It was located on a new school site and had new classrooms and dormitories, and there were nearly 100 students in four classes. The curriculum consisted of not only Chinese, mathematics, and Tibetan language, but also music, physical education, and art.

However, because local villagers' educational awareness was still weak, children were often absent from class or dropped out of school. For a long time, Kelsang Dekyi's main task was to go to the villages and persuade students to come back to school.

Around 2003, a 13-year-old student who was due to graduate soon, and one of the best students in the class, stopped coming to school. Kelsang Dekyi found the girl's mother, but only to be told, "My daughter is going to be married soon, so our family is preparing for her wedding." The family could not be made to understand, and the student didn't come out to see her teacher. This was the first time that Kelsang Dekyi, a champion for education, came back empty handed.

But she refused to give up and returned the following day. The girl's family finally revealed their difficulties: "If a child goes to school, it is not easy for the parents to provide for him or her. We can't do that, we don't have the money to send our child to school."
 
Kelsang Dekyi felt relieved, and she said to the girl's parents, "The state, the government, everyone can help with school fees. I can also help with school fees. This girl is very smart and will be able to go far." In the end, Kelsang Dekyi brought the girl back to school. Today, that girl has not only graduated from university, she now also devotes herself to local education just like Kelsang Dekyi.

In 2013, with the opening of the Medog Highway, education in Medog underwent great changes.

There are currently 15 schools in Medog County with 2,096 students and 271 full-time teachers. The primary school has an enrollment rate of 99 percent. Each student can receive 800 yuan (127 US dollars) per year in nutrition subsidies and is exempt from tuitions and charges in meals and accommodation, as the government provides another 3,580 yuan (566 US dollars) per year as subsidies for each of them.

 
"Education not only changed my life, but it has also changed the lives of the children who have grown up in the countryside like me. I feel especially fortunate to be able to do my part for the children's growth."

In 2018, Kelsang Dekyi was elected as a representative for the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Congress and National People's Congress. Before coming to Beijing, she went to villagers' homes to conduct research. When it comes to education, many villagers' mindsets have also undergone tremendous changes, because the children who have gone to school have helped them see that education is the path for the people of Medog to reach the rest of the world.

Editor: Tommy Tan