The teachers' salaries range from 3,000 to 6,000 yuan a month according to their workload.

Lobsang said he does not quite understand why the principal is willing to keep the school running at loss. But Tenzin Dhondub has been confident.

"I can always make up for the losses," he said.

As the school has hired more teachers, Tenzin Dhondub himself is frequently engaged in other businesses: running a hotel in the famous tourist destination of Namco Lake and a real estate company.

He earns at least 200,000 yuan a year with his side businesses and spends about half of the money to subsidize his school.

Student Tenzin Dhondub said he had always dreamed of becoming a teacher as a child.

"By fulfilling my own dream, I've helped keep many young people's dreams alive," he said.

Zhoigar, a student from Xigaze, registered for a three-year tour guide qualification program at the school in January.

"When I was a child, it never occurred to my parents that I should go to school and there was no school near my nomadic home," said 24-year-old Zhoigar. "When I came to Lhasa, however, I found it was impossible to find a job if you could not read and write."

Drawn by Tibetan culture, many students from other parts of the country have also registered for the school's Tibetan language program. Many are migrants from inland provinces, although there are some students from Hong Kong and Macao as well.

"I feel proud that so many people are keen to learn Tibetan and I'll try to make the school a better place for them," Tenzin Dhondub said.