News

Annual Report 2020: In the year of the pandemic (25/05/2021)

2020 was a challenging year for the school management, parents, and children. In Nepal, government schools were closed in March due to the pandemic and remained so until the end of the school year. Tapriza School handled the situation a bit differently: The students of the sixth to tenth grades were allowed to come to class from June onwards with the consent of their guardians.

The in-person classes were conducted in strict compliance with the Covid-19 protective measures and with the verbal assurance from the local education commission. The younger children stayed at home. Three groups of teachers took turns in visiting them in the respective villages in order to teach them. Online schooling is not possible in this region of Dolpo. There is no electricity or internet connection.
In the winter, the tenth grade students finally travelled to Kathmandu so that they could prepare well for their final exams. This year the additional winter school was more important than ever. Because of the pandemic, certain subject teachers, such as the math teacher, had not been on site during the school year. The teachers present did their best to convey the subject matter as well as possible.

Barely any construction work
The lockdown from March to July restricted freedom of movement. That made construction work on the school building difficult. Workers from other parts of Nepal were not allowed to come. Travel within Dolpo was also limited. Therefore, the work on the entrance building had to be largely postponed to 2021. The Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed slightly towards summer. The government offered to finance the construction of a one-storey building. Work had to start before mid-July, otherwise the money would have expired. Therefore, the school management started the construction despite the challenging conditions. It was difficult to get information about work permits and protective measures from the authorities. Nevertheless, the building shell with six rooms was completed in autumn. In winter 2020-2021 nobody was at the school because of the pandemic. Fortunately, because heavy snow masses collapsed a toilet building wall. Its repair and the ensuring of the drinking water supply of the school premises will have priority in 2021.

Election of the official school committee
The school management committee should have been re-elected in November 2019. Because of the winter holidays and the lockdown, the elections did not take place until September 2020. The parents elected Semduk Lama as chairperson of the school committee, thereby further strengthening his position as school manager and the person in-charge of the local education system. We are happy about the trust of the local population. It confirms that they stand behind the school management and its decisions even in difficult times.

Scholarships and further education
We continued to support Kalsang Nyima Lama for his bachelor's degree in public health and Nyima Lhazom Baijee in her training as a health assistant. Lhazom lost her mother and lives as an orphan in difficult financial circumstances. Both had to pay fees despite the Covid-19-related closure of the universities. Nine other students received grants for their bachelor's degrees in social work, humanities, and environmental and educational science.
The medical student Yungdrung Magli Budha from Ringmo received again a grant to cover her costs thanks to a specific donation.