After a month-long cultural tour to France, students of Government Middle School Gya were given a warm reception by Hill Council, Leh led by Gyal P Wangyal, Deputy Chairman on June 7 at Council Secretariat.

Gyal P Wangyal said that the trip was a great opportunity for the students of Govt. school Gya to visit different cities of France and in promoting and showcasing Ladakh’s culture.  Also, the school has set an example to all other Govt. schools and proved that they are not behind in any field.

He said that the experiences gained from the one-month educational tour in such a developed country should bring positive changes in all the students and teachers.

Filmmaker Stanzin Gya initiated the excursion tour. 17 students, 9 adults including 5 teachers, the area Councillor, one interpreter and two musicians toured different cities of France for 36 days starting from May 1 to June 5. They showcased different cultural activities of Ladakh in different cities of France. The students from France showed a great interest to visit Ladakh to present their cultural heritage and also to learn art, culture, agriculture, and customs from Ladakh.

Gyal P Wangyal appreciated the initiatives of Stanzin Gya and said that it is a great contribution and a token of love for the children of his native village.

Stanzin Gya extended gratitude to Hill Council, Leh for the reception and said that such a gesture would encourage the students of Govt. schools. He also mentioned the generosity of sponsors who have ensured the tour in different ways.

Sharing experience of the tour, a student told that France has a sound and practical educational system with rich infrastructure and also informs that they have a good traffic rule. Keeping the elderly people in isolation in old age home made them deeply upset.

A teacher who also accompanied the students on France tour said that they have earned all the expenditure of money by presenting cultural shows in different cities.

Tashi Dolma, Joint Director Education Ladakh urged that the best educational practices whatever they observed in France should be replicated at the local level besides scaling up to other schools. She said that the students of Govt. schools have comparatively bigger opportunities for holistic development and are not lacking in any field of education.

Tsering Paldan, Councillor said that the tour has benefitted the students to open up their knowledge horizon. 

The tour has not only brought students together but has further strengthened the relationship between the two nations. Efforts will be made to make this programme a regular feature in future between the school children of the two countries.