Basic Education Policy Aims for Awakening of Human Intelligence: Kalon Tripa[Tuesday, 21 July 2011, 2:38 p.m.]
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| Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche addressing Tibetan students during a month-long teacher training on the Basic Education Policy at the College of Higher Tibetan Studies at Sarah near Dharamsala on 20 June 2011 |
DHARMSHALA:
What is the meaning of education and what is its purpose? How much the
Basic Education Policy for Tibetans in Exile has benefited the Tibetan
community? A group of 20 students graduating from the Central
University of Tibetan Studies (CUTS) posed these questions to Kalon
Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche at the ongoing teacher training at the College
of Higher Tibetan Studies at Sarah near Dharamsala yesterday. The
training is being jointly organised by the Department of Education and
CUTS.Kalon Tripa said the purpose of education is to awaken and
develop the innate human intelligence and wisdom so that goodness can
flower.In contrast to the modern education system, the
traditional education focuses on the qualities of the teachers such as
motivation, moral attitude and teaching methodology, he said.Kalon
Tripa said the teachers can play a very vital role in educating the
children from the primary level to class III in order to free their
mind from conditioning. “The quality of motivation build into a child’s
mind by a teacher right from the primary level determines the onset of
a big change. The great difference between the traditional and modern
education systems results from how a child is educated in developing
its discriminative and creative mind,” he said.
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| Participants listen to Kalon Tripa’s talk |
“In
this regard, the Basic Education Policy for Tibetans in Exile strives
towards natural awakening and developing the wisdom and intelligence
from young age,” Kalon Tripa said.Kalon Tripa said one of the
main objectives of the education policy is to firmly build the sense of
being a Tibetan with its unique traits of rich culture and tradition.Kalon
Tripa said it is difficult to say how the education policy has
benefited the Tibetan community. He said various factors, such as
crunch of qualified staff, teachers and other essential infrastructure,
impedes the effective implementation of the education policy. One the
of main factors, Kalon Tripa, said was the difference of thinking and
aspirations of the parents from what the education policy envisages.
But it our firm conviction that the education policy is an important
positive step, he said. If the principles of this policy is fully and
effectively implemented, we believe it will produce a person endowed
with qualities of “freedom, altruism, upholding the heritage and
innovation”.A questioner asked Kalon Tripa, would Tibetans lag
behind others if they stick to the traditional education system? “The
values preached by our traditional Tibetan system have helped Tibetans
gain a unique recognition in exile for the last more than 50 years.
Statistically, over 700 Buddhist learning centres have developed in
more than 60 countries across Latin America, North America, Africa,
Europe, Asia, Russia and Mongolia. People across the globe invite
Tibetan scholars to teach Buddhist values. So we are not lagging behind
others. Aren’t we?,” Kalon Tripa said.”The ongoing training for
college students which began July last year at the Central University
of Tibetan Studies is being organised in accordance with the Kashag’s
guidance. It aims to cultivate Tibetan teachers specialised in Basic
Education policy,” Mr Tsering Samdup, an official of the education
department, said in its introductory remarks.“A series of
interactive sessions on the education policy, dialectics, Tibetan
history, non-violence, Middle-Way policy of the Central Tibetan
Administration, Tibet’s environmental issues and inclusive education
would be conducted during the training,” he said.“The
participants would be taken for visits to Mevon Peton School [first
Tibetan model school to implement basic education policy] and TCV at
Gopalpur, so that they could see the difference in the education
system,” he added.The training will conclude on 8 July.
