Basanta Lal Lamichhane has bagged American's Innovative Academician Of The Year Award

I, Mr. Basanta Lal Lamichhane, principal of Reliance Public School would like to take this opportunity to familiarize myself with you through this brief profile that outlines my entire journey so far. Through the standpoint of education, I proactively feel better to introduce myself as an innovative educator, critical thinker, good planner and communicator, facilitator, supporter and team builder.

I am the substitute of creativity as different creative approaches have been implemented in schools wherever I have worked. I believe, innovation is not a tool, instead it is a process and pedagogy implemented on people. So, influential and meaningful innovative pedagogy and approaches are given top notch priority in teaching and learning activities in our school. The greatest action for creativity, critical thinking, imagination and innovation is to create curiosity in the mind of students.

Realizing the facts to be true, we have modeled our academics with inquiry based, project based and design thinking approaches since the last few years. As a leader of a school, my primary role is to facilitate subordinates for the reflection of these qualities on students that flourish the professional quality of teachers and institutions. 

To come up with the brief history of my professional career, I was born in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-14, Chitwan as the first child of my parents. I started my school in the same place getting admitted into a government school in the same locality. After schooling, I pursued my higher studies taking admission in science stream with high ambitions in medical field. Life is a journey with ups and downs, sorrows and happiness. I had to change my way of preference after completing my PCL level of studies.

As the first child of my parents, I had a responsibility to take care of my younger brother as well. So, negotiating my interest, I started a teaching career as a part-time teacher while pursuing my bachelor and master degree. It was during the same time, I happened to join Reliance International Academy, mother wing of Reliance Education Network, as secondary science teacher where I played and introduced a new concept of teaching science by using demonstrative and experimental approaches in class and I encouraged other science teachers to do so with greater motivation.

I initiated the system of regular science exhibitions to be attended by all the interested parents and locals in school every year and the provision was made to award practical marks to the students through an evaluation of their creation. This system of practical marks was introduced in my school before it was introduced by the government. I received appreciation as one of the best science teachers in the district. Besides, school management also encouraged, motivated and inspired me to engage in various experiential learning modules.

Within a short period of time, I was promoted as senior school coordinator that allowed me to learn administrative work and in addition, that helped me to get familiarized with all subject teachers including science. This provided me an opportunity for expansion of the horizon of my knowledge and skills in school education with teaching and learning pedagogy. As a passionate learner, my interest got intense in research in order to enrich the innovative teaching and learning environment in my school. 

I had a great search, all the time, to find the tools and methods with which we could enhance the creativity, critical thinking, communication, leadership and innovation skills of our students. During this time, I joined for a Master in Sociology and later, M. Phil degree in sociology with the aim of knowing how education is interrelated with community and society. I learned different sociological theories that elaborate on education and society and societal phenomena which are prominent in the field of education from sociological perspectives. It is now quite useful that I am translating the learned skills to connect education with cultures, soft skills and life-sustaining skills. 

My learning thrust did not stop me to learn more instead, it encouraged me to do research in the field of education for exploring newer knowledge, skills and attitudes to be employed in students and system. I got an opportunity to work with British Council Nepal through Social Action Project (SAP) and International School Award (ISA) through which 21^st century core skills, international collaboration and exchange visit have been made between different schools of the globe.

These all have become a milestone in my career and I have been promoted as vice-principal cum ISA facilitator and international project coordinator.  After then, I was appointed as part time school supervisor at Reliance Co-Ed School during the initial two years of its establishment. My contribution has remained praiseworthy for the establishment of system, national and international linkages and exchange visits in this institution.  

During the journey with British Council, all school wings of Reliance Education Network have been accredited with International School Award twice. During the time period than and before, significant progress is observed in academic results, cultures and soft skills translation. Parenting education, national and international connection, pedagogical workshop and training and many more functions have been conducted smoothly and significantly, which directly or indirectly have promoted to all the stakeholders of school. The brought changes in different academic institutions with my vision and innovation, and plans and policies, I am now promoted as a Principal of Reliance Public School and have been serving as since the last five years.

During this period, a lot of appreciation, honor and association had been conferred to me. However, I am still in pursuit of how to generate the innovative, creative and imaginative students in school. 

Now, I am serving as principal at Reliance Public School (RPS) Bibekchowk, Kapan, Budhanilkantha Municipality Ward No.10, Kathmandu since the last 5 years. And, to this moment now a question has mushroomed in my mind, ‘how can we introduce the latest technological and pedagogical approaches in school education and how can we be able to transform school into a progressive set?’ This thought encouraged me to pursue another degree in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education from Kathmandu University school of education.

This master’s degree course has been instrumental to me to delve deep in education. We have successfully conducted teaching pedagogical training based on STEAM and 5Es Model of teaching and learning in our school to the faculties. Due to this, the pedagogical changes have happened in school. To strengthen the techno-based education, I have initiated the professional and practical course of computers in association with Digi school and we have established maker space for designing, innovation, imagination through science project, math project, robotics, wood-work, clay work and cookery in school. Such activities, obviously, have enhanced the creativity of the students. In addition, Agricultural practices, courtyard farming, community survey, social action projects are continuously launched for students’ knowledge enhancement.

On the other hand, for global competitiveness, high standard programmes such as Model United Nations (MUN), Students’ Quality Circle (SQC), V-Star, Rhetorical Circle, International Collaborative Projects have been part of our curriculum support programme designed to enrich students' communication and leadership skills. It is evident that the extra and co-curricular activities designed and practiced in RPS are serving as catalysts to enrich students’ innovativeness, confidence and 4Cs (Creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration) qualities which contribute positively for global citizenship.

American Award, aiming of encouraging and celebrating the extraordinary professionals is purely liable of earnest and heartfelt thanks. It is the honoring of outstanding efficiencies, ideas and excellency of people devoted in different field for totality development of organization and people. Such appreciation inspires the young and upcoming generation for their exceptional qualities that support to them to go ahead. I am profusely proud to be the part of this renowned institution and express my gratitude to all professional team of this institution.

I am happy and excited for wining American’s Innovative Academician of the Year which literally reflected my innovativeness in school education transformation. Honoring with such award among the large number of participants across the globe is one of the milestones in my career that has tremendously encouraged me to move ahead with new ideas and concepts which help to cater the newer path in education system in Nepal.

Finally, it is a never-ending passion within me that I always get encouraged and motivated with the latest means of teaching and learning practices introduced in the best schools and classrooms. Timely adoption of the best tested and proven methods and systems of pedagogy are essential to get updated with by each educator to bring out the best changes that an education always desires for in his school and students and a responsible educator, I am always committed for.