Have you ever wondered where Nepali families in Melbourne send their children to learn their mother tongue? In the very first episode of Melbourne Serophero, we visited one of Melbourne’s most beloved community initiatives — Nav Balchautari SEM — a Nepali language school quietly doing incredible work in the heart of Melbourne’s south-east.
Nav Balchautari SEM is a Nepali language school based at 25 River Redgum Place, Lynbrook, Melbourne. It is proudly run by the Nepalese Association of South East Melbourne (NASEM) and supported by the Nepalese Association of Victoria (NAV). The school was established with one simple but powerful goal — to make sure Nepali children growing up in Australia never lose their connection to their language, culture, and traditions.
Nav Balchautari SEM runs regular Nepali language classes for children of Nepali families living in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs. Classes cover the Nepali alphabet (क ख ग), reading and writing in Nepali, Nepali songs and rhymes, Dance, and Nepali culture and traditions. What makes this school truly special is its warm community-driven environment — it is not just a language class, it is a place where Nepali children come together and grow up proud of who they are. If you wish to enrol your kid, please visit NAV Balchautari website: Visit here.
The school is coordinated by two dedicated individuals — Vishma Pathak and Bhaskar Regmi. In our interview, both coordinators shared their passion for preserving Nepali language and culture among the next generation of Nepali-Australians. Their dedication to this community is truly inspiring.
Behind every great school are great teachers. Nav Balchautari SEM is fortunate to have passionate educators Puja Sapkota and Shraddha Paudel, who bring warmth and creativity to every class. They shared their experiences of teaching Nepali to children growing up in an English-speaking environment — and the unique joys and challenges that come with it.
We also spoke with parents who bring their children to Nav Balchautari every week. Their message was consistent — they want their children to grow up knowing where they come from, to speak with their grandparents in Nepal, to understand Nepali festivals, and to feel proud of their Nepali identity. As one parent beautifully put it — “Language is the bridge between our children and their roots.”
Growing up in Australia as a Nepali child is a unique experience. You live between two worlds — the Australian culture you experience every day at school, and the Nepali culture you experience at home with family. Schools like Nav Balchautari SEM make sure children never have to choose between the two. They can be proudly Australian AND proudly Nepali at the same time.
Inspired by Nav Balchautari? Help your children practice Nepali letters at home using our free Nepali Word Builder tool at babachhori.com/build-nepali-word — bookmark it or add it to your iPhone home screen for daily practice!
At Baba Chhori, our mission is simple — to document and celebrate the journey of raising Nepali children in Melbourne. Every episode of Melbourne Serophero takes you inside the heart of Melbourne’s Nepali community. नमस्ते 🙏 र धन्यवाद! — Baba Chhori