The article is to discuss a case of community-based school in Dolpo, a remote and
isolated region of north-western Nepal and a culturally Tibetan enclave inhabited by Tibetan-
-speaking adherents of native Bön religion. Tapriza Culture School is a project that aims to
combine modern and traditional education: it integrates standard Nepalese curriculum with
teaching of local history, tradition, culture and religion. In the article, I focus on the impact
of a particular geographical, socio-economic and cultural setting of Dolpo on practical and
ideological aspects of school curriculum and children education in Tapriza School.
Before I elaborate on these issues, I would like to present, in a nutshell, some facts on
Dolpo, Dolpa District, Nepal and its educational system. It is not only to put the analysis
into a wider context, but also to stress that our Western-centric assumptions and ideas on
educational opportunities and school infrastructure may significantly differ from the harsh
economic and geographical conditions of Dolpo. The article is partly based on data I collected
during my fieldwork in Dolpo in July and August in 2008.