Thriving Minds: Education, Economy, and Happiness

Send us Fan Mail  "The Escaped Weight 2024" is a play that uses the metaphor of a traditional balance scale to critique Nepal's outdated education system. The play highlights how traditional methods of assessing students, like standardized tests, often fail to accurately measure their potential and capabilities. Instead, the play advocates for a more modern, holistic approach to edu...

Send us Fan Mail  This passage is a Christian lesson focusing on the concept of being born again through accepting Jesus Christ as one's Savior. It emphasizes that receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior makes a person a child of God, granting them eternal life and membership in God's family. The lesson uses questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises to guide readers in understanding and apply...

Send us Fan Mail  The provided text is a summary of the 2010 documentary "Waiting for 'Superman,'" which focuses on the challenges of the American public education system. The summary highlights the documentary's critical view of traditional public schools, particularly their struggles in low-income areas, and explores the potential of charter schools as an alternative. Th...

Send us Fan Mail  The document provides a summary of the 2013 documentary "Standardized: Lies, Money, and Civil Rights: How Testing Is Ruining Public Education." The documentary criticizes the high-stakes standardized testing movement in the United States, arguing that it has become a multibillion-dollar industry driven by profit, rather than a genuine pursuit of improving education. The...

Send us Fan Mail  The "The Test & The Art of Thinking" documentary explores the history, purpose, and impact of standardized testing in the U.S., particularly focusing on the SAT. It criticizes the test preparation industry for creating an unfair advantage for wealthy students, questions the test's ability to measure true intellectual potential, and examines how standardized tes...

Send us Fan Mail  The article describes the author's journey from a Buddhist priest's family to a Christian educator in Nepal. He recounts his conversion to Christianity, the challenges he faced, and the impact of his faith on his family and community. The author emphasizes his dedication to serving his community through education and the establishment of schools, churches, and a Bible c...

Send us Fan Mail  This excerpt from a blog post titled "LIFE IN YAKVILLE – Small Steps" recounts the author's experiences growing up in a remote jungle region of Nepal, tending to yaks. The author, ND Lama, details his childhood experiences, including a terrifying encounter with a large dog and a harrowing fall from a tall pine tree. He reflects on these challenging moments as a sou...

Send us Fan Mail  This excerpt from a blog post by ND Lama advocates for a shift in Western missionary practices, encouraging missionaries to support and empower local leaders rather than always assuming leadership roles. Lama argues that local leaders possess cultural understanding and established trust within their communities, making them uniquely positioned to guide their own development. By t...

Send us Fan Mail  The article, titled "04_हाम्रो मुलुक बन्न शिक्षा सप्रिनु पर्छ, यसको लागि शिक्षाको दलाली मर्नुपर्छ। – Small Steps," argues that Nepal’s education system is hindered by corruption. The author criticizes the current exam system, calling it "fake fruit" for prioritizing passing exams over developing genuine skills and knowledge. They specifically target the Examin...

Send us Fan Mail  This excerpt from a Nepali news article shares the challenges faced by N.D. Lama, a parent who is frustrated by the requirement that social studies exams be written in Nepali. He explains that this rule has forced his children to study abroad, creating a significant financial strain. Lama highlights the difficulties for students not educated in Nepali and criticizes the governmen...

Send us Fan Mail  The source summarizes the 2009 documentary Race to Nowhere, which critiques the pressures and high expectations placed on students within the American education system. The documentary argues that the intense focus on academics, standardized testing, and extracurriculars leads to stress, anxiety, and burnout, ultimately harming students’ well-being and hindering authentic learnin...

Send us Fan Mail  The article uses a parable about wise and foolish vultures to illustrate the relationship between government, businesses, and taxes. Wise government officials, like the wise vulture, recognize the importance of nurturing business growth and economic sustainability. In contrast, foolish officials, like the foolish vulture, focus on short-term gains, ultimately depleting resources...

Send us Fan Mail  The blog "Small Steps" offers a critical analysis of Nepal's exam system, likening it to a faulty thermometer that fails to accurately gauge student learning. The author argues that the system is outdated and ineffective, and suggests key reforms such as implementing continuous assessment, prioritizing practical skills over rote memorization, and moving towards int...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast explores the difference between scarcity (or lack) mindset and abundance (or fulfillment) mindset, while examining the challenges within Nepal’s education system, particularly its examination structure. The first part explains how an abundance mindset encourages collaboration, innovation, and long-term success, contrasting it with the limiting effects of a scarcity mi...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode of "Thriving Minds," we delve into the critical examination of standardized testing in Nepal and its impact on democracy, equality, and personal growth. We'll explore how exams like the SEE and Class 12 assessments may promote inequality by favoring students with more resources, suppressing creativity and critical thinking, and creating a narrow cur...