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Dalai Lama praises India's help: Tibetan children's education

Times of India

The Dalai Lama has expressed his appreciation of the generous help given by the Government of India in making educational facilities available to Tibetan children.

In a message to the Tibetan Schools Society, which has brought out a report of its activities, the Dalai Lama has said: “The report helps one to see and understand clearly how, with great sympathy and affection, the Government of India has provided educational facilities for our refugee children. To serve the cause of humanity or to serve one’s nation and people or to seek happiness in life, education is indispensable. Therefore, the Government of India’s generous help in making available education facilities, so that our children may pursue such ideals, will always be remembered by every Tibetan with deepest gratitude.”

The report is divided into six chapters that contains an exhaustive account of efforts made by the Government of India for the education of Tibetan children. A part of the report is devoted to the general rehabilitation of Tibetans in India, in which the efforts made by the Ministry of External Affairs are enumerated.

The Tibetan Schools Society spent Rs. 48,63,000 on the education of Tibetan refugee children in India during 1964-65. An additional sum of Rs. 10,000 was spent on adult education.

In all, there are seven residential schools with 4,276 students on the rolls, seven day schools with 1,250 students and six grants-in-aid schools with 321 students. There are five transit schools at Leh with 250 students who sould later be transferred to the residential schools. According to the statistics made available by the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, there are approximately 7,000 Tibetan refugee children in India.

The students of the residential schools are given free food, clothing, lodging, text-books and stationery. The schools also have provision for medical aid. Each residential school has a permanent staff nurse and a part-time medical officier attached to it.

In each residential school there is one Headmaster, who is an Indian national employed by the Government of India, and a Tibetan Principal nominated by the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Besides, the society employs Tibetan teachers for teaching religion and the Tibetan language and Indian teachers for teaching secular subjects thorugh the medium of English. Most of the teachers are trained graduates.

Special emphasis is laid on vocational training of students so that they come out of the school prepared for a definite career. The students are taught gardening, knitting and basket weaving and other arts.

In order to make the students feel that they are wanted, loved and protected, and also to create a feeling of individual recognition among them, a number of foster parents are appointed in each residential school. In all, they are 55. The duty of the foster parents is to provide parental affection and love for these children, to wash them, clean them and create a homely feeling amongst them.

The report recently published by the Tibetan School Society carries a foreword by Mr. M. C. Chagla, Union Minister of Education, who is also Chairman of the Society.

Referring to the efforts made by the Society, since its institution in 1959 to deal with the problem of Tibetan refugees, Mr. Chagla says: “A good deal has already been done, although much more still remains. The experience gained by the working of the society so far, however, indicates that the foundation for solving this problem has been well and truly laid, and with the help and co-operation of all those who are interested in humanitarian work, i am sure, rapid progress will be made in providing education of a fairly satisfactory standard to all the children who have crossed over from Tibet to India since 1959.”

Copyright © 1965 The Times of India

Published in The Times of India