Lumbini Buddhist University is taking significant steps toward the integration of Buddhist education into the school curriculum of community and institutional schools in Rupandehi. In an interaction program on “Buddhist Education in Schools” organized by the Faculty of Buddhist Studies at LBU on Wednesday, school principals unanimously agreed on the necessity of introducing Buddhist education as a subject in their respective institutions.
The discussion centered around the curriculum developed by the Faculty of Buddhist Studies for grades 7 and 8. The participating school principals expressed their readiness to implement the curriculum if local municipalities formally included it within the school syllabus or introduced a separate curriculum for Buddhist education.
Dr. Manik Ratna Shakya, Dean of the Faculty of Buddhist Studies, presented the curriculum and emphasized that it is designed to teach students about Gautama Buddha and his teachings. He further highlighted that the curriculum aims to instill ethical values and moral discipline in students from an early age.
Dr. Nir Bahadur Gurung, LBU’s Central Campus Chief, stressed the importance of Buddhist education in fostering positive social transformation. Assistant Professor Kamal Thapa underscored the necessity of Buddha’s teachings and urged all stakeholders to collaborate to successfully implement them at the school level.
Chandi Prasad Pandey, Secretary of the Nepal Teachers’ Federation, suggested that LBU should work in coordination with local municipalities to introduce Buddhist education as a structured campaign across schools. He further recommended strengthening efforts to ensure the widespread acceptance of the program.
The event witnessed the participation of several school principals, including Motilal Subedi (Bhanu Secondary School), Bina Bhandari (Belhiya Secondary School), Basant Kumar Basnet (Paklihawa Secondary School), Tirtha Prasad Bishwakarma (Semari Community Secondary School), Upendra Adhikari, Uday Kumar Mallik, and Khimananda Bhusal. They all appreciated LBU’s initiative and recommended that Buddhist education should be incorporated into the curriculum starting from grade 1.
The Faculty of Buddhist Studies at LBU has carefully developed the curriculum for grades 7 and 8 to introduce students to the birthplace of Lord Gautama Buddha and provide them with a deeper understanding of Buddhist teachings, art, literature, and culture. Looking ahead, the faculty plans to organize another interaction program with local municipality chiefs, education department representatives, and other key stakeholders to further explore ways to integrate Buddhist education into school curriculums, either as an elective or a compulsory subject.
Lumbini Buddhist University remains committed to promoting Buddhist education and ensuring that young students gain meaningful insights into the teachings of Lord Buddha, contributing to their moral and ethical development.