Tibetan teacher interview 1

Interviewee: "Rinchen" (Pseudonym), a Tibetan administrative teacher from the Tibetan area of Sichuan, working at Rangtang County Middle School.

问：您觉得学校在哪些方面是最成功的？

答：应该是教学与管理方面吧。

问：好的，那么请问校方怎么看待这种民族语言和推广普通话的关系？

答：我们这边没有冲突，两个都要学。

问：周围片区大部分的孩子都是在这所学校吗？

答：对。

问：您觉得现在学校跟上一辈的人读书的最大区别是什么？

答：他们学的知识和跟各方面比较全面一些。

问：您觉得寄宿学校在教育公平和资源整合上面起到什么样子的作用？您的感触是什么？

答：学生很自律。

问：您觉得相比而言同学们住读跟一般每天回家的区别是什么？

答：住宿会提供比较长的学习时间，同学们对自己学习计划有很充分并且有规律，所以就是很自律。

问：学校是如何安排兴趣班和心理辅导的？

答：学校按照学生的兴趣去开办。

问：每周会有这种兴趣辅导班吗？

答：对的。

问：一周是有几节？

答：一节。

问：有哪些哪些课程呢？

答：音乐、体育、美术还有围棋。同学们可以按照喜好自愿选择课程。

问：您在学校一般都有哪些职责？

答：我在课程中心的主力，还有就是初一十个班的信息技术的老师。

问：那学校会有老师去照顾同学们的日常起居吗？

答：有。

问：大概一个老师会管多少个学生的住宿？

答：一共有五个老师管理一个年级，还有班主任辅助。

问：一个年级就是每个年级大概一共有多少个学生？

答：初一年级五百多个人，初二也四百多，初三稍微多一点有五百多。

问：大部分同学都是每天住校吗？

答：对，每天都住校。

问：好的，如果有学生很想家的话会怎么办？

答：有时候可以家里人过来看一下，就是中午出去吃个饭。

问：学校的男女学生占比有多少？

答：大概分布的话女生会多一些，男生少一些。

问：大概就是百分比有多少呢？

答：初二年级到初三年级的女生多一些，占百分之七十左右，然后男生占百分之三十。初一年级男女数量基本上是一样的。

问：女生在课外活动的参与度和积极性方面有没有提升呢？

答：参与度比较高一些，都很积极。

问：面对外界对寄宿学校这个形式上的质疑，比如说同学们可能没有这么多生活的时间之类的，您会怎么看待这些观点？

答：不会出现这种情况。

问：学校里面有没有一些而让你担忧或者觉得需要帮助的现象？

答：有，比如说学生有时候需要学习工具，老师就带领他们出去买，会比较远，所以配对学生一起出去买好了之后让学生送到学校这样。

问：学校会有心理疏导方面的辅导辅助吗？

答：会的，我们有心理老师，学校专门对学生开设了心理课，每周都有一节。

问：相关外部关于藏族文化或者学生和家长接触时间比较少的争议，您最想澄清的一个点是什么？

答：我们这边都是按照国家的要求来排课的，还有这边的老师基本上都是双语老师，所以就是藏语和普通话都会。

English Transcript:

Q: What aspects of the school do you feel are most successful?

A: It should be in teaching and management.

Q: Okay. So, how does the school view the relationship between ethnic language (Tibetan) and the promotion of Mandarin?

A: We don't have a conflict here; students must learn both.

Q: Do most children in the surrounding area attend this school?

A: Yes.

Q: What do you think is the biggest difference between the current generation's schooling and that of the previous generation?

A: The knowledge they learn and various aspects are more comprehensive.

Q: What role do you think boarding schools play in educational equity and resource integration? What are your impressions?

A: Students are very self-disciplined.

Q: What do you think is the difference between boarding students and students who return home every day?

A: Boarding provides a longer study time. Students have very thorough and regular study plans, so they are very self-disciplined.

Q: How does the school arrange interest classes and psychological counseling?

A: The school organizes them according to the students' interests.

Q: Are these interest classes offered every week?

A: Yes.

Q: How many sessions are there per week?

A: One session.

Q: What courses are offered?

A: Music, P.E. (Physical Education), Art, and Go (Weiqi). Students can voluntarily choose courses based on their preferences.

Q: What are your general responsibilities at the school?

A: I am a core member of the curriculum center, and I am the Information Technology teacher for all ten classes in the first grade (Junior 1).

Q: Does the school have teachers to look after the students' daily life and routines?

A: Yes.

Q: Approximately how many students' accommodations does one teacher manage?

A: A total of five teachers manage one grade level, with assistance from the homeroom teachers.

Q: Roughly how many students are there in each grade?

A: There are over 500 students in Junior 1, over 400 in Junior 2, and slightly more, over 500, in Junior 3.

Q: Do most students board daily?

A: Yes, they all board daily.

Q: Okay, what happens if a student is very homesick?

A: Sometimes family members can come to visit, perhaps go out for lunch.

Q: What is the ratio of male to female students at the school?

A: Overall, there are more girls. Girls are more numerous in Junior 2 and Junior 3, making up about 70%, while boys account for 30%. In Junior 1, the number of boys and girls is essentially the same.

Q: Has there been an increase in girls' participation and enthusiasm in extracurricular activities?

A: The participation rate is quite high, and they are all very enthusiastic.

Q: Regarding external skepticism about the format of boarding schools, for example, the idea that students might not have enough personal life time, how do you view these opinions?

A: That situation does not occur.

Q: Are there any issues within the school that concern you or phenomena you feel need assistance?

A: Yes. For example, sometimes students need learning supplies, and the teachers lead them out to buy them. Since it's quite far, we pair students up to go shopping and then have them send the supplies back to the school.

Q: Does the school provide assistance for psychological counseling?

A: Yes, we have a psychological counselor. The school has specifically set up psychological classes for students, with one session every week.

Q: Regarding external controversies about Tibetan culture or the limited time students spend with parents, what is the one point you most want to clarify?

A: We arrange our curriculum strictly according to national requirements, and most of our teachers here are bilingual, meaning they speak both Tibetan and Mandarin.