VOL. 10 • No. 3 Home Page Back Issues AUTUMN 2006

  1. DEPARTMENTAL BRIEFS

  2. SCHOOL FEATURE

  3. PUBLICATION NEWS

  4. PROJECT NEWS

  5. SCHOLARSHIP NEWS
  THE NEWS

Kalon Tripa Meets College Students

During the recent visit of Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong to Chennai and Chandigarh in August/September, he spoke at gatherings of Tibetan college students studying in these cities and stressed on the importance of maintaining good health and generating self-employment.

Kalon Thupten Lungrik takes charge of Education Portfolio

With the recent formation of the 13th Kashag (Tibetan Exile Cabinet), Mr. Thupten Lungrig took charge as Kalon for Education. An official felicitation ceremony welcoming the Kalon was held at the department on October 7. Education Secretary Karma G. Yuthok expressed his felicitation on behalf of all the departmental staff assuring dedication and sincerity. The Kalon expressed his appreciation for the hard work put in by all the officials during his previous stint and looked forward to the same zeal and commitment.



CTSA Director Visits Dharamsala

Dr. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, IFS, took charge as the acting Director of Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA), Delhi on July 14 following the former Director's sudden death due to cardiac arrest while on official tour to CST Mussoorie on July 8. . He paid a brief courtesy visit to Dharamsala on August 10-11 and called on the Kalon Tripa, Education Kalon and Secretary. Besides, he also interacted with the senior officials of the DOE. On the second day, he visited the Tibetan Children's Village at Dharamsala Cantt. and met the former President of TCV Mrs. Jetsun Pema, the new President Tsewang Yeshi and Education Director Ngawang Dorjee. Dr. Rakesh Kumar holds the post of Joint Commissioner, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, a sister organisation of the CTSA under the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Gadhen Phodrang Student Merit Award 2006

This year's toppers amongst all Tibetan students who appeared in the All India Senior Secondary Certificate Examination held in March 2006 were presented the Gadhen Phodrang Student Merit Awards and prize money of Rs.5000/- each. Kalon Tripa presented the awards at the Tibetan Democracy Day annual celebration held at Tsuglag-khang, Dharamsala on September 2. The award recipients were Mr. Tenzin Rangdol of CST Mundgod for Science (85%), Ms. Tsering Youdon of SOS TCV Bylakuppe for Commerce (80.8%) and Ms. Tenzin Choedon of CST Bylakuppe for Humanities (91.4%). Tenzin Rangdol and Tenzin Choedon, in their respective streams, have scored highest percentage of marks so far achieved by Tibetan students in the CBSE Board examinations.

The General laid emphasis that 'knowledge is the only vaccine for AIDS'. He was accompanied by Col. V.V. Reddy and Col. N.P. Reddy. The lecture concluded with a question-answer session.

Teachers Receive National Award-2005

Mrs. Sonam Choedon, a senior teacher at CST Darjeeling and Mr. N.K. Singh, primary teacher at CST Sonada were conferred the National Award to Teachers 2005 by the Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Teachers' Day function held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on September 5, along with 313 teachers across India who also received the award. The award includes a citation and a cash prize of Rs.25000 each. The CTSA teachers were included among other recipients of the award from 2004. Since then two teachers of the CTSA receive the award every year. The Department of Education felicitated the above teachers on receiving the prestigious national awards.

Tibetan School Tops in Nepal

Namgyal Higher Secondary School located at Gokarna, Kathmandu in Nepal ranked first for academic excellence in the Ten Best Schools in Nepal as per annual survey done by a Nepali Weekly: Saptahik, dated June 30, 2006. Earlier, the school stood at fifth in 2003 and fourth in 2004. The Department of Education congratulates the school Director, teachers and staff for achieving this recognition of excellence.

School Inspections

The annual school inspections of CST Dholanji (Sept. 11-12), CST Shimla (Sept. 13-15) and CST Dalhousie (Sept. 16) were carried out by DOE Education Officer Mr. Tsering Samdup alongwith CTSA Deputy Education Officer Mr. S.P. Rana. Mr. Aggarwal, Technical Officer CTSA joined the inspection panel at CST Dalhousie. Mr. Tsering Phuntsok, Education Officer visited CST Bylakuppe alongwith the branch schools and CST CVP Bylakuppe on annual school inspection with Mr. A.S. Rawat, Education Officer CTSA from Sept. 18-20. Other panel members include principals of local Navodaya Vidyalaya and SOS TCV School. During the above inspections, observations were made on the teaching and learning taking place in the schools. They also interacted with the students, parents and teachers and provided necessary suggestions for further overall improvement of the schools.

Earlier Additional Secretary Mr. Ngodup Dorjee was Chief Guest at the inaugural function of the North Zone Cultural Meet held at CST Herbertpur on April 29-30.

