Art teachers honoured at Shaheed Shukra School

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 7: The Art Department of Shaheed Shukra Secondary School, Bagbazaar, honoured art teachers who have made significant contributions to the field of art through art education. 

While honouring the artists, Chancellor Naradmani Hartamchhali, who was the chief guest of the programme, said that the root of art lies in school education and such initiatives provide new encouragement to art teachers.

 Emphasising that art is the backbone of society and education, he added that the Academy of Fine Arts would take further initiatives for art teachers in the coming days.

 Sharing his experience, he said that organising workshops facilitates practical knowledge transfer between students and teachers.

Before the felicitation ceremony, former art teachers participated in the art workshop.

 At the inauguration of the workshop, academician Shauraganga Darshandhari distributed canvases, saying that this was the first time such a programme was organised for art teachers. 

During the ceremony, the Chairperson of the School Management Committee, Dibash Dhungel, said that since taking responsibility, he has been working on improving the physical and academic environment of the school. 

He added that the art workshop acted as a bridge connecting art teachers with students and the general public. 

He expressed confidence that such workshops and recognition programmes would inspire people to engage more in the noble profession of art education.

Professor Radheshyam Mulmi emphasised the important role of art teachers in bringing art to the masses. 

He expressed his belief that Shaheed Shukra Secondary School, being the first community school in the capital to offer art education and located in an accessible area like Bagbazaar, would become a central hub for art in the future.

President of the Nepal Professional Artists' Association, Prem Lal Shrestha, said that the association has taken initiatives to introduce art education in schools and that Shaheed Shukra Secondary School has started a new chapter by honouring art teachers and organising a workshop.

The principal of the school, Shaili Singh Rathour, said that the school is always committed to providing quality education but is facing difficulties in smoothly running classes of grade 11 and 12 due to negligence from the municipality and concerned authorities.

 Despite limited budget and infrastructure, the school has prioritised art education.

Programme coordinator Keshav Raj Khanal said that the programme was organised because no one pays attention to the art teachers who carve diamonds out of stones. He highlighted that art teachers who give birth to new artists through art education are always respectable and that such programmes would be held every year.

This year, Shaheed Shukra Secondary School honoured 25 artists. The honoured art teachers are Raju Pithakote, Arya Rajbhandari, Suman Shrestha, Jyoti Khadka, Sajani Shrestha, Chandani Bajracharya, Surem Deshar, Sanjay Pradhan,    Laxmi Maskey (Poonam), Sabita Chitrakar,    Prakash Mijar, Malika Udas and others.