STORY: Boarding schools in China's Xizang stand as testament to educational equity
SHOOTING TIME: File, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 6, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:51
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Xizang
2. various of Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): ACHUNG, Father of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
4. various of Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School classes
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Tibetan): TENZIN GEGAR, Student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): MIGMAR, Grandfather of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Tibetan): CHANGPA YONTEN, Father of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
8. SOUNDBITE 5 (Tibetan): PHENTOK, Director of Moral and Ethical Education at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
9. SOUNDBITE 6 (Tibetan): LHAZOM, Grandmother of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
10. SOUNDBITE 7 (Tibetan): SHILOK, Grandmother of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
11. SOUNDBITE 8 (Tibetan): KARMA TSEDROL, Grandmother of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
12. SOUNDBITE 9 (Tibetan): CHIMED, Grandfather of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School

STORYLINE:

China's Xizang is a sparsely populated plateau region, with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters.

Due to the extremely scattered population, and challenges related to children's commuting, boarding schools have played a crucial role in ensuring equal access to education for school-age children.

The Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School was established in 1978.

It changed into its current name after undergoing an upgrade in 2014, thanks to a 250 million yuan (about 35 million USD) investment from the Beijing municipal government.

The institution now has 2,664 students, and nearly 98% of them are Tibetans.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Tibetan): ACHUNG, Father of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"The children are safe at school. The teachers take good care of them in every aspect. The study environment here is good, and the teachers are highly qualified, so I sent my child here."

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."

In 1985, Xizang began implementing the boarding system for primary and secondary schools in its agricultural and pastoral regions.
In the region, boarding is voluntary, and the option is open to students who live far away from schools. Still, many parents, even if they live nearby, are willing to send their children to board for various reasons.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Tibetan): MIGMAR, Grandfather of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"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 4 (Tibetan): CHANGPA YONTEN, Father of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"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 5 (Tibetan): PHENTOK, Director of Moral and Ethical Education at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
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.

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.

Tibetan parents, like those in other regions, want the best for their children.
Boarding schools, they said, have helped reduce the risk of transportation to and from school, and increase opportunities for interaction to improve the interpersonal skills of their children.

SOUNDBITE 6 (Tibetan): LHAZOM, Grandmother of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"At school, there's nothing to worry about. The students like the school. Every time I asked the child, she would say this. The child feels very satisfied in the school, on all the aspects, including the environment, life, study, and teachers."

SOUNDBITE 7 (Tibetan): SHILOK, Grandmother of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"We have nothing to worry about her. She says she enjoys life in school, so we have no worries."

SOUNDBITE 8 (Tibetan): KARMA TSEDROL, Grandmother of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"The child feels very good and satisfied. The teachers here are kind to the students, and the meals here are very good."

SOUNDBITE 9 (Tibetan): CHIMED, Grandfather of a student at Lhasa-Beijing Experimental High School
"As a Tibetan proverb goes, 'You have to train a horse from a young age, and it also works on teaching a child from a young age.' The rules and regulations in the school are just perfect, and they are well recognized among the parents. Although I can't represent all the parents, for myself, the school is really good."

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.

The boarding schools maximally guarantee that children in remote areas enjoy the right to education.

And because of these schools, 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)