The Importance of Education for Tibetans in Exile

As is commonly recognized, education plays a major role in the foundation of an individual's values and their subsequent approach to the world. More than any other communities, Tibetans desperately need a sound educational base that endows them with both the mastery of modern education and the rich heritage of their Tibetan history – a balanced blend of both modern and traditional learning.

Appropriate academic grounding is strikingly missing in the Tibetan settlement of Jeerango.The Central School for Tibetans in Chandragiri is an Indian state based establishment, whose poorly trained members of staff seriously lack facilities and a good understanding of the reality of the Tibetan community in exile. The teaching of the Tibetan language and culture is not properly addressed by the Indian education system, with a mere 45 minutes per day devoted to the subject. Likewise, while text books are edited in English, its common translation into Hindi makes proper learning of this language almost impossible; low standards in English account for a high rate of failure when sitting the National Certificate Examinations, set in English, to access higher education.