paths from the plateau

1、paths from the plateauTibetanstudentsseekbettereducationinthecity，butwhathappensaftertheygraduate？-青少年遠赴内地求学多年，不同的教育和文化体验为他们带来了什么？Twoyearsago，LobsangChotsowasstandingonabrightlylitstreetinShanghai，hearingthenoiseofcarhornsandtraffic，andhatingthethoughtofgoinghome.Today，sheissittingatthedoorofherhome

2、inTibet，withonlythesoundofwindechoinginthemountain.Lookingatanewlybornyakandaskyfullofstars，shefeelsshehasmadepeacewithajourneythatstarted13yearsago.In2020，attheageof13，LobsangleftQamdodistrictnowQamdocityofTibetAutonomousRegionTARandjourneyed3，000kilometersawaytoattendmiddleschoolinShanghai，latergo

3、ingtohighschoolinneighboringZhejiangprovinceandreturningtoShanghaiforuniversity.For11years，shemadeherhomeinthesevasteasternmetropolises，rarelyseeingherfamilyapartfromduringafewvisitshome.In1985，Chinaestablishedits“interiorschooling内地班program，whichallocatedspecialfundstosetupschoolsor“ethnicclassesfo

4、rtop-performingTibetanstudentsin17moreeconomicallydevelopedregionsofthecountryandcoverthecostoftheirtuition，travelexpenses，androomandboard.ConcludingthatthelackofeducatedtalentwasthemainreasonforTibetslaggingeconomy，theprogramwelcomed1，300Tibetanprimaryschoolgraduatesinitsfirstyear.“Tibetanpeoplereg

5、ardstudyingoutsideofTibetasanhonor，oratleastbetterthangoingtoamiddleschoolinTibet，saysLobsang.Inherhometown，familieswouldholdanall-daycelebrationwhentheirchildrenwereacceptedintothegovernmentprogrampreparingkhata，thetraditionalceremonialscarfinTibetanBuddhism，andredenvelopesstuffedwithmoneyinsidefor

6、theguests.At11，Lobsangscoredtopofherwholedistrictintheprimaryschoolgraduationexam，whichgaveherthechancetoattendmiddleschoolinShanghai.HundredsofstudentsinQamdoqualifiedthatyear，includingLobsangsbrother，butherfamilykepthimathomebecausetheybelievedasonshouldstayclosertothefamily.Ledbyateacher，thestude

7、ntsflewtoChengdu，thecapitalofSichuanprovince，thentookthetraintoShanghai.Theirnewschool，madeupoftwoclassesoflocalstudentsandfourclassesofTibetans，becametheirhomeawayfromhomeforthreeyears，asthestudentswereunabletoreturntoTibetduetothedistanceandsafetyconcerns.Chinasnationalhighschoolentranceexaminatio

8、nspresentedanotherchanceforhigh-achievingTibetanstudentstoleavetheirhometown，andthistime，Lobsangsbrotherobtainedtheirfamilyspermissiontojoinher.HeenteredaTibetanschool，sincehiseducationbackinQamdowasnotrigorousenoughtoallowhimtoearnthehighscoresrequiredtostudywiththelocalstudents.EvenLobsang，whoente

9、redaregularhighschool，knewthatshecouldnotcompetewithstudentswhohadallbeenenrolledinacademicpreparatoryclassessincechildhood.“Weknewwewerethestudentswiththeworstgradesineachclass，andwewerealreadypreparedforthat，shesays.QiaoZhenni，anethnicTibetanfromthecityofNyingchi，TAR，feltthestrugglewhensheleftTibe

10、ttostudyinChengdu.Becauseshewastooyoungtojointhegovernmentprogram，herfamilyenrolledherdirectlyinaprimaryschoolwiththelocalHanstudents.ShelatergotherundergraduatedegreeinShanghai，andstudiedintheUKforamastersdegree.ThoughnotachoicethatallTibetanfamiliescouldaffordtomake，Qiaofeltthiswastherightdecision

