Bajhang is located in the western corner of the map of Nepal. This remote geography, which borders China's Tibet, is still classified as remote and inaccessible by the state. Satyawadi is a lamp that was lit in that same land 119 years ago, which has been spreading the unbroken light of education in western Nepal for centuries.

This is the second public school in Nepal, apart from Durbar High School, which was only open to the children of kings and monarchs. Earlier, only the children of common people could study in the Sanskrit Pathshala established by Balaguru Shadananda in Dingla, Bhojpur in 1932. With the aim of educating the common people, national figure Jayaprithvi Bahadur Singh established Satyawadi Pathshala in 1963.

He himself became the headmaster of this school, which he opened at his own residence in Naxal, Kathmandu, and began providing free education to the children of the common people. After the Rana rulers, who believed that educating the common people would undermine their rule, tried to close the school, Jayaprithvi shifted the school to Jayaprithvinagar in Bajhang, about a thousand kilometers away from Kathmandu, in 1969.

Where the influence of the then rulers was very low. Only a year later, Satyawadi was shifted to Bhopur village, located on the banks of the Seti River near Chainpur.

Jayaprithvi was a justice-loving ruler of Bajhang. The school he established by taking risks with the Ranas spread the light of education even in the darkness of the Rana era. Jayaprithi had arranged for students to be brought from villages and taught in hostels. While he was in exile in India, he had given the responsibility of the school's principal to his brother Amar Bahadur Singh.

There was a Nepali handmade paper industry near the school. Students used to produce the paper they needed. That industry was in operation until later (2020), said Bishnu Bhakta Shastri, a historian of Bajhang. 'Students had to wake up at 4 am and bathe in the Seti River, search for firewood, cook food, study in class, do homework, and study with strict discipline,' he said.

Ram Dutt Awasthi, a citizen of Pithoragarh Askot, India, who became the principal after Amar Bahadur Singh, played a major role in improving the educational quality of the school. 'Impressed by Jayaprithi's humanistic philosophy, Awasthi followed his instructions and served in this school throughout his life. "If it weren't for such teachers who treated the school like a home and the students like their own children, Satyawadi would probably not be in this state," said Shastri. Awasthi had taught at Satyawadi for 30 years in Bajhang.

At that time, people from not only Bajhang but also many districts of far-western and mid-western Nepal used to come to Satyawadi to get education, due to which Satyawadi became the educational center of western Nepal. "There is a history of people coming to Satyawadi not only from Bajura, Achham, Baitadi, Darchula, but also from Humla, Jumla, and Kalikot," says Laxman Upadhyay, who has been working as a teacher for 38 years. 

Although established in 1968, this school received high school (secondary level) permission only in 2008. The story of the establishment of Satyawadi High School is also very interesting. ‘There are still records of donations collected from Bajura to Jumla to build the school’s building,’ says Rajendra Prasad Joshi, another teacher at Satyawadi. ‘When the funds raised were insufficient, the then Bajhangi King Ramjung of Chainpur raised the money by pledging his royal title.’ Joshi said that the contribution made by his descendants to further enrich the school founded by his grandfather Jayaprithi is very commendable. After learning that the king had pledged his royal title to build Satyawadi High School, Babarshamsher Rana’s wife, Vedbhaktalakshmi Rana, who was a Bajhang Maiti, gave 10,000 rupees, and the school’s records mention that a three-story hostel that could accommodate more than two hundred students was built with that amount.

Satyawadi students shine wherever they go 

The educational quality and reputation of the school, which has been called excellent in Western Nepal since its establishment, is still maintained. Students who have studied in this school are shining in their professions from health, education, medicine, justice, engineering, aviation to politics and not only within the country but also internationally.

Former secretaries of the Government of Nepal Bishnu Prasad Khatri, Dhanraj Ratala, former scientist of NAST and Nepal's first tunnel engineer Akkal Bahadur Singh, former Additional Inspector General of Police Rajendra Bahadur Singh, former secretary Arjun Bahadur Singh, former director of the Health Department Amir Khati, Madan Puraskar winner Sthirjung Bahadur Singh and many other alumni have proven themselves excellent in government service. Colonel Kantiprabha Giri of the Nepal Army, Jambawati Joshi, manager of the Rastriya Banijya Bank in 2038 BS to Assistant Chief District Officer of Bajhang Satya Joshi and Deputy Secretary Pankaja Joshi, Savita Joshi and many other alumni are leading various government offices.

From Manapathi's calculations to agriculture and science 

When Satyawadi Pathshala was established, Bahrakhari was taught in its curriculum. Manapathi, drain, dhur and ropani calculations were taught. Devanagari alphabet, mathematics, measurement, knowledge of seasons (weather), and subjects such as humanity and social education were taught to the students.

For this, Jayaprithi himself wrote books like Aksharank Shiksha, Tattvabodh, Vyaharamala. At that time, a student who studied Satyawadi was considered the property of the society based on this education. In society, the honor and respect of a high school student was different.

Satyawadi currently has students from pre-primary to 10th plus 2. The school has been teaching science, agriculture, commerce and education at the 10th plus 2 level since 2064. Vocational subjects such as Diploma in Agriculture (Plant Science) and JTA Plant Science are also taught here from class nine with affiliation to CTEVT. Which has given Bajhangi the opportunity of vocational and technical education at a low cost in the district. It has also given the opportunity to poor students to get free education on scholarships.

Adequate physical infrastructure, manpower and technology

A grand and modern building decorated with colorful flower pots currently has 1,671 students, including 810 girls and 861 boys. Satyawadi is also the largest school in Bajhang in terms of student numbers. The school, spread over an area of ​​36,345 square meters, has 10 well-equipped buildings, a library, and a spacious sports field.

There are separate laboratories for physics, chemistry, and biology. There is a computer lab with 60 computers. This school, which teaches through audio-visual media through 13 smart boards, is also at the forefront of modern teaching and learning. The school has its own land and modern agricultural infrastructure, including a greenhouse, for students studying agriculture.

49 teachers and staff of various subjects, including 15 women and 34 men, have been training students in life-related subjects such as yoga, dance, music and other subjects, not only in the curriculum. Due to adequate sports equipment and regular sports practice, Satyawadi has also been at the forefront of school-level sports competitions.