According to figures provided by the Qinghai Education Department, in the 1950s, there were only 14 elementary schools, with 900 students, in predominantly Tibetan areas. At the beginning of this century, some 700 elementary schools and 70 middle schools taught classes in Tibetan. The number of students exceeded 200,000.

The enrollment rate at primary and middle schools in Qinghai's Tibetan areas is now over 90 percent. There are enough teachers to meet the demands of students, and Tibetan language education has been promoted, the department said.

A 15-year free education policy has been implemented since 2015. In addition to the nine years of free elementary and middle school education provided nationwide, in Tibetan areas of Qinghai, three years of kindergarten and three years of high school are also included.

The number of Tibetan-speaking teachers is also on the rise. Eight colleges and universities have been founded in the province since 1956. Since 2012, Qinghai has invested 640 million yuan ($100 million) in teacher training.

Yet the provincial government has said education in remote pastoral areas of Qinghai is still weak.

To bridge the gap, at least 120 outstanding high-school graduates from pastoral areas are selected every year to take courses that prepare them to be teachers. Training centers and teachers' labs have also been set up in colleges including Qinghai Normal University and Qinghai Nationalities University.