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VOL. 3 No. 1 SUMMER 1999 Edited & Designed by: Thupten Chodak
New CTSA Secretary appointed
Shri Rao brings a rich and varied academic and administrative experience, which will certainly prove beneficial and advantageous to the CTSA in its endeavor to fulfill its aims and objectives. The DoE extends him a very warm welcome.
H.H the Dalai Lama visits CST Chauntra
His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the new multipurpose auditorium and the new boys and girls hostel buildings at the Central School for Tibetans, Chauntra on 25th March 1999. During the inaugural ceremony His Holiness thanked UNESCO for funding a major part of the project and offered a silk scarf to Mr.Cedric Wachholz, representative of UNESCO who had specially come for the occasion.
First batch of Class XII graduates from CST Paonta
This year saw the first batch of sixteen students graduate high school from CST Paonta. The students appeared in the class XII (Arts) All India Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the Central Board for Secondary Education(CBSE), New Delhi and secured 94% pass percentage. Mr. Karma Chungdak, Education Officer DoE attended the farewell ceremony held on April 10 at the school.
CST Kalimpong tops 1999 CBSE Class XII results
Pass percentages of school categories
CST Orissa with 100% pass percentage topped the results for Class X this year.
New School Body established
The Department of Education has established an autonomous school body called "Sambhota Tibetan Schools Administration" to administer the sixteen schools in India and Bhutan which until now was administered directly by the department. It is under this body that the schools will now receive special attention in administration and academic development. It has come in to effect from June 16, 1999 and the office is temporarily located in the Gangkyi day school building until a permanent location is found. Mr.Karma Chungdak, Education Officer, DoE has been appointed as its Director and Mr. Sonam Tsering DoE as its accountant.
NEP Regional Convenors Workshop at Dharamsala
The first Regional Convenors Workshop for the formulation of the first National Education Policy was held at the DIIR Conference Hall on April 3rd 1999. The workshop was presided over by the Minister for Education and the Education Secretary/NEP Chairman. Besides the NEP committee members, over 30 regional convenors comprising of Settlement/Welfare Officer, school principals, rectors and others attended the one-day workshop. The workshop was conducted primarily to brief the convenors on the background work done with respect to the National Education Policy formulation project, preparation of Current Status Report and more significantly discussion of the critical issues identified and how they should proceed with their task of involving the wider community. The regional convenors are presently undertaking meetings among the community and senior students at the regional and zonal level. The documented report of suggestions elicited from the ground level will be submitted to the department latest by the end of August 1999. A draft of the booklet titled "Major Problem Areas in Education identified from the Current Status Report, 1998 was also presented during the workshop and the same has already been dispatched to all the convenors.
Institutional Heads and Rectors Conference
The Tenth CTSA Heads of institutions and Rectors Conference was held at CST Mussoorie from May 20-22,1999. The conference as inaugurated by Mr. R.S. Panday, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development (Department of Education),Govt. of India and Chairman of CTSA. Education Minister, DoE presided over the inaugural ceremony. Both the Secretaries of DoE and CTSA, joint secretary of DoE, under secretary of CTSA and education officer of DoE and CTSA along with over thirty school principals, rectors and headmaster of CTSA and grant-in-aid schools participated in the conference. Papers on the various areas of school education were presented by the participants with the primary focus on improving the academic standards. The Minister also inaugurated a science exhibition in the school.
New Internal Auditor appointed
Mr. Tenzin Yeshi was appointed as the new internal auditor from February 1st 1999 in place of Mr. Tenzin Tsering who had resigned from the post of pursue further studies.
Staff Transfer
Mrs. Tendel Sangmo, Section in-charge, sponsorship section left the department of June 7 on transfer to her new posting as the representative of Bir Tibetan Society, Bir, Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Wangyal Donkhang, Joint Secretary joined the department in her place.
Hindi Translation
Mr. Karma Monlam, Head of Publication Section accompanied His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the official Hindi translator during His Holiness's visit to Jammu Universities National Camp function and later during an address at the local college in Dharamsala.
Schools downgraded
Four DoE direct run primary schools viz. CST Lakhanwala, CST Sataun, CST Tashijong and Tibetan Day School, Nanital have been downgraded to pre-primary level due to steady decline in student enrollment in these schools over the years. The change will come into effect from the beginning of the new school session i.e July 1, 1999. The children currently attending primary classes in these schools will be admitted in nearby residential schools where they will benefit from better facilities and learning environment. Excess teachers have been transferred to other schools.
