STORY: Vlog: Inside a boarding school in Xizang
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Nov. 13, 2023
LENGTH: 00:06:02
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China's Xizang
2. various of a boarding school in Xizang

STORYLINE:

VOICEOVER
"What's it like to study in a boarding school in China's Xizang? Why do many schools in Lhasa provide accommodations? How are the Tibetan culture and traditions incorporated into the curriculum?"

STANDUP 1 (English): SONAM DEKYI, Xinhua correspondent
"To answer these questions, I'm here today in the 'education city' in Lhasa, the capital of China's Xizang. It's home to six boarding schools. And I've been granted a chance to visit one of them. I will talk to the students, teachers, and parents, and explore the real life here. Now we are entering the school. Follow me to have a look."

VOICEOVER 
"The school we are visiting today is Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School. Founded in 1978, it changed into its current name after undergoing an upgrade in 2014 with funding of 250 million yuan (about 35 million USD) from Beijing (municipal government).
The school now has 2,664 students, about 98% of them Tibetans."

STANDUP 2 (English): SONAM DEKYI, Xinhua correspondent
"Our first stop is to visit a classroom."

STANDUP 3 (Tibetan): SONAM DEKYI, Xinhua correspondent
"Now the students are having a Tibetan lesson. Let's go listen to the lesson together."

VOICEOVER
"During the break, I had a brief chat with the teacher and the students."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): YANGLHA, Tibetan language teacher at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"The class we just had was a Tibetan language lesson. For the children, it's not only about learning their native language, but also about stepping out to engage with people from different places. They need to learn about different cultures and also promote and preserve their own ethnic culture."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): TENZIN GEGAR, Student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"I like Tibetan language class the most. Tibetan language class not only teaches the language, but also covers a lot of historical knowledge. I enjoy learning Tibetan because it involves various aspects such as history, news, and principles of interacting with others. I think living on campus is great; the school environment, meals, and atmosphere are all excellent. Commuting wastes too much time."

VOICEOVER
"Currently in Xizang, there are 8,293 Tibetan language teachers during the primary and secondary education stage, accounting for 18.8% of full-time teachers."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): PHENTOK, Director of Moral and Ethical Education at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
Whether in junior high school or high school, the number of Tibetan language classes is the highest compared with other subjects. It is ensured that at least two Tibetan language classes are offered every day. Additionally, traditional Tibetan dance is included in the regular physical education activities, and there are also calligraphy courses in both Tibetan and Chinese scripts."

VOICEOVER
"Xizang is a region of high altitude and highly scattered population in many areas. If schools were to be built in every place the students live, it would be very difficult to ensure adequate teachers and quality of teaching in each school. So boarding schools have been set up as a practical way to ensure all children's equal right to education.
It's entirely up to the students and their parents whether to board or not.
Today is Friday afternoon, and students will be going home to spend the weekend with their families.
Namkha Lhamo is a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School. I followed her to her home in Lhundrup County, about 65 km away from Lhasa."

STANDUP 4 (English): SONAM DEKYI, Xinhua correspondent
"Do you have any concerns about your granddaughter being sent to the school in Lhasa?"

SOUNDBITE 4 (Tibetan): MIGMAR, Grandfather of Namkha Lhamo
"The teacher is very responsible in terms of teaching, and the school maintains a clean and tidy environment while also emphasizing safety. I believe the school excels in all aspects, and I have no concerns whatsoever."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Tibetan): MIGMAR, Father of Namkha Lhamo
"Living on campus can help children learn to be independent. Whether it's in terms of hygiene or other aspects of life, they learn to conscientiously take care of their own affairs."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Tibetan): PHENTOK, Director of Moral and Ethical Education at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"The life in the school is what the children truly need. Whether it's sports or something else they want to learn, such as calligraphy or musical instruments like dramyin or piano, the school would provide opportunities for whatever the students are interested in. The children are very happy here and increasingly confident, like flowers thriving under the sunshine. This is what campus life is all about."

VOICEOVER 
"In old Xizang, the illiteracy rate exceeded 95 percent.
Nowadays, the retention rate of nine-year compulsory education has reached 97.73 percent, higher than the national average.
Since 2012, Xizang has provided 15 years of free education from kindergarten to high school for children of farmers and herders.
The cost of meals, accommodation and study for students in boarding schools is borne by the government. In 2022, the average subsidy standard for each student has reached 4,530 yuan.
The boarding schools maximally guarantee that children in remote areas enjoy the right to education, and thanks to the implementation of the boarding school system, both rural and urban students can share high-quality educational resources and receive school education equally, thus narrowing the rural-urban educational gap."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)