Gangadhar Hada obituary: An inspiring teacher who transformed a failing school

When Gangadhar Hada joined Medha Secondary School, then Sabhik Kanya Secondary School, in 2005, the academic performance of students was dismal even by the standard of government schools. Students barely bothered to come to school, and the pass rate of 10th graders in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) was extremely low. The entire school was in shambles. Soon the Education Ministry gave an ultimatum to the school management: either raise the student numbers and SEE pass rate, or downgrade to a lower secondary level. It was around this time when Hada took on the role of vice principal at the school and started making the much-needed reforms.

He was soon appointed the principal and his mission to turn the school around only gained more momentum. Hada held meetings with parents to improve the students’ attendance rate. He also started offering extra classes for students doing poorly in their subjects, and introduced audio-visual teaching and learning.

When Hada first joined the school, there were 80-odd students, and many of them had poor attendance records. His reforms not only improved the attendance rate, but also their performance. Here was a teacher who had single-handedly saved a school from the brink of failure. They say teaching is a noble profession, and Hada swore by this dictum. For him, teaching was a social service. It was all thanks to Hada, the SEE passing rate of Medha Secondary School rose up to 100 percent, which is rare for a government school. Fellow teachers and staff members say Hada’s vision and hard work transformed the school. In 2018, Medha Secondary School was named the top government school of Nepal. The government also awarded Hada with Prabal Jana Sewa Shree Award, one of the highest civilian honors, for his work in the education sector. A visionary teacher and a reformer, Hada died after suffering from cardiac arrest on 28 Dec 2022. He was on his way to school, the place he cherished the most. His colleagues say they have lost an inspiring figure without whom the school will never be the same. Hundreds of students, parents and teachers, even those from other schools, were among the people who paid their final respect to Hada. He is survived by his wife, and their two children. Birth: 23 Oct 1966, Bhaktapur Death: 28 Dec 2022, Bhaktapur