By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent
Kathmandu, June 25: In a rare occassion in Tibetan community, Buddhist monks and nuns took part in an interschool Tibetan debate competition organised by Srongtsen Brikuti Boarding High School (SBBHS) here today.
Two monks from Kopan Monastery and two nuns from Kopan Nunnery took part the competition to debate on the motion ‘Character is more important than Education’.
The debate competition is part of the series of year-long events being organised by the Srongtsen School to mark its 25th founding anniversary.
All together five teams participated in the debating event, including the monks and nuns from Kopan. Shree Srongtsen Bhrikuti Boarding High School, Namgyal Higher Secondary School, and Mangal Deep School were the other three schools.
Although the monks and nuns of Kopan did not succeed in securing the winning positions, this could well be one of the rare cases where monastic and nunnery educational centre has participated in an interactive debating event with modern educational institutions.
Sherab Dolma, a tenth grader from Mangal Deep School/Tashiling School speaking against the motion and with her eloquent delivery and witty rebutting was judged the best speaker. With similar good performance from her co-speaker, the Deep school secured first in the competition.
Unlike other Tibetan schools in Kathmandu, Deep school has over 200 monks and nuns studying as regular students. It is a privately-run Tibetan school.
As part of its silver jubilee celebration, Srongtsen Bhrikuti School, one of the most prominenet Tibetan schools in Kathmandu valley, is organising a number of successive interschool academic and sports competitions among Tibetan schools this year. The school will hold an interschool English debate competition this coming Friday.
