Ms. Chokey Lhamo, East Zone Counselor visited Central School for Tibetans at Tezu and Miao from February 10-19. She spent 4 days in each school and covered topics ranging from importance of goal setting to career exploration etc., and provided classroom guidance and counseling to the 168 students of classes IV to VIII of both schools.  She provided individual counseling to students who were either referred by teachers or those who voluntarily came to see her. In the course of her visit, she was also able to guide the Teacher Counselors in carrying out their work.
Ms. Chokey Lhamo also provided counseling to parents and residents of Dargyeling Tibetan Settlement, Tezu on February 9. She counseled the parents on matters of child discipline, how to nurture a child, importance of parent's role in child education etc. She also informed parents on the scholarships provided by the Department of Education and provided a copy of the latest scholarship announcement to the settlement office for better outreach.
Mr. Jamyang Wangyal, South Zone Counselor is on visit to the Tibetan settlements at Bylakuppe, Hunsur and Kollegal to provide counseling to students, parents and other residents of these settlements.

The school is located near Kullu airport at Bhuntar, about 50 kms from Manali and Mandi town. The Department of Education purchased the land & school buildings to provide boarding facility to the children of Tibetan community scattered in and around Manali and Kullu. Inaugurated by Education Kalon, Thupten Lungrig on July 16, 2002, the school started with 43 students and 14 staff members with the shifting of Classes VI to VIII from CST Manali.  Mr. Kunchok Tsering, the first Principal initiated the school affiliation to the Central Board for Secondary Education and was formally accorded affiliation in 2004 during the tenure of second Principal Mr. Tsering Thundup.

Bhuntar School Building

Presently there are 130 students with 24 teaching and non-teaching staff in the school. The school has good infrastructure facilities with well equipped science laboratory, computer laboratory with broadband Internet, mathematics laboratory, audio-visual laboratory, library, resource room, games and sports room, music and dance room, well-furnished hostels for both boys and girls, prayer hall, dispensary with four-bedded isolation room, a standard basket court, football ground, badminton court, volley ball court, handball court, a canteen with pay phone booth and a swimming pool.        
                                             

Special programmes on Sunday mornings being arranged to listen to H.H. the Dalai Lama’s speech through public address system in the hostels. The spiritual & cultural teacher arranges meditation, explanation of prayer texts and dialectics teaching/practices. Remedial teaching is being arranged for academically slow learners. Monthly spelling test, essay writing and reading practice both in English and Tibetan have been introduced from the current session (2009). The school has student cabinet since 2006 and hold monthly meetings. Students practice yoga and asans every morning. The school has an organic kitchen garden and vermi-compost. Students are kept updated on Tibetan related issues through CDs and Internet.

Twenty-four students of Sambhota Tibetan High School, Bhuntar appeared for the first time in the All India Secondary School Examination (Class X) in March 2007 with pass percentage of 79.17 %. In the year 2008, twenty-nine students appeared and the pass percentage was 89.66%. In the Class X Board examination held in March 2009, thirty-six students have appeared in the examination.
     
The present Principal Mr. Tsering Dhondup took charge of the school since Feb. 2005.
                  

The first volume: 'Glossary of Standardised Terms' produced by Tibetan Terminology Project (TTP) is also being distributed. Interested persons can avail free copies from the Publication Section of Department of Education. Critical views and comments are most welcome.

1. BEP Project Mission: The 5th BEP project mission was undertaken by Mr. Leo H. Knudsen, Senior Consultant (CICED) in collaboration with DOE from March 5-24. The objective of the mission was to discuss the current status of the Basic Education Policy (BEP) project components highlighting the tasks undertaken, the results of the Joint Review Mission during October 22– 23, 2008 and the extension of the Danish support to education for the Tibetans in exile beyond 2010.
2. Leadership and Educational Management Workshop: A 3-day workshop on “Leadership and Educational Management” was conducted at LTWA conference hall from March 12-14 as a part of capacity building of DoE staff. Mr. Peter Ulholm (University College – UCC, Copenhagen) was invited as resource person and it went successful with the participation of 11 DOE officials. We thank the Danish government and CICED for supporting this project.
3. Tibetan Land Program 2006-08: The Tibetan Land Program 2006-2008 consisting a 2-year teacher training program, database development, teacher exchange and south zone focused career counselling supported by SIDA/SMC through SOIR/IM was completed in December 2008. The program was continuation of the earlier Tibetan Land Programs during the period 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These programs have immensely helped DOE to strengthen and consolidate its educational programmes. We thank IM and others for the support.
4. School Clinic project: The SOIR-IM has been providing for the last many years supplementary fund for medical and health related expenses to six Tibetan schools - CST Dalhousie, CST Poanta, CST Mundgod, CST Shimla, CST Darjeeling and CST Kalimpong. The assistance was further increased in 2008. We thank SOIR/IM for   their continued assistance over the years in the development of education in the exiled Tibetan community.
5.  TAWS and TRUST support for DoE projects: The TAWS and TRUST under the Department of Finance, CTA supported four DOE projects viz. school playground development project (STS Bhuntar and TSTS Gangtok), introduction of computer education in primary schools (CST Manali, CST Puruwala, Petoen School, STS Shillong, CST Bir, STS Pokhriabong), Expansion of STS Gangkyi Day School and scholarship for twenty college going students in the FY 2008. Except two projects all the projects were successfully implemented and completed in March 2009. We thank TAWS and TRUST for supporting these projects.
6. Tibet Charity supported Activities:       We are thankful to Tibet Charity, Dharamsala refurbishing Creche Centre at Tezu Tibetan Settlement, renovating kitchen at Tenzingang school kitchen which has now been completed.

1. Annual DOE Scholarship for the year 2009 with last date of submission of application on June 10.
2. Atlantic United World College and Mahindra United World College scholarships for International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Course for one seat each with application deadline on June 10.
3. Songtsen Scholarship for 10 students with application deadline on June 10.
4. Rai Foundation Scholarship for needy girls with last date on June 1.
5. The Tibet Fund Scholarship for Professional Studies, a supplemental scholarship support for the ongoing professional degree students and those who already receive scholarship from other sources with last application deadline May 31. This programme is being initiated in conjunction with its 50 years in exile project, a yearlong public awareness campaign to commemorate 50th anniversary of the Tibetan diaspora and preservation of Tibetan identity and culture in exile.
6. Laxmi Memorial Education Trust (R) has awarded 30% fee concession for Tibetan students in some under-graduate courses in their institutions for this year.