Konchog Rapten is ten years old. He is in the fifth grade. His school stands as the highest school in the town. It is in Nyingchi, Xizang autonomous region (自治区). It is about 4, 000 meters above sea level (海平面).
The school is now holding 397 students. Most of the students are from alpine pastoral regions (高寒牧区). Some of them live more than 50 kilometres away. As a result, most students choose to live at the school during the school year.
The school is filled with modern facilities (设施). It has indoor and outdoor basketball courts and two soccer fields. Every classroom has a smart touch-screen computer.
To make it easier for students to travel to/from school, the school has a special timetable. Students go to school for ten days and then enjoy a four-day break. For Konchog Rapten, this is perfect during the summer. It is when the family moves to the pasture (牧场). He helps his father with the animals and his mother with her work. "If there is no boarding (寄宿), it would be very difficult to do well in both school and daily life," the father says. He added that their summer pasture is about an hour's drive to school.
Every day, after washing up and having breakfast in the morning, Konchog Rapten begins his day of study with his classmates. They have all their breakfasts, lunches and dinners at school. They also enjoy snacks like bread, fruit and yogurt during breaks. After evening self-study classes, students go to bed before 10 p. m.