Srongtsen Bhrikuti Boarding High School
Address:
Srongtsen Bhrikuti Boarding High School
P.O. Box No. 1609
Boudha, Tinchuli, Kathmandu NEPAL
Email: srongtsen@wlink.com.np
Phone: 977-1-4470122
Fax: 977-1-4496501
Localization
Official website
Facebook
Director: Ven. Jampa Phuntsok
Vice-director for education: Jampa Sangpo
Secretary for sponsoring: Mr. Sonam Thinley
Number of students: 602
Number of employees: 66
Age of students: 4-16 years (depending on age at the beginning of the education)
Number of levels: 10 (full primary programme, finalized with SLC) + kindergarden
Srongtsen Bhrikuti Bording High School is a private educational care facility and non-profit organization subject to Ministry of Central Education of the Tibetan Government in exile in Dharamsala, India. The school was established in 1982 to provide education to children of Tibetan refugees. Initially, classes were held in a rented building, but the number of candidates growing year by year meant that the management set itself the goal of organizing funds for the construction of its own building. After the project was created and distributed to various potential sponsorship organizations, a reply from SOIR-IM (The Swedish Organization for Individual Relief) from Sweden was received. They agreed to fund the construction of the entire school complex consisting of a building with classrooms, a boarding house for pupils, a building with flats for teachers, a kindergarten and an administration building. The entire investment was completed in 2001. After the earthquake in 2015, the building with classrooms and the administrative building were seriously damaged. For over 1.5 years, all classes were held in tents built of bamboo, planets and corrugated metal, placed on a school pitch. Luckily also this time SOIR-IM financed the entire renovation.
In its original assumptions, the school aims at transferring knowledge at a high level, as well as protecting and cultivating the unique cultural and religious heritage of Tibetans. Great importance is also attached to the care of basic social virtues. The school also aims to equalize opportunities between students with different material status, seeking sponsors that pay for education to the poorest of them. Although the school mainly focuses on discriminated Tibetan refugees, it is equally accessible to students from all ethnic and national groups.
147 countries from all around the world have signed the UN conventions regulating the rights of refugees. Nepal is not one of them. The Tibetan refugees who came to Nepal after the invasion of their country by the Chinese army are deprived of most of the rights that normal citizens have. This problem also affects the children of these refugees, even if they were born in Nepal. They are deprived not only of citizenship, but they do not have any official status. The Nepali government refuses to issue any documents allowing them to function in the official state structures. Therefore, they do not have the right to own property, use official education, take up work in major positions or even to develop a driving license. Lack of documents prevents any foreign travel. The future of these stateless children is not colorful, especially if they do not receive a good education. The Srongtsen school, supported by the Tibetan Central Government in exile, which has connections with many favorable Tibetan institutions around the world, is one of the few ways for these children to change their perspective.
Students are admitted to school on the basis of their parents' application. If they cannot afford to pay school fees, the school representatives gather an accurate interview about the situation of the child and his family, and then qualify the candidate for the sponsorship program on that basis and start looking for a sponsor. Most often, even before such a sponsor is found, the child is already attending school like any other student.
English, Tibetan, Nepali, mathematics, nature, knowledge of society, geography, history, computer science, music and PE
dormitory (8-10 bed rooms), canteen, school bus, playground, library, computer room, 24-hour care and assistance with daily activities, nursing care, dental care (twice a year), meditation room. In addition, the school organizes many additional activities, trips and special events.