Dharamsala: The Department of Education of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in collaboration with Pestalozzi International Village Trust (PIVT) is conducting a selection tests for Tibetan students to study International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma course at Sussex Coast College, Hastings UK. Ms. Margaret Alexander, Student Program Manager is here to conduct the selection tests. The test is underway at the Lhakpa Tsering Memorial Conference Hall of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR). And the test comprises of English Reading & Listening skills, Science, Mathematics, English written tests and individual interviews. It will go on from July 19-22, 2011. This test is held every year in the month of July.

This year, there are 31 students from 10 different Tibetan schools across India. Pestalozzi has been offering scholarships for Tibetan refugee students since 1963 where the first batch of 22 students from southern Tibetan settlements in India received an opportunity to study there. This department has been closely associated with the Pestalozzi for a very long time. The good news is the students who are leaving Pestalozzi this year have received full funded scholarship places at Ivy League universities in the US; they are Ms. Thupten Dolma – Stanford University and Mr. Sangay Yeshi – Drew University. And Mr. Tenzin Tenpa has secured his scholarship at Jacobs University, Germany.

Ms. Margaret Alexander comments “It is a great opportunity to be able to offer PIVT scholarships to young people from the Tibetan community. We hope that they will use the skills they develop to benefit not only their own communities but for the development of the world as a whole. I look forward to working with and helping the 5 Tibetan students chosen for our 2011 scholarships.”