Ullens School is a non-profit organisation and does not have any political affiliation: UEF
KATHMANDU, Sept 24: The Ullens Education Foundation (UEF) that sustained losses of its physical properties worth Rs 1.25 billion due to fire and vandalism during the Gen Z protests has sought the government’s assurance for a secured education environment to resume its operations.
The UEF runs Ullens School operating classes for kindergarten through higher school education including International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP)-a two year internationally recognized pre-university curriculum. In addition, the foundation has recently started Ullens College in affiliation with Kathmandu University for undergraduate students. Likewise, the foundation has been operating Ullens Leap, a Gap Year Program targeting to promote academic learning, skills development, digital technology and independent learning for students pursuing higher education.
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Issuing a public statement on Wednesday, the UEF has stated that it faced severe damages to its infrastructure including five buildings of Khumaltar, Lalitpur and three buildings of its extension in Bansbari, Kathmandu during the September 9 unrest. The vandalism and firing also took place at the UEF’s outdoor learning center in Nala of Kavrepalanchok district.
During the unrest, 83 vehicles of the foundation were set on fire while accessories including air conditioners, computers, refrigerators, smart boards and furniture were either looted or completely destroyed. In addition, all the students’ records, and books and stationeries kept in students’ lockers were set on fire.
"It is not easy to rise from the ashes. It is not easy to restore the confidence that has been shattered. Even if we rise, there is no guarantee that we will not have to collapse again. How can we get out of this uncertainty? How can we be sure that we will not have to face similar destruction again after reconstruction? How can we be confident in the safety of the lives of our children, teachers, and staff in the classroom?" the statement said. "From whom and how can we obtain the guarantee that our vehicles carrying children will reach their destinations safely? The institution is in a state of doubt, fear, and uncertainty about how to proceed with school education without receiving public assurances on all these sensitive issues."
The UEF further clarified that the school does not have any political affiliation and is running in the modality of a non-profit organization. Started two decades ago, the school was established in support of Guy Ullens, a Belgian Philanthropist and Olga Murray, an international activist and the founder of Nepal Youth Foundation.
The UEF has often been dragged into controversy citing the involvement of Nepali Congress Leader Arzu Rana Deuba. “However, Deuba neither owns the school nor does she have any stake in the school. She was appointed only as the honorary chairperson in a similar model as in other community schools,” reads the UEF issued statement.
The UEF has said that the school has never charged any undue fees from its students. “The school still has more than Rs 100 million dues of parents that have not been paid since the impacts of COVID-19.”
The UEF has been educating 1,461 students in total. Since the September 9 incidents, it has been running online classes in the absence of necessary infrastructure.
