Bishnu Lamsal is the first Nepali teacher to participate in the International High School Teachers Training Programme organised by CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research). 

He was one of the 54 physics or science teachers from 32 countries who spent three weeks at the European laboratory, home to the Large Hadron Collider and where the World Wide Web was born, learning about frontier research with the goal of inspiring school students upon returning home and motivating them to continue pursuing scientific subjects. “I learned a lot about the fundamental building blocks of matter and about particle physics. I used to tell my students about atoms and what it consists of, a little bit about quarks, but now, I can give them a more comprehensive overview. I can illustrate more clearly and hopefully spark their curiosity to learn more about the universe,” says Lamsal. 

Lamsal teaches science to students of Grades VIII, IX and X in two private and one government school in Waling, Syangja. “There aren’t enough science and math teachers in Nepal, especially in the villages. Education is important, especially good science education. The development of the country depends on science and technological innovation, we need to invest in good teachers and motivate our students,” says Lamsal. 

The son of a former businessman-turned-farmer and a homemaker, Lamsal studied Environmental Science in Tri-Chandra College and began teaching soon after he graduated. He taught in schools like Xavier International and The Chandbagh School before deciding to move back to his village. “I returned home to be with my family and because I saw there was a need for good teachers,” says Lamsal. His wife, who also returned to Waling with him, teaches Nepali in the local schools. 

“We do what we can and use the materials we have but of course, we could do better if we had access to more information or a network of science teachers to share ideas with,” says Lamsal. 

Following his experience at CERN, he wants to develop a platform for interested science teachers in his and surrounding villages to be able to exchange ideas and knowledge. CERN’s training packed together an intensive programme with lectures on particle physics, cosmology, accelerators, detectors and applications. 

Lamsal was part of the working group on Particle Physics Masterclasses for Developing Countries. Other teachers came from countries like Australia, Rwanda, United States, India, Ireland, Palestine, Thailand, Croatia, Serbia, England, Bahrain, Iran, Jordan and CERN member states. 

Lamsal plans to host a Masterclass in Waling. He says he’s seen more students drop out of school to go to the Middle East for money. Remittance money is used to build houses on arable land and the farming yield in the village has dropped drastically in recent years. “The money is not invested and the earner needs to return to the harsh conditions in foreign countries again,” says Lamsal. “My goal is to teach my students to think for themselves, to think scientifically and to spark their curiosity in learning,” says Lamsal.

Published on: 2 August 2014 | The Himalayan Times