1.3 Categories of schools
The 80 Tibetan schools can be grouped into the following categories depending on which institution funds and administers them.
CTSA schools
At the request of H.H the Dalai Lama, the Government of India, in 1961, established the Tibetan Schools Society (now called Central Tibetan Schools Administration), an autonomous body regulated by the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development, to manage and assist schools in India for the education of the children of Tibetan refugees.
The Governing Body of the Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA), which is its main administrative authority is chaired by the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, GOI. Its members consists of four Indians (two representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs; one representative of the Ministry of Home Affairs; and the Secretary of CTSA) and four Tibetans (Education Minister, Education Secretary, the Representative at the Bureau of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, New Delhi; and the Director of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi).
There are 28 CTSA schools whose enrolment is currently 9,991/- students. Six of these schools (CST Mussoorie; CST Shimla; CST Dalhousie; CST Darjeeling, CST, Mundgod and CST Kalimpong) that in addition to day scholars provide hostel and boarding facilities to a total of about 1,700 students are known as residential schools. The remaining 22 schools that do not have such facilities are known as day schools. All services in the day schools are provided free of cost. The CTSA also provides full school fees for about 360 boarders in the residential schools; school fees for the remaining 1,350 boarders are paid through the DOE. In addition, the CTSA also runs 45 Pre-Primary schools.
Autonomous schools
The 52 schools in this group comprise of 15 schools administered by the Sambhota Tibetan Schools Administration (STSA);17 schools that are funded and administered by the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV),Dharamsala; 13 schools that are under the Snow Lion Foundation (SLF), Nepal, 2 schools that are funded and administered by the Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF), Mussoorie; and 5 other schools that are managed by other Tibetan charitable organizations.
1. Sambhota Tibetan Schools Administration (STSA) Schools, HQ, Dharamsala
There are 15 schools in this group of which 11 are located ar in India. In these schools, the appointment of staff members are done by the STSA, however, day to day administration of the schools are undertaken by the respective school heads. The school heads are provided with a code book of rules and regulations for assistance in technical matters. However, the Department of Education can always be consulted for guidance and assistance in administration. The department organizes training for the teachers and school heads from time to time.
2. Snow Lion Foundation Schools, HQ, Kathmandu, Nepal
The 13 schools located in Nepal have more autonomy. In case of financial need, these schools have recourse to the DOE. The DOE provides support and guidance to the Tibetan students from Nepal who come to India to either complete their schooling or to pursue higher education.
3. Tibetan Childrens Village Schools, HQ, Dharamsala
It was founded in 1960 as a nursery for 51 orphaned and destitute refugee children but is now one of the largest Tibetan school communities. TCV is a full member of SOS Kinderdorf International, Vienna Today TCV runs and administers four children's villages, five residential schools, eight day schools, ten day care centers, five vocational training centers, one teachers training center and three youth hostels. These establishments have a total of 8391/- students. TCV has two senior secondary schools with streams in art, commerce and science. In addition TCV supports a large number of students with scholarships. The Handicraft cum Vocational Training Center at TCV, Dharamsala, offers three years diplomas in various Tibetan handicrafts. The Center is fully self sufficient through the export of 95 % of its production. A Head Office based in TCV Dharamsala oversees the functioning of the schools.
The TCV schools run on similar pattern and a management committee locally makes all appointments. The village director is the executive head while the school principal oversees the academic matters.
4. Tibetan Homes Foundation Schools, HQ, Mussoorie
It is based in Mussoorie in U.P. and was founded in 1962. It started with three homes for 75 kindergarten children, but now runs 39 homes and a youth hostel for over 1,588/- children. The THF provides education up to Senior Secondary level with streams in Arts, Commerce and Science, and also runs a vocational training Center for 60 trainees in various Tibetan handicrafts. THF also runs a middle school in Rajpur with a current enrolment of about 250 students and 2 Pre-Primary schools,
The two THF schools are run almost on the same pattern as any other Tibetan school system. The General Secretary appoints all staff members and oversees the overall administration of the schools. The school headmaster oversees the academic matters.
5. Other Autonomous Schools
There are five other schools which are autonomous in nature and not affiliated to any of the above organizations.
1.4 Educational administration and the role of DOE
Besides overseeing the education of over 25,463/- children in the 80 Tibetan schools, it indirectly manages 28 of them. The Department has a wide variety of other functions to perform for the schools of the CTSA, for its own schools and to a lesser extent, for the autonomous school. These functions include appointment of teachers, particularly in Tibetan subjects, to CTSA schools; selection of rectors for residential CTSA schools; raising funds to set up schools in areas lacking school facilities; running sponsorship programs; arranging training and reorientation courses and providing scholarships for further education. The Department also undertakes Academic Research and Planning along with the preparation and development of Text books and other reading aid materials.
However, there seems more that the DOE can do. An overwhelming majority of 81.8 % of school administrators opined that they need more support and direction from the DOE and submitted the following recommendations in this regard:
- The DOE to put more focus on developing proper academic standards in the schools.
- The DOE needs to recruit more officers with skill and specialized qualification in Education.
- Appoint an independent committee to survey all Tibetan schools and the education system and implement their recommendations for further improvement.
- Conduct a thorough survey into the underlying causes of dropouts and take corrective remedial measures.
- The prime consideration of the DOE should be the education of the Tibetan children. It should extend help and support to all Tibetan children irrespective of its school category.
1.5 Role of Parents and Community in the administration of schools
Some measures already are in place to ensure that parents and the community are directly involved in the schooling of children through the formation of various committees.
In STSA/CTSA/SLF run schools there are the Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) and the Examinations Fairness Committee consisting mainly of parents, teachers and community leaders. Some of the smaller autonomous schools also have Parent Teacher Association. In the CTSA schools, apart from the PTA and Examination Fairness Committee, there is the Local Advisory Committee (LAC). The details of the composition, term and functions of these committees can be found in the respective Education Codes of the STSA, SLF and CTSA.
However, there is always the complaint that there is insufficient parental involvement in the schooling of their children and that in most instances the parent tends to expect the schools to oversee everything. The need to include the parents in all aspects of school activities is being felt. Active involvement of the parents in school activities would in all probability improve the academic standard of the child and the schools in the long run.
