Lamjung, December 13 All the schools in mountainous regions of Manang and Mustang districts have been closed due to excessive cold. According to District Education Office, Manang, the schools of all 13 VDCs of the district have been closed due to bone chilling cold since December 1. Sources at DEO said the schools of Khangsar, Tanki Manang, Ngwal, Ghyaru, Pisang, Bhakra, Nar VDCs of Uppar Manang and of Phu Valley were closed a week ago. The office added that the schools in the district headquarters Chame along with Dharapani, Tachaibagarchhap and Thoche VDCs of Lower Manang were closed from today. District Education Officer Shree Prasad Gurung said the schools were closed after excessive cold made it difficult to run classes. He added that the schools had conducted their annual examinations and published results before closing down. The schools had sent students, who were preparing for School Leaving Certificate examinations, to mobile schools in Pokhara. The academic session in Uppar Manang begins from Chaitra 1, while in Lower Manang it begins from Falgun 1. The DEO said the schools gave a 45-day holiday in the mountainous districts. Many Manang-based schools failed to conduct classes for more than nine months due to cold. “All the parents and guardians have taken their wards to Kathmandu, Pokhara and Besisahar, among other places, to avoid the cold,” said DEO Gurung. There are two higher secondary and 28 lower secondary schools in Manang. Similarly, the schools of Mustang have also been closed from Sunday. DEO Keshari Raman Neupane said classes would resume Falgun.