Ruth Walter Chungba Primary School

The Ruth Walter Chungba Primary School (CPS) is located in the township of Chungba located on the border of Litang and Nyarong (Xinlong) counties, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan. There are 253 students, ages 7-13, boarding at CPS.

Relatively isolated, Chungba has population of 3000 farmers and semi-nomads. The largely subsistence economy cannot currently sustain an adequate school or medical facility without assistance from outside the community. Thus, the TP is exploring a number of different possibilities for combining locally-driven small enterprises, ecotourism and ecological awareness. To do this work, TP’s Co-director, Tashi Rabgey, has explored most of the entire valley system, both on foot and on horseback, interviewed many of local people, and climbed most of the high peaks.

Chungba is located in an ecological transition zone on the main road between Lithang and Nyarong. Therefore, there is significant potential for developing small-scale, community-driven, culturally sensitive eco-tourism. It is the goal of TP to collaborate with the local community to develop a modest ecotourism industry that provides additional income for some Tibetan families and that assists in sustaining the CPS as well.

In only its first two years of operation, the CPS has met with significant success. The students consistently placed first among 52 primary schools in the county. The CPS has flagged the attention of education officials from the county, prefectural and provincial governments. These students perform especially well in Tibetan language examinations, easily scoring 10% higher than the other three top schools.

Despite the success of becoming a model school of best practices in the local and regional context, the CPS is need of significant support, as follows:

1. Additional Residence Space is needed for 53 students who are currently living in temporary quarters. Approximate cost $80 000 (USD).
2. New Dning hall was originally designed to accommodate 150 students and is now too small for the current student population. Approximate cost $50 000 (USD).
3. Safe drinking water is in limited supply as a result of unprecedented floods, landslides and erratic electrical power. Since properly maintained running water is vitally important, a new water source must be established approximately 5 km away. Approximate cost $7000 (USD).
4. Computers are needed to enhance the teachers’ skills and to bring modern technology into the children’s curriculum. Approximate cost $4000 (USD).
5. A photocopy machine is needed to help the teachers with daily lessons for students. Approximate cost $5000 (USD).
6. A School Library is urgently needed for supplemental reading materials since at present the students have only required class textbooks. Approximate cost $ (USD).
7. Solar power panels are a must because the small local hydroelectric generator is only able to produce enough power for three to four days a week. Hence, this causes tremendous difficulties for students who need lighting in order to study. Approximate cost $10 000 (USD).

The Chungba Primary School has fortunately met with a number of significant successes in the two short years of operation. The key goal of this collaborative endeavour has been to produce the first truly literate and educated generation of Tibetans from this valley and to begin the long process of building a culture of education. It is our hope and aspiration to further our goals by considering the construction of a high school in Chungba which would also serve more rural students.

Currently, there is only one high school in the entire county and it is unable to accommodate all the qualified students. There is an acute need for a second highschool. The next nearest high schools beyond Litang are Dartsedo and Batang, which are more distant and economically out of reach for most parents from the rural areas.