Dhakpo Thosamling School
The Dhakpo Thosamling School is part of the monastery. The monks provide shelter, support and eight years of primary education to children from far and wide. For their families who have a traditional Tibetan Buddhist background, preserving their own culture and religion is very important.
At the moment (in 2021) the school has ninety-two students between the ages of five and fourteen and there is a staff of ten teachers and two nurses. The children often come at a very young age. The youngest children live in the school building, the older children sleep in the monastery.
In addition to school, also childcare
All children have a Tibetan Buddhist background. Some children come because they really want to become monks. There are also children who cannot live at home. They are orphaned or semi-orphaned or they come from underprivileged and/or unsafe home situations. The monks receive them, offer them a home and good primary education. The children are raised in accordance with their own culture. Where possible, contact is maintained with the family.
The school is a private school and receives no government subsidy. As a result, it is dependent on donations. On the other hand, there is more freedom in the school program and attention can be paid to the Tibetan language and culture. The school exams that the children take are in accordance with the requirements of the state education, so that the training is in line with regular secondary education
Click here for a movie about the school.
Prepared for the future
The children can always finish school if they wish. The monks then ensure that a safe place is found for them and that they can continue their education. In practice this does not happen often. At the end of the eight classes, the children choose a life as a monk or a life as a layperson. In the latter case, they can then follow a good vocational training. The Dhakpo Thosamling School ensures that all children are prepared for a good future!
What has to happen?
The school building and the (guest) accommodation for families and teachers are in very bad condition. The foundation of the school is not strong enough and that makes the building very vulnerable. The cement of the walls is crumbling, inside is a serious moisture and ventilation problem. Without heating and cooling it is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter to stay in the classrooms. Teaching during freezing cold is impossible and a solution must be found quickly.
Not only is the school building in a bad state, it also lacks a suitable space to eat together. And the dormitories of the children are becoming overcrowded. The condition of the school is so bad that a new school has to be built.
We will doing everything about it to realize this new school in the foreseeable future.