South Zone Counselor Visits Schools

The South Zone Counselor Mr. Jamyang Wangyal visited Tibetan schools in the east at Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sonada from June 26-July 15 and schools in the north at Mussoorie, Clement town and Dalhousie from July 21-August 11. During each school visit, he met with the school counselor and discussed the programmes implemented under the Minimum Level of Guidance and Counseling in the school; counseled senior school students on self-understanding, goal setting, career awareness and options after 10 plus 2, study skills, peer pressure, examinations and college admission tips. He also informed the students on DOE Scholarships in India and abroad. Besides, he held separate group discussions with students of other classes and also separate sessions for boys and girls.

Pre-Primary Teacher Training

Department of Education organised a 2-year pre-primary teacher/assistant pre-primary teachers training for 25 Tibetan students for the duration from July 2006 to January 2008 in accordance with the Basic Education Policy. In the first phase, the training in being given at the Eklavya Institute of Teacher Education, Ahmedabad and the second phase will be conducted at TCV Teacher Training Centre, Dharamsala.

North Schools Teacher Exchange Programme

The Department of Education organised a one-week teacher exchange programme for Tibetan schools located in the northern India from September 25-30 to share and exchange experiences in teaching learning processes; to understand the functioning and activities of various schools; to promote interactions among teachers; and to share experiences and views on furthering the development of healthy school environment. In total 27 teachers, including postgraduate teachers, graduate teachers and primary teachers, of 11 Tibetan schools from Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA), Tibetan Children's Village (TCV), Sambhota Tibetan Schools Administration (STSA) and Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF) participated in the exchange programme. It was widely appreciated and provided a memorable experience to all the participating teachers, students and schools

Two Tibetans nominated for Study on Global Citizenship

This year, Ms. Yangchen Dolkar and Mrs. Namgyal Yangzom from the THF were nominated to pursue a full ten-week intensive course in global citizenship at the College of International Citizenship (CIC), Birmingham UK, on the invitation of Ms Elly Tobin, CIC Director. The modules for the course include Leadership Skills, Political Systems, Citizenship, International Rights and Responsibilities, International Trade & Economic Systems, Education & Development, Environment & Sustainability, Peace, Violence & Conflict, Local influence to Global Citizenship and Transition. The college has offered to provide free tuition and lodging. Costs for participants airfare, visa fees, etc were met from contributions made by Mr. Vaibhav Beniwal through the The Tibet Fund, USA; the Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tokyo, Japan and the Tibetan Community in Britain.

SCHOOL FEATURE

Central School for Tibetans, Gurupura

                       

Central School for Tibetans, Gurupura is located in Rabgyaling Tibetan settlement at Gurupura village in the south Indian state of Karnataka. The nearest town, Hunsur is thirteen kilometers away. Initially called "Woenang School" it was founded with funds provided by the Board of trustees for Common Project of European Refugee Campaign and formally opened by H.H. the Dalai Lama on 15th March 1974, and run by the Mysore Rehabilitation and Development Agency (MYRADA) until February 1976. The primary day school was taken over by the Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) Delhi, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, on March 1, 1979 and was renamed Central School for Tibetans Gurupura. In 1986, the school was upgraded to class X. Seven new classrooms were built in 1994.

Today, the day school enjoys a beautiful campus with many classrooms, laboratories for science and mathematics, an educational resource centre, a computer lab with 12 computers, a large playground, sports room, music and dance room, a well-equipped library, multipurpose hall, staff residences, Principal's office, and school office with Xerox, fax, and internet connection. In addition, the school boasts a rose garden and a botanical garden. The school also maintains a vegetable garden and the produce from it are used in mid-day meal preparations for students. The school enjoys an excellent relationship with local Tibetan settlers whose children attend the school as day scholars. The district commissioner, settlement officer, parent teacher association members and other local organizations actively involve in the welfare of the school.

The school follows curriculum prescribed by Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi. In 2005-06 the school achieved hundred percent pass in the Class X Board Examinations. The students of CST Gurupura have won laurels in the South Zone & Central Zone Tibetan Cultural Meets and CBSE sports meet bagging many prizes in both senior and junior levels. Education officers from CTSA headquarters and DOE Dharamsala conduct regular academic inspections to evaluate performance of the school and provide suggestions for improvement.

Currently, CST Gurupura has 314 students with 24 teachers and 6 office staff and headed by Ravindra Nath Tiwari, the school Principal.


Publication News
  1. Following books in Tibetan medium have been published by the Department of Education with generous financial assistance provided by the Comic Relief through Tibet House Trust, London, UK: a) Mathematics textbooks for Class IV & V, revised (Class V Maths textbook has gone to the press and will be made available for distribution by the start of next academic session 2007); b) Tibetan Workbooks for Class VI & VII; and c) Mathematics for Class VII.

  2. Bodkyi migmang kyi gyutsel (Tibetan traditional chess game)- DOE has published a book with rare collection of twenty Tibetan chess games. The book was financed by SOIR-IM, Sweden and has been freely distributed to all Tibetan schools.


