Region takes to schooling, but process will take time

Education in Tibet was once considered a privilege for nobles only.

For 73-year-old Tenzin, a former slave, the echoes of that tradition hit home: He didn't have a chance to enter school until he was 16 years old.

"I left home before sunrise and came back after sunset, herding sheep for my master. There were more than a thousand sheep and only two shepherds," the native of Xigaze said, adding that he never thought of attending school at the time.