Rajendra Dawadi, principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nepal's Trishuli Valley, ordered the evacuation of at least 900 students last week after receiving warnings that floodwaters were racing through the region. As he followed his students to higher ground on a nearby hill, he watched the school where he had once been a student and spent years teaching disappear beneath a torrent of water, mud, boulders and debris. Two staff members could not make it and remain missing.
The flash floods were unleashed after a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, killing over 900 people across Nepal and China with more than 4,700 still missing. Dawadi's quick decision to ring the school bell and clear the building has been credited with saving hundreds of lives on what officials describe as one of the region's worst natural disasters in recent memory.
What the Left Is Saying
Humanitarian organizations focused on children's welfare have praised the principal's actions while calling attention to the broader educational crisis unfolding in northern Nepal. Save the Children said in a statement that at least 69 schools in the region have been completely destroyed, putting the education of nearly 19,000 students at risk. The group noted that thousands of children across the disaster zone are now without classrooms, raising fears that the catastrophe could cost them months or more of schooling. Aid workers argue that rebuilding educational infrastructure must be treated as an urgent priority alongside search and rescue efforts.
International development advocates say the disaster highlights the vulnerability of school systems in climate-exposed regions and the need for greater investment in resilient education infrastructure. They point out that children in mountainous areas face disproportionate risks from extreme weather events and call for international support to help Nepal recover and rebuild schools more safely.
What the Right Is Saying
Some observers have noted that while individual heroism is commendable, the scale of destruction raises questions about disaster preparedness systems and land-use planning in vulnerable valleys. They argue that communities in flood-prone areas need better early warning infrastructure and clearer evacuation protocols to ensure such decisions do not rest solely on individual judgment during emergencies.
Others emphasize personal responsibility and local capacity, arguing that Nepal's recovery must be led by its own government and citizens with international assistance as a supplement rather than a substitute. They point to the principal's appeal directly to the Nepalese government to rebuild schools and resume classes as evidence that national authorities bear primary responsibility for getting children back to learning.
What the Numbers Show
Over 900 people dead across Nepal and China following last week's glacial collapse and subsequent flash floods, according to official counts cited by the Associated Press. More than 4,700 individuals remain missing in the disaster's aftermath. At least 69 schools in northern Nepal have been completely destroyed, affecting nearly 19,000 students' access to education, Save the Children reported. Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School had 1,643 enrolled students; at least 900 were on campus when Dawadi ordered the evacuation that morning.
The Bottom Line
The destruction of schools across northern Nepal represents a significant setback for education in the disaster zone, with aid organizations warning that thousands of children could face prolonged disruption to their learning. Dawadi's actions saved hundreds of lives but also underscore how individual decisions can shape outcomes during natural disasters when formal systems are overwhelmed. His call for rebuilding schools and resuming classes reflects the immediate priority facing Nepalese authorities as search operations continue and recovery efforts begin.