The schools in the extremely cold regions of upper Mustang had come down to Pokhara around three weeks ago with quilts and mattresses. [break]
The upper Mustang region, situated at an altitude of over 3,700 meters, is uninhabitable during winters when the mercury goes down to around -15 degree Centigrade with the situation made worse by extremely cold northerly winds.
The six schools have total 60 students out of which only 46 have been attending classes in Pokhara. Teachers said the rest will join soon as the final exams are starting shortly.
The six schools that have migrated to Pokhara include Buddha Primary School of Namgyal, Birendra Primary School of Thingar, Janaprabhat Primary School of Chhonhup, Bhrikuti Primary School of Kimling, Dibya Gyan Primary School of Chumjung and Saraswoti Primary School of Nyamdo.
The schools have moved in to the building of Mukti Nath Samaj Ghar at Chisakhola, Pokhara on a monthly rent of Rs 12,500. The teachers and students of all the schools sleep in the same building. They have made use of curtains to divide a big hall into rooms.
President of the Community Mobile School management committee Gyaljen Gurung said the schools had started to come down to Pokhara since last year. “The weather is unbearably chilling during winter and the students cannot study if we don´t conduct mobile schools,” Gurung told Republica. “This year it is going to be colder as it snowed in November,” Gurung added.
The residents of upper Mustang migrate to Pokhara and other low-lying areas at the onset of winter and the students would follow their parents in absence of a mobile school. The students at the mobile schools are aged between 5-11 years and they return back to their respective villages at the end of February.
Gurung revealed Chhonhup Village Development Committee (VDC) has provided Rs 400,000 for the mobile schools. “The monthly cost for each student comes to around Rs 3,000. The amount given by the VDC cannot meet the cost, therefore, we charge a fee of Rs 1,000 from each student,” Gurung added.
The government provides a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to each lower secondary level student of upper Mustang for a period of three months to support their education in mobile schools. The lower secondary level students of Rastriya Lower Secondary Level of Lomanthang, staying at Ghyacho Gurung´s house in Nagdhunga on rent, are among those who receive the monthly stipend.
The school has a total of 28 male and 25 female students and Prince of Mustang Jhigme Singi Parbal Bista has been bearing the remaining cost of their Pokhara stay for the past four years. But there is no such facility for the primary level students. “Monthly stipend for primary level students would be a great relief for us,” he stated.
Related story
E-learning centers in Banepa community schools
