Education in Humla
The overall level of education in Humla is poor, and only 8.87% of women are literate.
Education development indicators in Humla
- Total literacy rate (6+) – 22.62% (female 8.87%, male 36.5%)[1]
- Child illiteracy rate (10-14 years) – 45.3%[2]
- Enrolment of children in primary education (up to Class 5) – 26.8%[3]
- Matriculation pass rate from secondary school – 2.6%[2]
The level of education in Humla is poor, with many people, particularly women, being illiterate. Approximately 60% of children never go to school, due to poverty[1]. In two thirds of the district, there is no secondary school. Only 2.6% of children pass the SLC, equivalent to the Irish Junior Certificate or British GCSEs[2].

Many schools lack basic infrastructure such as blackboards, desks and chairs, teaching equipment, and skilled and motivated teachers. Few students can afford pencils or copy books.
Find out about Foundation Nepal’s education programme >

1 District Development Plan 2008, District Information and Documentation Centre, District Development Committee, Humla
2 District Profile and Analysis, District Development Committee 2007
3 Population of Nepal, National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal, 2006














