Integrating Buddhist Values into Nepal’s Education System: Moving toward a Holistic Curriculum for Self-Transformation

Abstract

The education system that has been developed in Nepal has come from the "Gurukul" system. Modern schools are offering education to the masses, keeping the target of developing Gross Manpower, ensuring literacy, civic sense, and overall socio-economic development in the country. However, school curricula in Nepal are feeble regarding self-transformation, discipline and moral education. It focuses on a skill and knowledge-based education system, where wisdom is relegated to the background. The education system is still continuing just by learning and taking exams, which often compromises morality, emotions, and spiritual growth. This research paper highlights the extremely crucial question of how the education system in Nepal can become more "Holistic" regarding the overall development of a student. The paper has its objective of initiating a discourse on the necessity of Buddhist values to be incorporated in the school education of the country and deliver the message to the common academia about the need to introduce the values of Buddhism – Mindfulness, Compassion, Morality, Honesty, and Simplicity in the education system of Nepal. The study follows the library-based qualitative research methodology.