Learning in harmony

Student Tsering Sangpo, 14, says the school provides him with an all-round education and ensures he can pursue his interests, which include sports, with a diverse group of schoolmates.

"I enjoy the classes here with friends from all parts of the community," he says. "I want to be a soccer player, working well with teammates with many opportunities to shine."

An educational philosophy of creating ample conditions for healthy and harmonious development is also making positive impacts on ethnic students at the Nyingchi No 2 Primary School.

Located in the center of the southeastern city of the region, the school comprises 45 classrooms, four laboratories, 60 multimedia rooms, three sports fields, and a library with more than 35,000 books for about 2,000 students taught by nearly 150 staff.

More than half of the students are Tibetan ethnic group members, who are able to attend classes, including calligraphy, art, and language, that help preserve and promote their heritage.

Promoting the qualities of "erudition, good teaching, dedication, and love for students among its staff, and the willingness to learn, think, ask questions, and put learning into practice among its students" has achieved remarkable results, according to school authorities, with students placing among the best performers in local examinations in past years.

The school has also won more than 100 national, regional, and municipal honors for its educational model and achievements.

Zhao Tangtao, 35, who has taught at the school for a decade, says its students get to learn from each other and share their various backgrounds as members of ethnic groups that include Tibetans and Han.

"I would use the word 'harmonious' to describe us," she says. "Our experiences and successes here reflect how we are living in harmony with one another."