The schools in the northern region of Dolpa district have closed for six months with the increase in cold.

One secondary school, three basic schools (running classes from grade 6 to 8) and 20 primary schools in Phoksundo, Dolpo Buddha and Chharkatasong rural municipalities have closed with the residents of these localities migrating to warmer regions.

The school academic year ends in November in upper Dolpa. The schools which close for the winter only open after six months.

“The local schools in settlements in upper Dolpa are moved to the warmer regions towards the middle of November for six months to evade the harsh cold weather,” said Ganga Ram Kathayat, a teacher at the Crystal Mountain Basic School.

Singha Raj Dangi, Chief of the District Education Development and Coordination Unit, said it is almost impossible for the students to go to school during the winter as it snows and the weather gets very cold with temperatures plummeting in the minus scale.

The local people also move to the warmer lowland valleys for about six months with their animals.

With this, around 2,900 students of 24 schools in these rural municipalities will stay home. Children from families with high economic status go to schools in Kathmandu for studying for six months while those from families who cannot afford to send to Kathmandu, Pokhara or other urban areas stay with their parents and wait for the schools in their villages to open.