Fifth Grade Math Text Book in Tibetan completed
Preparation of fifth grade math textbook in Tibetan has been completed and will be introduced on experimental basis in the schools from the beginning of the coming academic session i.e. July 1,1999. Textbook Research Officer Mr. Tashi Dhundup recently visited CST Shimla to assess and evaluate progress made by students in mathematics taught in Tibetan up to Grade IV.
New School Campus inaugurated in Nepal
The new school campus of Namgyal Boarding School was inaugurated in Kathmandu, Nepal by Mr. Kutin, President of SOS Kinderdoff, Vienna, Austria in the month of March. Education Secretary DoE attended the function and expressed his appreciation to Mr. Kutin for funding the entire project.
CLASS XII CBSE INDIVIDUAL TOPPERS
Visits & Inspections
Mr. Tashi N.Rikha, Joint Secretary, Department of Education(DoE) and Mr. M.K.Rao, Secretary, CTSA, New Delhi visited school in southern Tibetan settlements viz. Kollegal, Hunsur and Bylakuppe between February 3 to 12,1999. This is the first visit to schools by Mr. Rao after taking over as the new secretary of CTSA.
Acharya Rinchen, Education Officer(EO),DoE and Mr. A. Rawat, EO,CTSA conducted inspection of Tibetan schools at Paonta Sahib, Puruwala, Herbertpur, Clement town, Lakhanwala and Dekyiling in the month of February.
Education Minister Kalon Rinchen K.Choegyal and Secretary CTSA visited Central School for Tibetans (CST) Mussoorie on April 8,1999. They were accompanied by EOs of DoE and CTSA.
Education Secretary Mr. Ngodup Tsering and Secretary CTSA visited some of the Tibetan schools in the northeast viz. CST Darjeeling, CST Kalimpong,CST Sonada, CST Ghoom, CST Kurseong and CST Ravangla between April 26th to May 7,1999. Immediately afterwards Education Secretary also visited the schools at Gangtok and Pokhriabong.
Education Secretary and Education Officers of the DoE visited Tibetan schools at Dekyiling and Paonta Sahib on May 23 and 24 to inspect the progress in the development of school plan.
Scholarships
International Scholarships
Among numerous applicants for the yearly Fulbright scholarships granted; ten degree candidates and 5 non-degree candidates were selected on April 10th 1999 at the Bureau of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi, for the August 2000 batch. The subject chosen were as diverse as Mathematics to Public Health among master degree candidates while it ranged from American Constitution to School Administration in the non-degree category. Two Undergraduate College candidates for Berea College, United States were also selected this year.
Domestic Scholarships
Three MBBS and six Engineering seats within India were awarded after a selection test on April 22nd at the Bureau of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi. With the help of Miranda Education Society and M.S. Ramaiah Law College (affiliated to Bangalore University) who have decided to give special admission with fee concession to Tibetan students, fourteen of our students can undergo B.A. LLB, BBA and B.Com courses in the institute this year.
Special Scholarship Fund by DID, England
The Department for International Development, England, through the Office of Tibet has sanctioned a special fund for 400 scholarships (150 degree and 250 vocational) for years 1999 through 2001. It is hoped that this special grant would help to a great extend in providing scholarships to all graduates with reasonable level of exam scores and the doe is extremely thankful for the same.
SCHOOL SECTION
Thumi Sambhota School
With a large Tibetan community in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, the Regional Tibetan Youth Club opened the first Tibetan school in the late 1980s. In 1991, the school was handed over to the Department of Education, CTA, Dharamsala. Starting from pre-primary level, the school was gradually upgraded to Grade VIII by 1994 Mr. Topgyal was the school Headmaster.
Rapsel Rinpoche and Mr. Tsewang Norbu served as the school Headmaster in 1994. The first grade VIII graduates passed out the next year. During this period new furniture for the classrooms and new books and furniture for the new library was donated to the school by Le Toit Du Monde, a French aid organization. In 1994 Vernacularization program was introduced in the school. In keeping with the objective of gradually expanding the school by shifting to a new block, land was acquired in 1996. It is planned to have up to grade X level with completed residential facilities for around 500 students and staff members and to be ready by next year. During this period Mr. Thupten Chodak serve as the school Headmaster.
After being briefly administered by Mr. Tsering Dhondup as the officiating Headmaster, Mr. Norbu Tsering took over the school in September 1997. The school has seen major improvement since then. The school has presently 22 staff members, which includes 14 teaching staff and 203 students on roll.
PUBLICATIONS
The special X anniversary issue (Volume 13) of Phayul children's magazine was released recently.
PROJECTS
Projects Awaiting Funds
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DONORS
DCF, Denmark for completion of toilet construction, wire fencing and rewiring of CST Kalimpong school hostel. NCA Norway for completion of Phase II schools amenities development project at CST Puruwala.
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