Kathmandu, Nepal Report of what it's like to live there - 12/09/25
Personal Experiences from Kathmandu, Nepal
School Name:
Lincoln school
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent of multiple children at the school for 2.5 years
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
2023-2026 grades 4-12
3. What years did you live here?
2023 until we leave in 2026
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Yes there is at least the British school and the French school. Maybe there are other options?
We chose this one because it had the most Americans and at least some AP courses
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Admissions was fine
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
Okay-ish. There is an orientation.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
It's okay. Mostly email.
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
Moderate expenses for trips and lunch.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
There is a college counselor and he does try. He helps connect seniors with the application process for US, European and Australian schools. It's all focused on seniors.
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
No.
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
It has a pretty good library
4. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
Laptops after a certain grade
5. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
They're okay.
6. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
PE is okay. They make the most of the space they have. Air pollution is an issue.
7. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
I don't know. 12 to 1?
8. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
Some. We have had to supplement with online courses each year of high school
9. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
Eh. It's okay
10. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Not hard, not much.
11. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
There is a reasonable selection of art electives. The art teacher is very dedicated.
12. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
The main teachers are. There are local helper teachers too.
13. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
Nothing. Our son had 99 percent MAP scores across the board at our old school, which triggered the school to request formal testing for him, and after the formal psych-educational testing, they had a special side program for him. Our oldest, like our son, has had formal testing (again at the request of another school) and was in gifted programs before here. But not here.
14. What services are available for students with learning disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
I don't know. I think speech therapy is offered.
15. What services are available for students with physical disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
I think they try. It's a small school.
16. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
There are a few formal sports but they are very hard to get into. Same few kids each year- locals and teacher's kids mostly. Otherwise there is just like intramural very light activity sport. But it is a small school.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. What is the climate for children with special needs? Is there a general attitude of inclusion for children with special needs?
I'm not sure but at least a couple kids with special needs are doing well at the school.
2. What is the climate for LGBT+ kids at this school? Are there resources they can draw upon? Does there appear to be any exclusionary behavior?
I don't know for sure but I think not very good. The teachers do care
3. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
This is a bit mixed. In some grades, kids are more integrated than in others. I am aware of some bullying particularly in high school, and I am not aware that the school has stepped in.
4. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Yes absolutely. I know of some kids who are affected by bullying.
In some cases, like my daughter who had a few issues to talk through with her friends, the school was ready to facilitate that conversation. In other cases, however, it seems there is much less support.
5. What can you say about diversity among the faculty and staff at the school and their experience in supporting minority students?
The staff? It's diverse.
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
Primary school: b
Middle and high school:.d
I hope we haven't harmed our children too much by sending them here. For the older kids, the weird non-transparent grades (you have a GPA but you can't see it), the lack of options that results from a small school- these are hard to overcome. The bullying was awful for our daughter.
The class sizes are small but some individual teachers are very good.
2. Please describe some of your child's/children's highlights and challenges during their time at this school.
Some highlights have been individual stand out teachers.
3. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
You won't be getting any normal grades. You'll get essays about how amazing your kids are. Even in high school. And some weird "meets expectations" grade that could be a c+ or an a- and you don't get to know which until you ask for a transcript. That might not be bad at all in elementary. But kids literally do not know where they stand for college because this information is hidden.
The school is in a suburban area far from the city and has many things to attend in the middle of the workday.
There are some specific teachers who are really good. They love living in Nepal. Many of them stay a long time.
The school shrunk in 2025 with the loss of lots of aid workers and their families.
