Lesson in progress on world's roof

Wanquan Primary School in Dingri county, Shigatse city, Tibet autonomous region, is the closest school to Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, just over 40 kilometers away. To meet the various demands of the pupils, the school has established interesting classes such as piano, information technology, art, sports, dance, broadcasting and handicrafts.

The school has one piano.

Therefore, electronic keyboards are used as substitutes sometimes. Even so, it still leaves the piano teacher, Basang, feeling grateful.

As a local resident of Dingri county, Basang came to the school three years ago after graduating from a normal university where she learned to play the piano. "When I was in primary school, we didn't have a piano, let alone piano lessons," Basang says. "What a complete change!"

The primary school was established in 1983 and underwent a renovation and expansion project with a national investment of 8 million yuan ($1.12 million) in 2010. In 2016, the government invested in excess of 40 million yuan for further expansion, resulting in the current scale of the school.

Today, the school has 20 classes across six grades, with a total of 921 students. It is equipped with modern teaching facilities, and through the national smart education platform for primary and secondary schools, pupils here are able to enjoy the educational resources of first-tier cities.

Specialized science laboratories, calligraphy classrooms, computer rooms, libraries and art rooms are all well-equipped. What's more, there is an artificial turf soccer field and an indoor gym.

In addition to the comprehensive facilities, children of farmers, herders and urban families facing difficulties are also exempted from the basic school expenses, including meals and lodging, thanks to the free education policy implemented by the government in 1985.