By: School Days - Leonardo Rocker - Kimberley O'Brien

When visiting the isolated region of Ladahk in Northern India, the School Days team encountered a very special school. Situated on the dry, desert mountains of Diskit in the Nubra Valley, “Golden Tashi Chosling Monastic School” educates young novice monks form remote areas in the region.

We were surprised when we first arrived to find Buddhist Monks in red robes aged as young as 7 years. The children has red cheeks from the icy winter winds and they were very excited to have visitors, as the road to the monastry is blocked by snow for 10 months per year. We had travelled a very long, rocky and icy road to meet with thes children from remote areas up in the glaziers. The monastry school was their only opportiunity for an education and this meant leavingtheir families and living in the boarding school.

The school has 57 novice monks, aged between 7 and 15, with four teachers and a head master. Upon arrival we were generously offered hot tea and the young monks watched us with interest as they lined up for lunch or went to work on their kitchen duties. The School Days team was invited to join the monks for lunch as well as being offered a chance to teach and share our School Days material with the students on the following day.

Communication was a challenge in the beginning asw we spoke limited Hindi, but the students who spoke better english assisted in translating our travel stories as we shared photos of other school students in remote parts of the world. The young monks responded with much enthusiasm and interest in diverse school culture.

We also learnt more about what the novice monks do on a daily basis, and what they study during school lessons. The subjects covered by their resident teachers included: the Teaching of Dharma (the teaching of Buddha) and Buddhist philosophy, as well as Tibetan language, Hindi, English and Mathematics.

After school, all the young monks play active games of wrestling and football in their long red robes. By night, they share the same large bedroom and take turns in duties such as, cleaning, serving meals and cooking.

Keep up date with your "Buddha Buddies" by watching this site or write to the students at the address provided below. The School Days team can also provide additional information, email: info@schooldays.com.au