Central Tibetan Administration Raises Alarm Over China’s Boarding Schools in Tibet
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has voiced deep concern over China’s reinforcement of colonial-style boarding schools in Tibet. According to a recent CTA press release, disturbing reports from the Ngaba region of Tibet highlight how China’s education policies are threatening the preservation of Tibetan culture, religion, and lifestyle.
The expansion and intensification of compulsory boarding schools are erasing Tibetan cultural identity. The CTA reported that over 1,700 young monks from Kirti Monastery and two other monasteries in Dzoge County, Ngaba, are being forcibly removed from monastic life and enrolled in government-run boarding schools, despite the objections of the monks and their families. This policy affects monks under 18, particularly those in 1st through 8th grades.
Further, CTA said that these schools, which emphasize political indoctrination and mandatory praise for the People’s Republic of China (PRC), primarily teach in Mandarin Chinese. As a result, Tibetan language skills and cultural ties are being eroded. Additionally, students are prohibited from visiting their monasteries during school breaks, further disconnecting them from Tibetan cultural and spiritual practices.
The CTA also reported that local authorities are threatening to revoke public benefits and even imprison parents who resist sending their children to these government-run schools. Restrictions are also being imposed on Tibetans’ ability to build new homes and on nomads’ livestock numbers.
The CTA called for immediate action from the international community, including governments, the United Nations, human rights organizations, and educational institutions dedicated to protecting cultural diversity and religious freedom. It urged the Chinese government to honor its international legal obligations to protect the rights and religious freedoms of the Tibetan people and to halt its assimilationist policies in Tibetan regions.
Established in 1960, the CTA operates from Dharamsala, India, and seeks to promote the welfare of Tibetans and advocate for their rights and autonomy. It plays a crucial role in the governance of the Tibetan community outside Tibet. Its responsibilities include enacting laws, approving budgets, and overseeing the work of the executive branch of the CTA.
Doubts Revealed
Central Tibetan Administration -: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is like a government for Tibetans who live outside Tibet. They work to protect Tibetan culture and rights.
China’s Boarding Schools -: These are schools in Tibet run by the Chinese government where children live and study. They are different from regular schools because students stay there all the time.
Colonial-style -: This means the schools are set up in a way that tries to change the local culture and make it more like the culture of the people in charge, in this case, Chinese culture.
Monastic life -: Monastic life means living as a monk, which involves studying religion, meditating, and following strict rules.
Political indoctrination -: This means teaching people to accept certain political ideas without questioning them. In these schools, it means teaching students to support the Chinese government.
Mandarin Chinese -: Mandarin Chinese is the official language of China. In these schools, students are taught in Mandarin instead of their native Tibetan language.
Eroding Tibetan culture -: This means that the unique traditions, language, and way of life of Tibetan people are being weakened or lost.
International community -: This refers to all the countries and organizations around the world. The CTA wants these groups to help protect Tibetan culture and rights.
