Durbar High School which translates to Palace High School, opened in 1892 is the oldest modern school in Nepal. Located in Ranipokhari, Kathmandu, it originally taught only members of the ruling family, but was opened to private citizens in 1902.
The founder of the Rana regime, Jang Bahadur Kunwar, later known as Jang Bahadur Rana, decided to give his children an English education rather than the traditional religiously oriented training. In 1854 Jang Bahadur engaged an English tutor to hold classes for his children in the Rana palace. This act tipped the balance in favor of English education and established its supremacy over the traditional type of Sanskrit-based education. In 1991 English education still carried a higher status and prestige than did traditional education.