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A Tibetan boy's boarding school journey

Education 16:51, 05-Jul-2026

CGTN

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Tenzin Lobsang herds sheep on the grasslands near his grandparents' home during the last days of summer vacation in Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 15, 2025. /CGTN

Tenzin Lobsang's mother places a white khata, a traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarf symbolizing good wishes, around his neck as his family bids him farewell before he leaves for school, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 15, 2025. /CGTN

Tenzin Lobsang attends his first class of the new semester at Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 16, 2025. /CGTN

Tenzin Lobsang reads a Tibetan language textbook during class at Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 16, 2025. /CGTN

Students have lunch in the cafeteria at Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, where meals are provided free of charge under Xizang’s publicly funded education program, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 16, 2025. /CGTN

Tenzin Lobsang and his roommates sing together in their dormitory, Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 16, 2025. /CGTN

Tenzin Lobsang makes his bed in the student dormitory, where he lives with classmates during the school term, Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 16, 2025. /CGTN

Tenzin Lobsang play soccer with his classmates at Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, Baingoin County, Nagqu, Xizang Autonomous Region, August 16, 2025. /CGTN

Why do boarding schools matter in Xizang?

Imagine growing up more than 4,700 meters above sea level, where herding families are spread across vast grasslands and the nearest school can be hours away.

For many children in China's Xizang Autonomous Region, boarding schools provide a practical path to education while allowing them to remain connected to their families and traditions.

Thirteen-year-old Tenzin Lobsang is one of them. Living around two hours from Baingoin Sinopec Primary School, his family chose boarding during the school term.

At school, he shares a dormitory with classmates, studies Tibetan alongside Mandarin, Math and English, plays football after class, and dreams of one day attending one of China’s leading universities.

His story reflects a broader reality. By 2024, more than 80 percent of children from farming and herding families receiving compulsory education in Xizang were boarders, underscoring the role boarding schools play in expanding access to education across the plateau.