Presented by Tashi Norbu Rikha

Introduction

Today, there are over 130,000 Tibetans in exile as a result of China's invasion of Tibet in 1949 and living mainly in the neighboring countries namely India, Nepal and Bhutan. The spiritual and temporal head of Tibet His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama presently resides in Dharamsala, a small town in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where he heads the Tibetan government in exile, also called the Central Tibetan Administration. On coming into exile, one of the foremost priorities of the exile government was the education of Tibetan children many of whom were either orphaned or destitute. Education was all the more important as the children were the main source of hope for a future free Tibet.

An educational system that would adequately meet the challenges posed by modern ideas and technologies while at the same time promoting the learning of once own language and culture was felt very much needed.

Established in 1960, the Department of Education is one of the seven major departments of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and is responsible for overseeing the education and welfare of Tibetan refugee children.

Aims and Objectives

To provide primary education for every Tibetan refugee child in order to achieve 100 % literacy among the Tibetan refugee community

To inculcate values of personal integrity and universal responsibility

To develop modern scientific and technical education and skills, while preserving and promoting Tibetan language and culture

To address human resource requirements of the Tibetan community in exile and a future free Tibet

Access to Education

During the initial years in exile the Tibetan refugees faced immense hardships owing to being displaced and adjusting to an environment that was very different from Tibet. Thousands of children, mostly orphan or destitute, desperately needed care and education. Through the generous assistance from the Government of India the first school for Tibetan refugee children with an initial enrollment of fifty students was set up in 1962. Since then more schools and nurseries were established some with the help from various aid organizations and individuals.

Today there are 80 Tibetan schools and over 100 nursery schools spread across India, Nepal and Bhutan with a total enrollment exceeding 25,000 which is roughly 88% of the total Tibetan refugee children of school age. The remaining children either attend non-Tibetan private schools or have enrolled in monastic institutions. Also, special Children's Villages have been established in the pattern of SOS Children's Villages where orphan and destitute children mostly recent escapees from Tibet receive special care and attention within a home like environment in addition to an education. Today barring a few extremely remote areas almost the entire refugee children population attend school.

Average male/female student enrollment ratio is currently around 100:95 and the average annual school dropout rate is approx.9%

Age/school level	Male %	Female %	Total %
4-5 (pre-primary)	86	86	86
6-10 (primary)	98	96	97
11-13 (middle)	82	98	90
14-15 (secondary)	90	90	90
15-17 (senior secondary)	69	83	76
18-25 (college/vocational)	38	42	40

Table: Male/female enrolment percentage, 1998

School Curriculum

By necessity Tibetan schools follow the school curriculum approved by a Board of Education recognized by the respective host nation. For example, in India Tibetan schools are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi and follow the 10+2 education system. This scheme consists of 10 years (age 6 to 15) of general education (which includes study of three languages namely Tibetan, English and Hindi along with mathematics, general science and social studies) and 2 years (age 16-17) of diversified curriculum offering four fields of study in Tibetan schools namely arts, science, commerce and vocational studies (business studies, secretarial and book keeping). The 12 years of school education are divided into four levels; primary school (class 1-5), middle school (class 6-8), secondary school (class 9-10) and senior secondary school (class 11-12).

Learning of Tibetan language, literature, history, performing arts and Buddhist scriptures also constitute a major part of the regular school curriculum and extra curricular activities.

Vernacularization of Primary Education

As has been accepted universally that children learn best in their mother tongue over the years in exile a growing need was being felt to impart classroom instruction in Tibetan instead of English in the schools especially at the primary level. So in 1994 it was decided to switch the medium of instruction in the primary level (class 1-5) to Tibetan in all Tibetan schools in India. The necessary primary school textbooks for science, social studies and maths were prepared and also steps are being taken to design a relevant curriculum based on Tibetan cultural heritage, values and national goals. English and Hindi are taught as second and third languages in the primary classes. Two-year Primary Teacher Training Certificate courses were conducted regularly to train teachers for proficiency in teaching primary classes in the Tibetan medium. Nearly two hundred teachers have so far successfully completed the training and are currently teaching in the schools.

