THE DAY SCHOOLS

There are thirty day schools in the CTSA program, located mainly in the Tibetan refugee settlements and intended for those children who live at home with their parents and do not require boarding facilities. In a few cases, however, small hostel have been set up and run by the settlement or parent Teachers Association, in settlements where the Campus are scattered so that many of the children live far from the school premises.

These day schools are usually initiated by the voluntary organizations involved with the individual settlements. For instance, the agency MYRADA under its rehabilitation scheme started most of the day schools in the Tibetan settlements in south India, providing premises, furniture and stationary and paying the staff salaries. When the scheme is wound up and the agency in question withdraws its aid, it is our normal policy to bring the school to the attention of CTSA and request it to include the school in its day schools program.

The day school may be headed by a Teacher-in-charge, Vice principal or Headmaster , depending on whether the school is a primary, middle or secondary establishment. Very few of the day schools have classes beyond Grade VIII, because they lack the quota of students in the highest class necessary to start High school classes under CTSA regulations. This inevitably means that children experience difficulties in the continuation of their studies unless they are able to secure a place in one of the residential schools.

This apart, the day schools are making considerable progress. In the mid 1970's their academic standards lagged far behind those of the residential schools. This may be partly attributed to the increasing interest that parents are taking in educating their children, and thus in ensuring their regular attendance; and also to the fact that most of the schools have now solved their initial difficulties or teething problems and have settled into a regular routine.