The August 26 glacial collapse near the China‑Nepal border unleashed a tsunami‑like wave that swept through the Rasuwa hills, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving 5,000 missing.
Neelakantha Secondary School, perched on higher ground, survived the deluge but lost 70 students and four teachers. Principal Madhav Lamichhane said the names of the missing children still appear in red on the attendance sheet.
Education Minister Shree Prasad Bhattarai announced a $15.47 million programme to repair 18 damaged schools, but said learning has been halted for 14,000 children across 62 schools. UNICEF’s Alice Akunga warned that psychological trauma will outlast physical rebuilding.
Rama Paudel, a 36‑year‑old teacher, described the sight of empty desks as "a grief that sits in every corner of the classroom." He added that 150 students remain trapped by washed‑out roads, and families hesitate to return children to school amid uncertainty.