The switch in medium of instruction has met the approval of an overwhelming majority of the school teachers, administrators and students surveyed during the DOE Opinion Survey 1997-98.

The students showed improved performances in the unit tests and examinations clearly indicating better understanding of concepts. Vast improvement in the proficiency of Tibetan language was also observed.

Teacher Education

The Tibetan refugee community recognizes that of all the factors which determine the quality of education and its contributions towards the building of a nation, the teacher is undoubtedly the most important. All educational endeavors will ultimately depend on the teacher's professional competence, which again depends largely on the quality of teacher training provided. A great deal of emphasis both in resources and time is being given to train teachers at the various Indian and Tibetan teacher training colleges and institutes. With the switch in the medium of instruction from English to Tibetan at the primary level, special teacher training courses have been organized for nursery teachers and primary teachers. Similarly courses are conducted for teachers of performing arts. The syllabus of the teacher education programs are being regularly revised and upgraded to keep pace with new requirements. All teachers regularly attend teacher in-service courses, workshops and reorientation programs in order to upgrade their skills.

Opportunities for Higher Education

An average of 600 Tibetan students graduate from school each year. Currently about 85% receive scholarships for pursuing further education ranging from certificate courses to higher degrees in various fields such as Arts and Social Sciences, Engineering, Law, Business studies, Science & technology, Vocational studies, Medicine etc. Currently, there are over 1000 Tibetan refugee students in India and about 100 abroad pursuing higher education. The knowledge and skills obtained through further education have contributed greatly in enabling many Tibetan refugees earn a livelihood and in addressing the exile community's human resource requirements.

Arts & social Science	29.0%
Education	13.0 %
Law and Business Studies	28.3 %
Science and Technical	13.8 %
Vocational	15.9 %
Total	100%

Table: Fields of further study chosen by students, IDP II survey, 1997

Education Finance

The total annual expenditure on education has been increasing greatly every year. In 1996 it was 480 million Indian Rupees (11 million US$). The main sources of fund for educational expenditures are the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA); the Government of India; parents; individual donors; and non-governmental organizations. The total annual expenditure on education is about half the financial resources of all central institutions of the Tibetan refugee community, which clearly reflects the immense priority given by the community to education.

Chart: Expenditure Pattern

Problems being faced

Strain on resources due to continues inflow of new refugees from Tibet
Between 1989 and 1993, about 12,500 new refugees have arrived from Tibet majority of whom were below the age of 25. Most of them have been accommodated in the existing Tibetan schools and few new schools had to be established for them. However, the community's educational resources are being stretched to the limit.

Shortage of trained science and math teachers among Tibetans
The community is facing a perennial shortage of trained teachers for some specific school subjects such as science and mathematics. Effort is being made to encourage Tibetan students to take up career as science and math teachers though providing of incentives and perks.

Concern on the quality of education provided in the schools
As in all societies, the Tibetan exile community is also greatly aware on the need to improve the quality of education provided to the children as the community's future will largely depend on the knowledge and skills imparted in its schools.

Limited financial resources
With the constant need for upgrading school facilities improving teacher education programs and increasing further education opportunities for Tibetan refugee children there is always a great crunch on the community's financial resources which is woefully inadequate to meet the increasing needs.

Conclusion

In the forty years spent in exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan the Tibetan community's commitment to the education of its children has remained strong as ever and as a result have made modest achievements in providing opportunities in all levels of school education and in post school education. The education objectives of the community have been met to a large extent. Tens of thousands of Tibetan children have benefited from a modern secular education while at the same time the transmission of the rich cultural heritage and traditional values of Tibet to the younger generation of Tibetans has been achieved. All these achievements are in stark contrast to the dismal education situation prevalent inside Tibet under the Chinese occupation.

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