Presented by Rinchen Khando Choegyal

Introduction

Over a hundred and thirty thousand Tibetans live today in exile mainly in India, as a result of the illegal occupation of Tibet by the Peoples Republic of China. On coming into exile in 1959 His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of six million Tibetans living inside and outside Tibet, was faced with the challenge to turn the tragedy into a period of positive activity and to bolster the hopes and spirits of his people.

In 1963 a Draft Constitution for Tibet embodying a democratic form of government was drafted which has since formed the basis of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile based in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala. Foremost among the challenges of the exile government in 1963 was to rebuild the shattered lives of the refugees. With help from the host governments more than fifty agricultural settlements for Tibetan refugees have been established in India, Nepal and Bhutan enabling the community to remain together and at the same time make a living through agriculture. Many of the major centers of learning in Tibet namely monasteries and cultural institutions destroyed by the Chinese occupation forces have been rebuilt and revived in these settlements.

Providing basic education
During the initial years in exile the Tibetan community in exile faced immense hardships trying to settle down in an environment linguistically, culturally and climatically very different from Tibet. Top priority was given to the education of the children by the exile administration, as they are the future seeds of Tibet who will carry out the national task, be it political or spiritual. In view of the circumstances it was of paramount importance that the Tibetan children are able to learn their language, literature, history and culture in addition to learning modern subjects and foreign languages.

With generous help from the Indian government numerous schools and pre-schools have been established, some with assistance from international aid organizations and individuals. To cater to the special needs of orphan and destitute children, Tibetan Children's Villages and Tibetan Homes Foundation Schools were established on the pattern of SOS Children's Villages, where, in addition to an education these children receive special care and attention within a home-like environment.

Today there are 106 pre-primary, 87 primary, 44 middle, 23 secondary and 13 senior secondary level Tibetan schools spread across India, Nepal and Bhutan with an enrollment of over twenty seven thousand children accounting for 88% of the total Tibetan refugee children of school age. The remaining children are either enrolled in monastic institutions or attend Indian public schools. Barring a few extremely remote border areas the entire child population attends school. It continues to remain the policy of the government in exile to see that no child is denied an education. As a result, the education of the Tibetan children in the exile community today enjoys 93% literacy.

National Identity and School Curriculum
One of the challenges faced by the Tibetan community since the early days in exile has been to overcome the limitations faced in introducing a strong Tibetan component in the school curriculum which by necessity is required to follow the basic guidelines of the host country's school system. Though Tibetan language, literature, history and performing arts constitute a part of the regular school curriculum, the medium of instruction for science, mathematics and social studies in the primary grades remained English until 1994 when it was changed to Tibetan. Textbooks for these subjects were developed in Tibetan and special teacher certification courses and programs were organized to train primary teachers to teach effectively in the mother tongue.

Distinct improvement was observed in the children's proficiency in Tibetan language. Training was provided to teachers in the Tibetan performing arts and sent to the schools to teach folk dance, music and opera, which constitute a part of the regular school curriculum. This has been found to be a very effective means of preserving the national identity. Through numerous efforts the children are kept fully aware of their history and culture and about events taking place in Tibet and in the exile community.

The Tibetan schools on the whole have been successful in developing in the children a strong sense of community and pride in their culture and heritage. Another important goal of education in exile is to inculcate in the children values of personal integrity and universal responsibility. Prayer and religious instructions though not part of the regular school curriculum are given a very prominent place in the child's daily routine in the school. Students are also encouraged to participate in social work, as it is the endeavor of the community in exile to bring them up to be good human beings and useful members of the society.

Care for new arrivals
The exile community was faced with a new challenge in the eighties and nineties owing to the arrival of thousands of new refugees from Tibet mainly children and youth. According to their age the exile administration accommodates them into different schools. Children below age twelve are admitted into the Tibetan Children's Village and Tibetan Homes Foundation Schools. Those between age twelve to eighteen are admitted in a special school at Suja where they undergo an accelerated academic program. Young adults above age eighteen undergo a three-year adult education program at a Transit School called Sogar where they are taught basic language and vocational skills. Many of the new refugees who opted to join the clergy were enrolled in the monasteries and nunneries located in the settlements.

Scholarships
On completion of school scholarships are awarded to deserving students to undertake further studies mostly in colleges in India and a few abroad. An average of 600 children graduate from school each year. With assistance from friends and supporters from all over the world the community is able to provide scholarships to about 85% of the school graduates for pursuing higher studies ranging from certificate courses to doctoral degrees in numerous subjects.

The knowledge and skills acquired by this generation and by the generations to come from such opportunities will no doubt continue to have far-reaching effects on the community's development in exile and most importantly it will be a huge asset to the community when the Tibetans in exile return to rebuild its country.

Today the community takes pride in the fact that the entire exile administration and other institutions are being run by a new generation of young men and women who have benefited from this educational effort, thus enhancing the vitality and long-term viability of the community.

Vocational training
One of the aims of the exile government is to set up more vocational training schools to enable school dropouts and academically less inclined students gain skills and become self-reliant contributing members of the community. Currently there are three such vocational training institutes for Tibetan students, two in India and one in Nepal. One more will be coming up in Pokhra, Nepal. These institutes cover training in fields as diverse as welding, turning, carpentry, construction, electrical, computers, mechanical and stenography.

Future Goal: Improving Quality of Education
The exile government takes pride in being able to provide an entire generation of Tibetan children and youth with at least a basic education not to mention the opportunities that it has been able to provide for higher education. However, in future efforts will be made to see that all its schools have improved facilities to help enhance the quality of education provided.

Computer education has been introduced in the school curriculum in view of the increasingly important role computers play in all spheres of daily life. The need for extensive use of computers as an instruction-learning tool in the schools is realized but so far the community has not been able to provide adequate numbers of computers owing to resource shortages. It is the aim of the government to electronically network all the schools via the Internet. This will not only open a limitless reservoir of knowledge to its children but it will also enable them to interact with fellow students and teachers in other Tibetan schools and with children all over the world.

Another important goal of education in exile is to inculcate in the children values of personal integrity and universal responsibility. Prayer and religious instruction though not part of the regular school curriculum are given a very prominent place in the child's daily routine in the school. To facilitate proper understanding of the teachings of the Buddha and its practice in the child's daily life it has provided religious instructors in the schools.

Students are also encouraged to participate in social work, as it is the community's endeavor to bring them up to be good human beings and useful members of the society.

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