The kindness of our teachers

Posted by Meggers October 10, 2010

The kindness of our teachers

Education is the guardian genius of democracy.
It is the only dictator that free men recognize,
and the only ruler that free men require.
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar

Tibetan Teachers and Staff:

In Tibet teachers work from 8-12 & 2-5, 6 days a week for 8 months a year. The Chinese government requires one teacher for every 20 students. The primary curriculum includes math, Chinese, Tibetan, English, civic training, Art, Music,and PE.

We have hired two cooks for each school to make a noontime meal. The schools now have at least one greenhouse each which provides a job for a community member while ensuring that the school lunch program is nourishing.

Our private school salary begins at 500RMB/month which is comprable to government school teacher salary, yet we have been unable to raise our teachers salary past 1,000rmb, while senior government teachers may make up to 5,000rmb/month.

Tajuk School Staff:

Rinchen was born and raised in Tajuk village. Being one of the few literate people in the village, he began assisting Tenpuk in running the school when it began in 1998. He takes great pride in being able to assist in educating his community.

Tenpuk

Tenpuk gracefully accepted Garchen Rinpoche's orders to open a school in Tajuk village in 1998 when the villagers requested an education for their children. Tenpuk was well educated as a member of a lama's family and has become a coordinator for projects across all four areas.

Tashi N

Tashi Nyima joined the Tajuk team in 2010 in order to teach English to the students so that they would not fall behind the government requirements. He is from nangchen town but has adjusted to the village life remarkably well.

Gaden

Gaden was a young graduate when he came to Tajuk in 2006 from Nangchen. But he has proven to be one of the brightest and most energetic teachers working on the gar projects. He spends his free time playing soccer and basketball with the students, encouraging them to try new games, sharing his enthusiasm for sports.

Yeshe has been teaching Tibetan to students at Tajuk since she met with Garchen Rinpoche in 2004. her dedication to the village has been tried repeatedly, yet she remains in Tajuk, removed from her family.

Gargon School Staff:

Tsewang Trigyal

Tsewang Trigyal began Gargon school in 1998 with Garchen Rinpoche's blessing. As one of three literate lay people of the village, he struggled to convince his neighbors of the importance of schooling. Within 11 years he has successfully enrolled around 95% of local youth and graduated 4 classes of students. He has three sons of his own two of whom live in Yushu with their mother and one who studies near Beijing.

Dekyi

Deykyi, mother of three has been the cook for Gargon school since the inception of the school lunch program in 2006. She begins her day around 7:30, chopping and hauling wood to make the fire for cooking. After serving the meal at noon she washes all of the dishes and begins her duties as a mother and housewife. Fetching water and preparing tea and diner.

Pezom

Pezom has endured tremendous hardships as a Gargon teacher since 2000. She moved to Gargon from her village and rarely returns to see her family. Although her kidneys and liver are in poor condition, out of love for the children she refuses to take time away.

Gyalsum school staff:

Oyo Kyime's father went against the cultural norms and enrolled his daughter in school in the district center during the 1980's. When she returned to her village as an educated young woman she was disparaged by the lack of literacy and awareness of the world beyond Gyalsum. She began holding class in her family home, making chalk and finding slate for the students to write on. Garchen Rinpoche granted her wish to build a school in 1999 when he returned to the area. Although the villagers are not accustomed to having a female leader, there is no doubt that Oyo Kyime (literally translated as lower birth- which is how women are perceived by most Tibetans)has transformed her village by bestowing a love for knowledge and literacy.
Dromtse moved from Nangchen Town to teach Chinese in Gyalsum in 2004. She has since married a villager and had a baby of her own. She has chosen to endure a harder life than she had in the town out of compassion for these nomadic youth.
Wangdrak returned to Nangchen in 2007 after receiving his education in India. He came to Gyalsum in 2008 as an english teacher.
Dawa Dondrup is from Wahaka, one of the 4 villages that Gyalsum school serves. He had been educated in nangchen and began teaching Tibetan in 2009 when he married Oyo Kyime.