‘Nurture children as seeds and resources of future Tibet’

[Monday, 1 February 2010, 12:36 p.m.]

Health Kalon Paljor Tsering Chope gives the valedictory address at the three-day conference on inclusive education for the heads of Tibetan schools near Dharamsala, India, on 30 January 2010

Dharamshala: Health
Kalon Paljor Tsering Chope on Saturday addressed the closing session of
the three-day inclusive education for heads of Tibetan schools, calling
on the teachers to appreciate and nurture the capabilities of Tibetan
children to keep alive the existence of Tibet.Administrators
from 22 Tibetan schools based in North India deliberated on inclusive
education, focussing on identifying barriers to learning and
participation, giving particular attention to the needs of children
with difficulties or disabilities and encouraging participation and
working together in schools to make learning more enjoyable for
children. The department of education organised the conference with the
help of funding by Danish International Development Assistance.Describing
the teachers as architects of nation’s foundation, Kalon Paljor Tsering
said the Tibetan teachers have a big responsibility to make their
children advance in achieving specialisation in various academic fields.For Tibet to survive, the Tibetans should build a strong foundation of education in our schools, he added.Speaking
of inclusive education from the Buddhist perspective, he said teachers
must take special take care of children with mental and physical
disabilities to include them as part of the whole.The teachers must examine and evaluate both the mental and physical capabilities of children, he said.He
urged the Tibetan teachers to keep up their spirit of courage and
determination, and to remind themselves of their bounden duty for
Tibet’s cause. Attributing the efforts of teachers toward enhancing the
collective merit of Tibet, he appealed to the teachers to put more
efforts in making Tibetan children proud of being Tibetan.

Education
Officer Tsering Phuntsok said the participants and resource person
discussed issues and challenges in implementing inclusive education in
Tibetan schools, and to make the schools supportive and inclusive to
all the children.He expressed hope that the participants will
transform whatever they have learned into concrete action to strengthen
and improve Tibetan schools.Thanking educationalist Nicola
Tansley for imparting clear, informative and meaningful knowledge on
inclusive education, some of the participants share their feelings and
experiences gained during the workshop. Mr. Druk Tsering, the
principal of TCV school at Selakui near Dehradun, said the training
would definitely inspire  the school administrators to become more
rational in listening to and becoming responsible to children’s
feelings and needs.We are deeply touched by Nicola Tansley’s
enthusiasm and wisdom. She (Nicola) has let us into special kind of
realm, and we can transform and make big difference in making our
schools more inclusive to our children, another participant said. He
said the training would help the school administrators in overcoming
the barriers, and to help children developed into good human beings.Reminding
the Tibetan teachers that children are in their most important stage
when they are in schools, Nicola said the teachers are like heart of
their hope.Describing children as future resources of a nation,
Nicola expressed hope that the training will help the Tibetan teachers
to nurture them in healthy and positive ways.Health Kalon Paljor Tsering presented certificates to all the participants.