(Winter-)Schools in the remote mountains of Nepal

Preliminary Remark: The villages and the schools in Upper Dolpo are located in one of the remotest mountainous areas in the world at around 4,000 meters altutude and there is no or hardly any phone contact and Internet is not available. This said, we only can deliver detailed reports of the school sessions for our winter schools with 9-12 months delay after the school period ended. We need to give the school coordinator time to write and provide their reports once they come to Kathmandu. Thank you for your understanding.

The winter class for 2020-2021 commenced on December 1, 2020, and ended on March 1, 2021. The winter session had the admission of a total of 37 students. The school appointed 3 teachers and supporting staff (cook). Besides regular classes, the teachers also engaged the students of a nearby monastery.

Winter class objectives: 

The winter class focused on reading and writing aspects on three core language subjects: Tibetan, English, and Nepal, and also served as the remedial classes and preparatory classes for the students.

The winter season has a huge significance for the people of Upper Dolpo as the annual festival of Sonam Lhosar falls in this season. Es pecially in winter school lessons, chuildren learn to preserve their culture and share bonding with family members and close ones. With the summer classes running for only about seven months, the winter classes serve as the coaching classes for struggling students and also lets the students be involved in various extracurricular activities to fulfill their learning needs and well-being.

Staff

The management appointed three teachers and a cook for the winter session 2020-2021. The session was coordinated by Mr. Niyma Tashi Gurung. Meanwhile, the other teachers were Dawa Dorje and Tenzin Norbu. Dawa Lhajom from Nyisal served the winter session as the cook.

Students Attendance and Differential Learning

The winter classes observed regular attendance of above 30 students every day. The three teachers differentiated the levels of the students as per their grades and skills on reading and writing in all three language subjects. The students were facilitated accordingly.

The classes on Tibetan, helped students learn more about social, and cultural aspects. The people of Upper Dolpo follow the same culture, so winter classes have always been special for the students and the
community in this regard. Based on the level of students, they were groups into the following groups:

• Beginners
• Intermediate
• Advanced

The students were provided with the lessons and contents accordingly so that they could improve on their weaknesses and achieve more in their learning.

Daily Routine
8:30 am – 9:00 am Morning assembly
9:00 am – 12:00 pm Morning classes
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch break
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Afternoon classes
4:00 pm – 4:15 pm Afternoon assembly

The winter in Upper Dolpo is extremely cold. With the villages located above the altitude of 3800 m, the region experiences heavy snowfall. The classes were taken with maximum care and the students were also advised to stay warm.

Assessments

To evaluate the learning outcomes for the period of three months, the teachers conducted an assessment at the end of winter classes. The evaluation helped in comparing student’s levels with reading and writing on different subjects. All the students made remarkable progress and successfully passed the exams. This assessment also served as the baseline for the summer classes of 2021.

We would like to thank all donors who make this extraordinary project possible.

Next year we are planning to build a new school in Lhuri, a small village close to Nyisal and Saldang. We will report next time more details, because currently the planning process starts.