11、.“Eventhoughthegovernmentprogramselecedthetop-performingTibetanstudents，thequalityofteachingwasalsonotthatgood，saysQiao，whosawthatstudentsatTibetanschoolshadnoresourcesforacademicpreparatoryclasses，andweresurroundedbyfellowTibetans.“Tibetanstudentshavenowayofclimbingtothetopranks.Inbothmiddleschoola

12、ndhighschool，studentsinthegovernment-runprogramhadspeciallecturesfor“ideologicaleducation，whichtaughtthehistoryofTibetandtheideaof“nationalunity.LobsangsmiddleschoolheldfestivalscelebratingTibetanNewYear，andtwoTibetanlanguageclasseseachweek.However，inhighschool，LobsangnolongerhadTibetanclasses.Thest

13、udentswholefttheirhometownsatayoungagewerefluentinspokenTibetan，butcouldonlywritetheirnativelanguageatamiddleschoollevel，andhadtoorganizeextracurricularclubstolearnTibetanbythemselves.Incollege，studentsalsoorganizedTibetanclassesbythemselves.LobsangmajoredinEnglishandGerman，masteringtwoforeignlangua

14、gesbesidesMandarinandtwoTibetandialectsyetshewasstillnotconfidentwritinginhermothertongue.Hersenseofalienationbecamemorepronouncedwhenitcametimetograduate.Lobsangsfamilyinsistedonthatshereturnhome，butshewasafraidof“fallingbehindherpeersinShanghai.“ItwouldbedifficulttogooutagainifIreturnedtomyhometow

15、n，wherIcouldnotgainenoughmeaningfulworkingexperience，shesaid.ShesentherresumétocompaniesinShanghai，Chengdu，andevenLhasa.“Icouldworkanywher，aslongasitwasnotmyhometown.Butshewasfarfrombeingcomfortablewiththisdecision.Shereceivedfrequentphonecallsfromrelativesbegginghertogoback，andshereadabookbyCh

16、inesewriterZhouGuoping，whowroteofhisgrandfatheronhissickbedwithtubesinsertedalloverhisbody.ThisremindedLobsangofherowngrandfather，whohaddementia，andshethoughtofgoingbacktoseehimbutjustadaylater，shefoundoutthathehaddied.Afraidthatshewouldmissoutonmoreprecioustimewithherfamily，Lobsangeventuallycomprom

17、isedandreturned.Sheobtainedajobinthevillagegovernment，whichrequiredacollegedegree.Herexperiencesinthecitydidnotseemtoprovideherwithanymoreadvantages，butshewasconsoledbythefactthatmostofherTibetanclassmates，eventherebelliousones，camebacktoTibet.“Itwaslikeacircle;mostofthosestudentswholeaveeventuallyc

18、omeback，saysQiao.“TibetanfamiliesaremoreconventionalthanHanfamilies，becausepeopleintheircommunityalldidthesamethingforyears：gooutandthenreturn.Aftergraduation，QiaoreturnedtoTibetforayeartocareforherfamily，butshefeltlikeanoutsiderinherownhome.Relativesdidnotwanttheirchildrentospendtimewithher，afraidt

19、hattheywouldwanttofollowherexampleandleavehome，whileQiaoherselffoundshehadlittleincommonwithhercousins.Afterayear，QiaolefthomeagainandfoundajobinChengdu.Hermothersinceaskedhertocomehomeseveraltimestostayclosetothefamilyandworkasacivilservant，butsherefused.“Ifyouwantedmetoliveasimplelife，whydidyousen

20、dmeawaywhenIwasyoung？Whatwasthepointofthat？shedemanded.Similarly，afterliving11yearsawayfromhome，Lobsangfeltthatherhometownnolongerfitthevaluesandsenseofindependenceshedevelopedinthecity.Comparedwiththechallengesshesoughtbefore，herjobonthevillagecommitteeis“banalbutpractical.Shedoesthingsforneighbors

21、inhervillageandtakescareofherfamily，andfindsitsurprisinglyeasyandfulfilling.LikemanyChinesestudents，Tibetanpupilsstriveforbettergradesandabetterfuture，andfeelconflictedbetweentheirpersonalaspirationsandtheirobligationstotheirfamilies.Tibetans，however，havetheadditionalburdenofthestrugglebetweentwodifferentlinguist