DHARAMSHALA – January 7: The three-day sixth Conference on Tibetan Education in Exile commenced today in Dharamshala. Over 236 participants comprising of principals, directors, teachers and counselors from 76 Tibetan schools in Nepal and India, are currently attending the 3-day conference.
The conference is the largest gathering of teachers and school administrators on education policy of the Tibetan exile community and is held once every five years.
The agenda for this year’s conference include professional development of teachers, emphasis on primary education particularly science and mathematics, and the effective implementation of the basic education policy, introduced in 2004.
Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, Speaker Penpa Tsering and Chief Justice Mr Ngawang Phelgyal graced the inaugural ceremony of the conference.
Sikyong Lobsang Sangay lauded the efforts of Tibetan teachers in raising the overall education level of the Tibetan community. He said, “due to the efforts of the Tibetan teachers, there is a huge improvement in the performance of Tibetan students in the academic field as well as in the competitive examinations”.
Even on the basis of gender, he noted, that there is an inspiring trend of girls outnumbering boys in the pursuit of higher studies in colleges and universities. He encouraged more students to pursue specialized education in diverse academic fields.
Sikyong Dr Sangay reaffirmed the 14th Kashag’s prioritization of education and academic excellence as one of the most important component of their policies.
“When it comes to dialogue with the Chinese or garnering worldwide support for the Tibet issue, we are dependent on the other party’s response. But regarding the education of the Tibetan people, it is something that we can and have to do ourselves. Therefore, if we fail in education, it is solely our responsibility,” he said.
Acknowledging the demographic changes taking place in the Tibetan exile community, Speaker Penpa Tsering shared his opinion that schools with lesser number of students should merge with other schools for the sustenance of Tibetan settlements.
Speaker Penpa Tsering also underscored the importance of preserving and promoting Tibetan culture and language to create a robust Tibetan identity in exile.
The Tibetan general conference on education is organized by the Department of Education of the Central Tibetan Administration and will conclude on 9 January 2014.
The first general conference was held in 1964 during the nascent stage of Tibetan exile community. The last general conference was held in 2009 and was inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
