 |
|
|
Background: The reasons for our scholarship program Recent reforms in
public education in China
In March 2006 the Chinese government enacted a set of reforms in its rural education system. Most important among these: tuition and other fees were slashed for the compulsory grades 1-9 (primary thru junior middle school. While junior middle school (grades 7-9) still charges a tuition fee, it is relatively affordable even for rural Tibetans. We decided to phase out our junior middle school sponsorship program because the cost of scholarship administration exceeded the cost of tuition itself, so it didn't make sense to recruit new sponsors. Help for students in grades 10-12 a critical need Instead we decided to focus our efforts on the higher grades - grades 10-12 - in which there are no government subsidies. In these grades students have a choice to enroll in vocational training which offers a path to a job after graduation, or in Senior Middle School which offers a general education and is suitable for college-bound students. The cost of tuition in these grades is prohibitive for rural Tibetan families, especially those who are outside the cash economy or where the children have lost one or both parents.
The importance of girls' education Girls, especially, are challenged in getting secondary education because parents often choose to devote scarce cash resources to sons, and because teenage girls are strong workers in the home and on the farm. Girls who remain at home usually marry young and start having children by age 18 or 19. Their children are less likely to get an education, and their families tend to be caught in a cycle of poverty from which there it is difficult to escape. What they will do after graduation. For educated young
women, China's growing economy offers an increasing array of
choices. Because of increased subsidies in education and
massive investment in rural health care, teachers and health workers
are in short supply. More Tibetans are growing cash crops,
taking up trades, starting small businesses, or venturing to the
city - in all of these ventures a good education is an invaluable if
not essential asset.
The role of educated women in rural areas All over the world, research shows that, even if a girl remains in the countryside, if she is educated then she is much more likely to send her children to school. She is also better able to look after her family's well-being: managing resources effectively, understanding nutrition and hygiene, taking advantage of government programs, and being a community leader. For all of these reasons, we strongly believe that twelve solid years of education for girls is a significant contribution to the future of Tibetans in Kham. |
|
Also,
a small number of graduates are able enroll in
