In the Himalayan district of Manang, where mobile schools have been operated in recent years, schools will again provide a long winter break of around one and a half to two months this year to escape the cold.
At Annapurna Secondary School, the only secondary school in Nyesyang Rural Municipality, the holiday has been granted as soon as Poush began. The school’s principal, Anand Raj Ghimire, said the break was given due to rising cold and that the school will reopen only after Falgun begins.
Similarly, at Prakashjyoti Higher Secondary School in Nashong Rural Municipality, winter vacation will begin from the 10th of this month. “The second term examination is currently underway. After the exam, we will publish the results and give the holiday from the 11th,” said the school’s principal, Padma Raj Panthi. “We have given a full one-month holiday for the remaining part of Poush and for Magh, and we will open the school on Falgun 1.”
In Narpa Bhumi Rural Municipality, where mobile schools were operated in previous years, the early childhood classes have already been closed. There are no schools operating above the early childhood level. In Chame Rural Municipality, the district headquarters, Gaurishankar Secondary School and Lokpriya Higher Secondary School have given winter vacation from Poush 10 to Magh 20.
Krishna Das Koirala, principal of Lokpriya Higher Secondary School, said the local level has decided to grant leave until Magh 20. He said, “If there is no disruption due to snowfall, there is an understanding to reopen a bit earlier in order to compensate for the teachers’ movement as well.”
The Education Development and Coordination Unit stated that winter vacation is about to begin in all schools of Manang and that no school will open until Falgun begins. “It is difficult to stay here in winter. Both students and teachers are compelled to move to safer places,” said unit chief Dhruva Prasad Koirala.
In Manang, the district with the lowest population in the country, the number of students who have come from outside districts is higher than the number of permanent residents. Children of families who have come to Manang for trade, hotel business, construction, and labor work have sustained the community schools here. Meanwhile, children of local residents are mostly studying in boarding schools in cities such as Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Because Manang experiences extreme cold and snowfall, it has been difficult to operate schools during the winter season every year. To avoid the cold, not only schools but many government and non-government offices are also temporarily closed. It is common for local employees and teachers to move down to lower areas as well.
For children of poor families and those who have come from outside districts for work, community schools in Manang have become the main means of receiving education. However, due to the long winter break, their studies are often disrupted for a long period.
Parents express concern that children’s academic achievement may be affected because they cannot arrange alternative learning options. Although local governments have been revising the academic calendar according to the geographical reality of the Himalayan region, a long-term solution is still necessary.
Manang