Classes and School Levels
By now the Tapriza School offers primary education from Class 1 to 8 as well as secondary level. Since 2009 the students can complete their Class 10 at the school in Dolpo and attend the national final exams in the district headquarter Dunai. With this school leaving certificate they can then get admission to universities and other vocational trainings. Until then it was only possible to do this graduation in a larger town which meant moving away from home and locality.
In Nepal all students annually have to compete in the same national final exams from Class 8 onwards. The first Tapriza students sat for these exams in 2007. From 300 participants of the district Dolpo three Tapriza students excelled and achieved first, second and fourth position – a small sensation for students whose mother tongue is not Nepali. This result underlines the quality of education at the Tapriza school – with the effect that since then the applications for school entry have increase intensely.
Primary School: Kindergarten to Class 5
The children begin with kindergarten at the age of four to five and live at the school. Primary education in Nepal comprises of Class 1-5.
Most of the children live at the school and are looked after by school mothers who help them dress, brush, clean themselves and console them when they feel homesick. There are three school mothers taking care of the young children and responsible for the children from the different villages respectively. During kindergarten the foundations for Nepali, Tibetan and English (alphabets) and the numbers are playfully learnt. From Class 1 the regular lessons in the three languages start as well as in mathematics, history and so forth.
Lower Secondary (Class 6-8) and Secondary School Level (Class 9-10)
With ten to eleven years the students pass over to the lower secondary which includes Class 6-8, while they then transfer to the secondary school level consisting of Class 9-10 at the age of fourteen.
Subjects are: mathematics, Nepali, Tibetan, English, geography, science (biology, chemistry, physics), Tibetan culture (local history, religion), social sciences (social studies, history), health
Optional subjects: extra mathematics, extra social sciences, accounting
Class 10 is completed with the final exams. On passing the students obtain the school leaving certificate (SLC). With passed SLC students proceed to take admission to colleges. First they need to choose a stream for Class 11 and 12 (such as science, commerce, arts) and achieve another degree (similar to the Swiss matura), after which they can start with the respective undergraduate program (Bachelor degree).