To ensure that the children have adequate exposure to their mother tongue in their new surroundings, two Tibetan language teachers from Yushu now give classes at the school. With Chinese as the official language of instruction and a heavy emphasis on proficiency in Tibetan and English, the children are growing up multilingual and well-equipped for the modern world.

More Than Teachers

The school's teachers have been indispensable companions to the students, many of whom lost family members and other role models in the earthquake. Teachers offer support, whether it be academic, emotional or spiritual.

For two years now, the three teachers in charge of the Tibetan classes have been helping and mentoring the students, and not just in academic disciplines. Adjusting to life in Beijing is more than just switching textbooks.

The lack of fresh vegetables in Yushu meant that the children had formed a diet consisting almost exclusively of beef, mutton and milk. They would throw away the freshest parts of their school canteen lunches. The three teachers have since slowly won them round to following a healthier diet by teaching them the basics of nutrition.

Some adjustment problems were more serious. Owing to Yushu's high altitude, infections were few and far between, and the students' immune systems were relatively weak. In Beijing's hot summer the Tibetan students were prone to serious infections from mosquito bites. Some were taken to hospital for treatment. Also, coming down almost to sea level from an altitude of over 4,000 meters caused them to suffer oxygen intoxication, drowsiness and dizziness during their first two months in Beijing.

Other medical problems were longer-lasting. The students' former dietary staple of raw beef jerky left many infected with hepatitis B. "After medical examinations in Beijing, more than 40 of them were found to have the disease, and eight had severe cases that demanded intensive treatment," Dong said. As one teacher explained: "Our original agreement with the students was that if they caught an infectious disease, they must return to Yushu to receive treatment. After recovery, they would be entitled to come back to Beijing. We realized, however, that it would be difficult for students to catch up with classes. But the school didn't have the means to keep them in Beijing and pay for their treatment." The situation was resolved when headmaster Dong approached Tangshan Hepatitis Hospital in neighboring Hebei Province, which agreed to take in the students most affected for no charge. Tangshan was hit by a powerful earthquake in 1976 that killed more than 240,000 people. Locals were more than willing to help those who had experienced similar suffering.

Arousing Inspiration

The school regularly organizes excursions. On the first Mid-Autumn Festival after their arrival in Beijing, the teachers took Tibetan students on a trip to the Great Wall. There is an old Chinese saying, "He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man." The students held their heads up high as they scrambled up the wall and attained "true man" status.

Pictures of their smiling faces on a visit to the Water Cube (National Aquatics Center) and the Bird's Nest (National Stadium) formed a heart-shaped collage that appeared in local newspaper, The Beijing Times.

On an organized visit to Peking University, one aspiring student said, "I hope to study here one day. I'll be sure to do my school proud." Headmaster Dong was moved, and told the boy he'd do everything he could to help him realize his goal of enrolling in the flagship university.

"In two years, these students have made great leaps in terms of both academic and emotional intelligence. These days, they're optimistic and aspiring," Dong said.

Last March, the school invited Tsen Kui On, former principal of Malaysia's Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School, to give a lecture. Mr. Tsen asked students, "What's the biggest crisis in China at the moment?" One Tibetan student answered, "It's the education crisis. Education is one of the most important resources of a society. If we don't have a strong education system, we can't be a powerful country." Another replied: "It's the water crisis. Today, the whole world is short of water. South China is now seeing a huge shortage of water. We need to treasure each drop." A Tibetan girl commented: "It's the peace crisis. Recently, riots have taken their toll around the world. A country needs peaceful and stable change rather than chaos and violence." Another student said, "It's the imbalance in educational resources. There is a big gap between Beijing and Yushu in terms of education. The more destitute a region is, the more urgently education is needed. The fact is that wealthier regions invest more in education."

In response to these sapient observations, Headmaster Dong asked the students, "How can you help society?" One cogent response was: "I want to run an old folks' home to help cope with the aging society – there are 180 million elderly people in China." Other students said that they would take up the mission of advancing social progress and become scientists or political thinkers. "In this regard they have totally changed. They have the courage to think big," Dong said.

Rising Above

In spite of his small stature, Yaoqiu Nima has big plans to study physical science in the best university in the U.S. and publish volumes of books. But in his second semester at the school, he fell down a flight of stairs and suffered multiple fractures to his left arm. His medical expenses alone were expected to reach RMB 36,000.

In addition to providing free tuition, the school also agreed to take on costs of accommodation, meals and insurance for the Yushu students. But when medical insurance ran low, Nima, who is his family's eldest son, became short of funds. Both parents came to Beijing to see him. As Nima recalled: "My mom came in with bloodshot eyes, and my dad looked as bad as I'd ever seen him. He said he just didn't have the money and didn't know what to do. He wanted me to go home with them to Yushu."

But Nima wanted to stay in Beijing to pursue his educational dreams. "I told him I had tests to prepare for, and couldn't leave while I had the chance to excel here." Headmaster Dong and the teachers at the school were moved by Nima's commitment to his studies, and petitioned Yu Qingyuan, director of Beijing's Civil Affairs Bureau, for financial help. Through Yu's assistance, You'anmen Hospital agreed to cover the costs of Nima's medical expenses. The hospital's top surgeons operated on him, and he was soon on the road to recovery. To alleviate boredom and assist with his exam preparation, the school's caring headmaster left a pile of books by his bedside, which Nima soon got through.

For the students' first winter in Beijing, kind-hearted citizens donated thermal underwear, down coats, winter shoes and scarves. On their return home for the winter break, Zhang Ren, a particularly benevolent student at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, bought them return train tickets as well as dictionaries and stationery with money he raised from fellow students. Zhang even organized a New Year celebration and dinner for them. As tickets for the line between Beijing and Qinghai always run short during holidays, railway authorities stepped in during the second winter vacation, helping the Yushu students get seats on the train home and back. Next year these children from Yushu will graduate from junior middle school and have to return to Qinghai unless further financial help is found. The school's staff is currently seeking new financial sources for the most promising of them to stay on for senior high school or professional training.