Primary Teachers Workshop at CST Paonta
A five day workshop on School Readiness Cum Activity Based Teaching for Primary teachers was conducted by the Department of Education in collaboration with the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, at the Central School for Tibetans, Paonta Sahib from August 23-27, 1999. Twenty four teachers from Tibetan schools in India and Nepal attended the workshop and were acquainted with skills necessary to make teaching and learning activity oriented i.e. learning by doing which involves the active participation of the child. The participants were introduced to ways of creating suitable learning environment for the child through planned activities/tasks, which are fun and conducive to learning through the application and use of common objects and situations for teaching different concepts.

Eminent experts in the field from NCERT; Dr. Daljit Gupta, Dr. Sharna Gupta, Dr. V.P. Gupta and Dr. Usha Dutta guided the participants during the workshop. Few school headmasters, principals and education officers from DoE and Central Tibetan Schools Administration, New Delhi, also attended the workshop. The course was extremely beneficial to the participants who will now apply it in the classroom situation. They will also be resource persons when similar workshops are conducted in future at their respective schools.

Career Out Reach Program in South India

Our Career Counselor, Mr. Kalsang Tsewang, visited Tibetan schools located in south India at Mundgod, Bylakuppe, Hunsur, Kollegal and Chandragiri to undertake a Career Out Reach Program for senior students in these schools from July 12th to August 20th 1999. The counselor administered aptitude tests, gave individual counseling as well as introduced career opportunities available to the students.

A program was conducted at Bangalore for college students as well as unemployed youths in settlements in the coastal state of Orissa in eastern India. In Central School for Tibetans (CST) Mundgod he also released the first Career Manual published by counseling cell of this department. Titled 'Manual on Career Options for Science, Arts, Commerce and Vocational Courses', the book has been sent to most schools free of cost while individual copies can be bought directly from the counseling cell at this Department.

Teacher Resource Centers established

The DOE has approved funds for the establishment of Teacher Resource Centers (TRC) in all middle and secondary schools administered by Sambhota Tibetan Schools Administration (STSA). The centers opened in September 1999. Each center has 4 sections viz. Language, Science, Math's and Social Studies with a good collection of instructional resource materials in the form of books and CD-ROMs for ready reference. It is hoped that these centers will help the teachers facilitate activity based and play way method of teaching at the middle level classes as well as help them plan lessons and project work better.

Two year Dance and Music Teacher Training Diploma course commences

A fresh batch of twenty trainees have begun a two-year Dance and Music teacher Training Course at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala. The course commenced on August 26th 1999 and is fully funded by the department of Education. The training will be as per the upgraded syllabus prescribed recently by this department.

New Education Officer at DOE

Mr. Tsering Phuntsok, Principal of Central School for Tibetans, Paonta was transferred to this department as the Education Officer on deputation basis from July 17th 1999. He replaces Mr. Karma Chungdak who was transferred to STSA as its Director.

In service training for Music and Dance Teachers

Thirty-one Music and Dance teachers from Tibetan schools in India and Nepal attended a three-week in-service training from July 1-21, 1999 organized by the Department of Education at TIPA.

The teachers were updated on improved methods of teaching of musical instrument, folk songs and dance and opera. New folk songs and dance items were introduced during the course. Staff on special assignment

Staff on special assignment

Mr. Tashi Dhondhup, Publication section is on a special 3 month assignment providing instructions on how to teach Math's and Science in Tibetan language to the TTC (Teacher Training Certificate) trainees at Buddhist School of Dialectics, Sarah, Dharamsala, from mid July through mid October of this year.

New appointments & transfers at DOE

Mr. Tashi Phuntsok was appointed as the DeskTop Publisher in the Publication Section w.e.f. April 19th 1999 while Mr. Chomphel Norbu was appointed as the new Accountant of the department w.e.f. July 16th 1999. Mr. Sonam Wangdu was transferred from the Department administered hostel at Kurseong to this department as the Assistant Education Officer w.e.f. July 23, 1999. Miss Tseten Lhamo left the department in early September on transfer to the Research & Analysis Center at Dharamsala.

New English Tibetan Dictionary

An illustrated New English-Tibetan-Dictionary compiled by this department is in the press and will be shortly available from Sherig Pharkhang. Consisting of over 1000 pages, it will have nearly 500 illustrations as well.