The most expensive school in the world?

My uncle's name is Ravi Thapa. He owns a cement factory, couple of houses in the valley, a few cars and lives in the UK. Long story short, he is ridiculously rich and concomitantly, lives a lavish life, and boy do I envy him! Anyway, he is in Nepal right now and in a casual conversation during my visit to him last week, I happened to inquire which school he was sending his son to. While asking the question, I was pretty certain that the reply would be something expensive and well, there wasn't much surprise. He named a fancy one in the UK called the Blue Coat School that costs around £12,000 annually! Now by that, I was more intrigued than surprised. I wanted to know just how much could a ridiculously expensive school probably cost. So, I came home, turned on my computer and did a little research.What I saw after a few clicks got me flabbergasted, to say the least. This school in Switzerland called Institut Le Rosey costs USD 160,000 annually, which, if we were to convert into Nepali currency, would be approximately 16 million! How's that for a year of your child's education, huh? "Yes, perhaps this one tops it", I said to myself as I went on randomly clicking one link and the other. But no, I was wrong! I just didn't know how to react when I discovered yet another one, in fact a cluster of schools, way more expensive than Rosey. And well, if this wasn't enough surprise already, the fact that these schools are actually located in Nepal will definitely make your jaw drop, too. Yes, you read it right, these schools are located in Nepal!

In Dhading District, Central Nepal, each day hundreds of students go to the most expensive school. The reason it is expensive is because the students are compelled to actually risk their lives and carry it on their hands to get their lessons for the day. The schools they study in are located on the other side of the great Trisuli River and their only means of crossing it is a rope that runs across the gargantuan water body. The mode of transport is what they call a "Khir Khire." It is basically a hook attached to a strap. The hook stays on the rope and the children try and balance their whole body on the strap and cross the massive river little by little relying entirely on that strap. It kills me to say that for something as basic as a day in school, they risk their life, their everything!

Numerous cases of children's death by falling into the deep raging water, fingers chopped off by the hooks, prolonged mental stress, etc have been reported. These children consider themselves fortunate if they get to use a 'Tuin' to cross the river which mostly happens to be on the other side. 'Tuin' is a more familiar term that is actually a basket attached to the hook for multiple people to get on. As this is heavier, it necessitates an adult for the manipulation which is all the reason they have for feeling a tad bit more secure. Tuins too, no doubt, are almost as equally dangerous but just that slight delusion of security makes them feel safe amidst all the peril. This eloquently portrays how deep an effect all this has on these innocent little brains.

The blind eye that the government has turned to the plight of these unfortunate children is really frustrating because three generations of people have been using the same means for crossing the river. When questioned, trite and banal replies pointing towards empty piggy banks are given. But well, with the new Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli specifically mentioning the replacement of these 'Tuins' with reliable bridges (accepting the fact that we have heard such mentions before), we really hope these children get liberated from their predicament very soon and hope there'll be a proportionate development of all facets of Nepal.

Akash is a student at Liberty College, Anamnagar, and intern at International Alert Nepal.

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