School built by Hilary Edmund in Khumjung leaves an international mark

The Khumjung secondary school built in 1961 by Sir Edmund Hillary has got a facelift with well-equipped buildings ranging from hostels to halls, a museum, a playground, a computer lab and a science lab.

Situated at an elevation of 3,750 metres above sea level, and located in Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality-4 in Solukhumbu inside the Sagarmatha National Park, the school, the first in the region, and the first of a number of schools built by Hillary, has contributed significantly to the development of education in the district and left a mark at the international level as well, providing education to deprived people of remote area of the district.

The school has a history to share. In 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay for the first time successfully ascended Mount Everest. They had gone through the village to conquer the world's tallest peak (now 8,848.86 metres).

Moved by the local people being deprived of education, Hillary made up his mind and established a school, later it was developed as the Khumjung Secondary School. Now the school has been upgraded to grade 10 classes from a pre-primary level. The school had only one classroom at the time of construction.

"It lacked teachers when the school was established. Teachers were supplied from Darjeeling in India. Classes were run amid strict disciplines," said a local Lakpa Gelu Sherpa, a former student of the school. Now the school has offered a hostel facility for students relieving them of walking hours from far-flung areas to reach the school. "We had to wade through thick piles of snow barefoot. Only handful students could afford shoes then," he recalled.

The SLC topper of 2027 BS was from the same school, he said. Angrita Sherpa, a student from the school's first batch, is reported to have stood the SLC topper of 2027 BS batch. Sherpa studied up to grades four in the school before pursuing further education in Gorkha district, and at Aanandakuti Vidyapeeth.

The school now maintained by the Himalayan Trust has been offering English classes from 2068 BS. It also offers classes in 'Sambota Script' relating to Tibetan language under local language. Classes are technology friendly and the buildings earthquake resistance. The Trust also provides support to other schools in the district, and projects including clean water, and medical centres.

Educational materials are made available to students between grades one and five at the classrooms. Students of grades nine and 10 are taught with the use of smart boards. The school has stood excellent in the district in terms of quality education. The educational institution has been providing quality education since its establishment, said the school principal Nawang Dorje Rai. The school has a total of 296 students (149 girls and 147 boys). Not only children from Khumjung, it draws students from as far as Namche, he said.

It has 21 staffs including teachers from government quotas and private resources. Except teachers with permanent statue, five teachers are funded with monetary assistance from the Trust, and others draw remunerations from the private resources. However, teachers and students often do not wish to stay here due to geographical difficulties, he said. "It is okay during monsoon. There is a problem of a toilet during winter. When it heavily snows, the school shuts after taking a decision from the school management committee," he said.

Presently, the hostel with capacity of 40 students has only 11 students, he said, adding that students are offered hostel facilities by charging them minimum fees. Recently in May, 2023, Nepal marked the 70 years of the first ascent of Mt Everest. On the occasion, many noted figures Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary, also mountaineer, philanthropic and writer, grandson Alexander Hillary, and Jamling, son of Tenzing Norgay came together in Khumjung to celebrate the occasion.

Students of the school also took an advantage by selling various hand-made products to visiting tourists on the occasion. The visiting tourists not only keenly observed the products made by the students; they also purchased them. The incomes from selling the products would be spent on salaries to the school teachers and repairing school buildings and materials, said the ward chair Laxman Adhikari, also chairperson of the school management committee. "There is a challenge to make school teachers and employees stay here as the village is remote. As a result, there are difficulties to continue to run the school. We are seeking ways to manage funds to operate it apart from assistances from the Trust and the local level," he said.

The school has been organising various income generating programmes. It generates income by selling handicrafts made by the students to visiting tourists, he said. The school management committee and school staffs have provided help in this regard.

Upon crossing Syangboche following a two-hour walk from Namche comes a beautiful village called Khumjung. Lush forests of white rhododendron flowers in the surrounding welcome visitors relieving them of exhaustion due to long walking upon reaching the village. Surrounded by mountains in all four directions, Khumjung with the population of around 1912 is a popular tourist destination. Mount Everest lies in the rural municipality housing the village. Trekkers and mountaineers go to the Mt Everest Base Camp through the village.

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