativity and skills without the direct and harsh control of the teacher. However, the approach slowly picked up. Time has changed as currently you can see so many schools offering Montessori education.
What was the state of the schools when you worked as a teacher and a trainer?
I was firstly appointed as Director of Education by the Ministry of Education. So I had the responsibility of coordinating education activities in Kathmandu. The condition of the schools was not so good in the sense that there was less creativity due to dearth of trained teachers. A Montessori trainer from India had come to Kathmandu who trained around 30 graduate teachers for a year. I also had the privilege of training a few teachers but there were hardly any female teachers.
What difference do you find from the days when you worked at the Ministries and as a teacher?
The situation has completely changed as compared to the yesteryears as many women are coming up front and taking up challenges. In our days, the opportunities for women were few but now they are more educated and have all the skills to compete with males. Even in government, there are many women who are making a difference and there’s yet a long way to go from here.
What was the scenario of the Ministry when you were working?
Though there were deserving people in the Ministry there were also times when people would get promoted just on the basis of their close connections with the government. The culture of buttering up those who had high positions in order to have a seat in the ministry or to reach higher levels was also prevalent. There were even cases when, due to inside politics, the ones who stood against those who had high positions would be transferred or would be kept in lower posts even though they were right. Despite such practices, there were people who were moral as well. After all, it all depends on which path to choose and I always stood for what was right.
What are some of the things that have stuck with you over the years?
The person that I’m today is the result of all that I’ve learnt throughout my career. With my work, the first thing I learnt was discipline because without it, a person isn’t going anywhere further. My work required me to plan ahead and be flawless in what I did. I had huge responsibilities and I couldn’t take that for granted. I constantly used to evaluate myself to see where I was heading and what I gained; so that always helped me to gain positive perspectives in life.
What advice do you have for the current government and what changes would you like to see?
Since the people in the government have the sole responsibility to run the country, I think that they should be ethical and unbiased. Even when they start from the lower positions in the government, they should start it with sincerity. The prerequisites to get into the ministry should be judged well and there shouldn’t be the case of taking people just because they have a good rapport with the government people. If someone stands for the truth, they should be supported. So, all in all, what we need are motivated people who can make the government stable and make it run with a proper vision.
Related story
Radhika Thapa becomes first female soldier to complete Counter...
-1200x560-1773818828.webp)
-1773673205.webp)
