To initiate Sabdamala - Nepalese Language School project, the Steering Committee is organising an Open Day on the 7th of March 2010 at 4 pm at the Marrickville West Public School. The Open day will be an opportunity for parents to get to know more about the language school, to obtain an understanding of the operations of the school, the teaching methodology and an opportunity to meet not only the Steering Committee members but also other parents who want to provide their children an opportunity to discover the Nepali language and to learn more about Nepali culture.

Further Information

Neelam Pradhananga, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0413 091 378

Bindya Subba, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0403 642 392

To develop a sustainable program teaching Nepali and to bring about awareness of Nepalese culture and social practices.
The objectives of the NLS are to:

• Teach children between the ages of 5 to 12 years of age to write and read in Nepali with a particular focus on teaching them the Nepalese Devanagari script.
• Incorporate cultural and social activities to generate awareness of Nepalese cultural and social norms and to identify better with their Nepalese roots and heritage.
• Mobilise qualified teachers and engage motivated and talented volunteers for cultural and social activities.
• Ensure a safe and conducive environment where learning activities can take place.
• Have in place an interactive process whereby parents actively involve themselves in the development of their child and the program, without impinging on the role and responsibilities of the Academic Coordinator, teaching staff and volunteers of the program.
• To teach non-Nepalese individuals Nepali.

Terms and Conditions

These have been designed to identify the responsibilities of the Academic Co-ordinator, the teaching staff, guardian/parents and the SC.

These terms and conditions will be reviewed at the end of each term and updated as required. All parents/guardians will be required to sign the terms and conditions in order to enrol their child/ren into the Sabdamala classes.

Sabdamala Working Committee

1. Dr Narayan Pradhan
2. Neelam Pradhananga
   Neelam Pradhananga is a Doctor of Philosophy (Architecture) candidate at the University of Newcastle. Although born in Manchester, she largely spent her childhood years in Bhaktapur. Undertaking her Bachelor of Architecture in Bhaktapur after high school studies in Queensland enabled her to obtain an in-depth understanding of the diversity and richness of our Nepali heritage. This prompted her to undertake work for UNESCO Kathmandu where she was involved in the development of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site Integrated Management Plan and the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site Awareness Raising Campaign. Since then her interests have expanded from heritage conservation to community participation, indigenous systems and social sustainability issues. She embraces volunteer work and has been actively involved in various volunteer-driven organizations such as Service Civil International Nepal and International Volunteers for Peace (IVP), Australia. She is currently involved with Help Nepal Network (HeNN) and is the President of Guthi Australia (GA).
3. Bindya Subba
4. Rajan Chhetri
5. Gitendra Pradhananga
6. Bona Rai
7. Chitra Tumbahangphe
8. Dinesh Pahari

Sabdamala Academic Staff

1. Palpasa Shrestha
   Palpasa began her tertiary education in India where she gained a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communication (1999). She went to complete her Bachelor of Education degree at Sydney University (2005) and a Masters in Information Systems at the University of Western Sydney (2007). Since 2005 Palpasa has been teaching Technology at Strathfield South High School across years 7-12.
   Her experience in teaching has shaped her beliefs in the benefits of a bilingual education and the importance of children learning about their cultural heritage.
   She supports the work of Sabdamala and the establishment of a Nepalese language community school to enrich linguistic skills. It has also given her the opportunity to be a part of an academic team providing valuable community service. Palpasa also has experience teaching adults whilst an application training officer in Reliance Wealth Group, AMP Australia. She has a certificate IV in Workplace and Training from TAFE, Ultimo.
   Teaching has been a rewarding career for Palpasa and she enjoys every aspect of the job. Palpasa is married to Kabindra Shrestha and lives in Sydney’s Inner West.
2. Bikash Chhetri
3. Bina Shrestha
4. Riddhi Charan Shrestha
5. Ujjwal Allay