Project News

Inauguration of New School Block of Tibetan Public School, Srinagar:

The new block of Lower Primary section of Tibetan Public School at Srinagar has been completed and was formally inaugurated by Dr.Farooq Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of J&K on 9th September 2006. Other guest of honour and dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony included Secretary to the State Education Ministry Mr. Khazir Mohammad Wani; Director of J&K State School Education Board Mr. Mohammad Rafi and the Mayor of Srinagar Municipality Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Bhat. Besides, Chairman of School Managing Committee and executive members of the Tibetan Muslim Youth Federation were also present at the event. The new block consisted of lower primary classrooms, library, office, ground leveling and small rooftop hall. The total of Rs. 1,256,525/ - was spent on the project, which was collectively donated by Department of Education, CTA, Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the Tibet Relief Fund, UK. We thank all the supporters for their kind assistance.

AET Projects Completed:

  1. Construction of School Kitchen at STS Shillong: Construction of a new school kitchen, a storeroom and LPG room at STS Shillong was completed in April 2006. The new kitchen will greatly facilitate in the hygienic preparation of food for the students.

  2. New Computers for 4 STS schools: Most STSA schools have few computers, which are old and outdated, and a highly disproportionate student-computer ratio. With the help of AET, we have purchased and installed 7 new computers each to 4 STS Schools - STS Dekyiling, STS Gangtok, STS Chauntra and STS Bhuntar. We thank AET for their continuous support. The above two projects were funded by Aide A L’Enfance Tibetaine, France.

2005-06 USHA Program completed:

All the activities proposed in the 2005-2006 USHA grant proposal have been successfully completed by May 2006. The program activities consisted of three main areas- Life Skill Training, Orientation and Support for BEP programme. In all, 25 students were assisted for pursuing higher studies, 2 staff members of Supreme Justice Commission, CTA, underwent 6 months legal training, 22 teachers were trained in preparation and use of low cost teaching aids; 30 final year students were taken for education cum exposure trip around Doon Valley. In collaboration with Tibetan Parliamentary & Policy Research Centre (TPPRC), New Delhi, Youth Leadership training was conducted for 35 college students at Dharamsala.

Basic Education Policy (BEP) Program Review Mission:

Dr. Min Bista, the main Consultant of Danish program visited DOE from 31st July to 4th August and had extensive discussion on the implementation of the BEP project with the DOE dealing staff members. The detailed annual action plan with budget estimates was finalized for the fiscal year 2006-2007. He also visited BEP Model School and the College of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah, where most of the trainings are held. The visit concluded with debriefing of mission outcome to the DOE Secretary. His professional expertise helped us to understand and implement the projects more competently.

Additional Secretary toured Tibetan schools in Nepal: -

Mr. Ngodup Dorjee, Additional Secretary of DOE visited Tibetan schools located in Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys between July 9-26. He had interaction with children and school authorities. A detailed report on the observation and recommendation was given to Snow Lion Foundation for follow up action. He also visited Vocational Training Centre complex located in Kathmandu to monitor its upkeep and maintenance. He held series of meeting with staff of Snow Lion Foundation and Jawalakhel Handicraft Centre on the future status of the Vocational Training Centre and how it could be best carried out.



Scholarship News
  1. From July 16 to 18, 2006, Mr. Derek Marshall, Chief Executive of Pestalozzi International Village Trust, East Sussex, UK conducted selection test for 2007 Pestalozzi Scholarships at Dharamsala. PIVT has been very generous for the past many years and especially this year for accepting four Tibetan students under its 2007 scholarship programme. The students selected are Mr. Thupten Palden, Mr. Karma Tsering, Ms Tenzin Zomkey from Upper Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala and Ms Yeshi Tsomo from Tibetan Children's Village, Gopalpur. They will leave for UK in August 2007 to undertake IB Diploma course at Hastings College of Arts and Technology.

  2. In July 2006, Mr. Pema Norbu was selected for 2006 Mahindra UWC scholarship, Pune and Mr. Tenzin Topchen for 2006 Atlantic UWC Scholarship, UK. Both are students of Upper Tibetan Children's Village School, Dharamsala and will undergo two-year International Baccalaureate course.

  3. In July 2006, the Department selected Mr. Tashi Namgyal and Ms Tenzin Wangmo for the 6-year Russian language scholarship at Ulan Ude University, Buryatia. The scholarships were received through Office of Tibet, Moscow.

  4. In August 2006, a group of 15 students left for United States under the Tibetan Scholarship Program for Degree and Non Degree courses.

  5. Mr. Tenzin Yeshi, Deputy Secretary, Scholarship section and Mr. Jamyang Wangyal, South Zone Counsellor visited college going students in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore for the period from September 9-23 and gave talks on DOE scholarship procedures, rules and regulations, selection process, self understanding, goal setting and interacted with the students to find out their concerns.


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