Workshop on Basic Education Policy Underway

Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok, secretary of the Department of Education, addresses Tibetan primary teachers at the opening day of the fourth workshop on 'Basic Education Policy' of the Central Tibetan Administration, organised by the education department, at Sarah, near Dharamshala, on 13 August 2008

Dharamshala: Thirty-four Tibetan primary teachers from schools administered by the Central Tibetan Schools' Administration, Tibetan Children's Village school, Tibetan Homes Foundation in Mussoorie and Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society, are attending workshop on 'Basic Education Policy' (BEP) at the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah.

It is the fourth workshop on the BEP organised by the Department of Education of the Central Tibetan Administration, which began 13 August.

Ven Yuthok Karma Gelek, secretary of education department, Ven Jampal Dakpa, principal of College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah and Tsering Samdup, education officer, presided over the opening day of the workshop.

Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, Mr Thubten Lungrig, kalon for the Department of Education and Education Secretary Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok, will deliver key-note address on the basic education policy.

Dr Ramu Manivannan, professor at the University of Madras and Ms Nicola Tansliy, inclusive education consultant from UK, will speak on education principles, methods of teaching and overall aspects of education.

The participants will hear from Acharya Karma Monlam, joint secretary of the education department, on the Middle-Way Approach and principles of non-violence.

Besides, they will also learn the importance of learning dialectics and its teaching methodologies and traditional Tibetan games.

In the morning session, the participants will attend a daily one-and-half-hour Yoga and Pranayam from 6 - 7:30 a.m. Documentary films related to education will be shown in the evening session.

After reviewing the state of Tibetan education in exile, the education department formulated the basic education policy, which was approved by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in September 2004.

The basic education policy serves the actual needs of the exile Tibetans in preserving the traditional Tibetan values and culture and may also serve as a basis for the education policy of future Tibet.

Under this policy, from the pre-primary level and up to class III, no other language besides Tibetan shall be taught and the teaching of second and third languages shall be started from class four and class six respectively.

Besides Mevon Tsugla Peton School, a model school, which undertakes full implementation of the BEP, some 12 other schools of the Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society, an autonomous body funded by the Education Department, has already introduced this policy at pre-primary and primary stages.

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