Modern Education in New Tibet

1.Creation of Modern Education (1951-1958)

　　The CPC Central Committee headed by Chairman Mao Zedong paid much attention to Tibetan education. Even on the eve of the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, it worked out a special policy to help Tibet develop its economy, culture and education. In October 1950, Qamdo won liberation, and in March 1951 the Qamdo Primary School was set up, the first to introduce modern education in Tibetan history.
　　 On May 23, 1951, the Central Government of the People's Republic of China and the local government of Tibet signed the 17-article Agreement on the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. Article 9 of the agreement stipulated: "The spoken and written language and school education fo the Tibetan nationality shall be developed step by step in accordance with the actual conditions in Tibet." In August 1952, the Lhasa Primary School was set up with Zhang Guohua, then commander of the PLA Tibetan Military Region, serving as its board chairman and honorary headmaster. Chijiang Lobsang Yexei, assistant sutra teacher of the Dalai Lama, was its headmaster. This was followed by the establishment of a group of new-type primary schools in Xigaze, Chagyab, Bome, Nyingchi and Ngari. In April 1956, the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region was eatablished. Under it was the Cultural Education Department in charge of educational work for the whole of Tibet. This marked an end to the past history when Tibet had no specialized educational adminstrative organ. September 1956 saw the establishment of the Lhasa Middle School, the first of its kind in Tibet. By June 1957, there were 98 public primary schools with 6,360 pupils and one junior middle school in Tibet. In addition, two middle school classes were set up in a primary school, with a total enrollment of 700 students.
　　 In the second half of 1957, following Central Government instruction to readjust, consolidate and enhance the equality of the school education, the 98 primary schools were reduced to 13 with relatively better conditions and 3,460 pupils.
　　 This period of time saw the co-existence of the old and new political powers, two military forces and two educational systems in Tibet. Separatists in the upper echelon of the ruling class who hated to see the promotion of education in Tibet asserted that "Tibet was in short of labor power; children going to school would interfere with production" and "lead to the reduction of the number of lamas." They spread rumors to undermine school education, and even beat those who continued to go to school. As a result, the faculty with the Lhasa Primary School had to escort all students to and from school every day.
　　 All the new schools were financed by the Central Government. All students enjoyed scholarship. Orphans who had formerly wandered the streets were arranged to live in the school dorm. There was no age limitation nor basic educational requirement, with the eldest pupil aged 50 and the youngest 12. They came from noble, official or business families. Some were serfs or servants sent by lamas and nobles to study in place of their children.
　　 During this period, the newly created people's education undertakings were consolidated and developed under the extremely difficult and complicated conditions largely because of the introduction of a policy suitable to Tibet's situation, and new management and teaching methods utterly different from the old ones. Many pupils who originally studied in private schools transferred to the new public schools, and those learning in foreign countries returned.
　　 During the time when the Tibetan people's education was being established, the Central Government had all along given priority to nurturing Tibetan cadres. For this purpose, various cadre training courses were held in Lhasa and elsewhere. Before long, the Tibetan Cadre College, the Xianyan Public College, and the Tibetan Communist Youth League School were set up. They trained about 10,000 cadres of Tibetan and other ethnic groups, greatly promoting the development of work in all circles.

2. Flourishing Development of Modern Education(1959-1965)

　　In 1959, when an armed rebellion launched by separatists in the upper echelon of Tibetan ruling class was crushed, Democratic Reform was launched to uproot feudal serfdom. Serfs and slaves gained their freedom and were given farmland and domestic animals. These changes greatly aroused people's enthusiasm for education. As the existing schools could no longer meet the growing demand, the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibetan Autonomous Region reopened the public schools suspended in 1957 and worked out the principle to encourage the development mainly of no-governmental schools while running public schools and subsidizing those run by the collective. The Tibetans were encouraged to run schools with funds they had raised. In 1965, when the Tibetan Autonomous Region was founded, Tibet boasted 87 public primary schools, and 1,735 non-governmental schools, with 66,781 pupils in total; four middle schools with enrollment of 1,059; one secondary teacher's school-the Lhasa Teacher's School; and Tibet's first institution of higher learning-the Tibetan Nationality College. Besides, there were nine nurseries and kindergartens with 700 children.
　　 Under the government principle to steadily develop Tibetan education, unprecedented achievements were made. A basic education system-composed of kindergartens, primary and middle schools, technical secondary schools, colleges and universities, adult colleges and local-cadre training courses- took its initial shape.
　　 The schools were very flexible and varied from full-time, half-day, every other day, off-season, winter, evening, and moving forms. Those aged six to 20 could study. The schools were normally small in size, and there were a great many of them. They made full use of local conditions and invited local educated people to teach. Students studied mainly Tibetan language. Some schools also had arithmetic and politics in their curriculum. Funds needed by non-government schools were partly raised from among the local people, partly earned by the pupils and partly subsidized by the state. In state-run primary school, about 10 percent of the poverty-stricken pupils with good scores were able to get state scholarships. In addition, 40 percent of the middle school students and all children from the families of farmers and herdsmen living in border areas could enjoy state scholarship. Students learning at the teacher’s schools enjoyed free meals, clothing and accommodation.
　　 During this period, Tibetan education developed apace. However, the educational quality was low and school conditions were poor. In 1962, all schools in Tibet defined their target on education-“improving conditions of existing schools and training more teachers, especially those of Tibetan nationality.” In 1965, Tibet held its first conference on education to sum up experience for further improvement in the quality of school education.

3. Tibetan Education: Difficulties and Recovery (1966-1986)

　　During the 10-year “cultural revolution” (1966-76), Tibetan education also suffered great damage. Schools were suspended, with students travelling to other parts of Tibet to make revolution and classrooms occupied for other purposes. Teachers were criticized and repudiated. Once flourishing education undertakings faced disaster.
　　 However, in 1974, the State Education Commission sent many inland teachers to Tibet. There, they joined Tibetan teachers in making contributions to educational development.
　　 In 1976, the “cultural revolution” was over. Tibet’s educational sector began to get back on track. School order was gradually restored. In the autumn of 1977, Tibet for the first time introduced examinations for enrollment in colleges and middle schools. The quality of education began to improve. In 1979, the Education Commission of the people’s government of the Tibet Autonomous Region surveyed all schools, and, on this basis, worked out three plans for readjustment of primary and middle schools and institutions of higher learning, involving their distribution, size and construction. In March 1980, the CPC Central Committee held a work conference on Tibetan education. It was decided during the conference that efforts be made to gradually develop primary school education, eliminate illiteracy and make Tibetan language a compulsory subject for students of Han and Tibetan nationalities. It was also decided to transform all non-governmental primary schools into state-run ones, and establish more junior and senior middle schools, and compile and print textbooks in Tibetan. Under the strategic guiding principle for the development of Tibetan education, by the end of 1983, school conditions had improved, primary education was strengthened, and the quality of teaching and learning increased. A great number of relatively qualified schools emerged.
　　 During this period, the Central Government and the local government of Tibet gave much preferential treatment to Tibetan education, including tuition waiver for primary school pupils in cities and towns, and free food, clothing and accommodation for pupils living in the border areas. The people’s government of the Tibet Autonomous Region gave additional grain totaling 3-5 million kg to pupils as a subsidy. From 1980 to 1984, the Central Government earmarked more than 1.8 million yuan for the training of 2,224 teachers and 218 management carders. At the same time, teacher’s colleges in inland China helped train 1,500 teachers. Tibet’s colleges and technical secondary schools mainly absorbed students of Tibetan and other ethnic groups, and the Tibetan language, history, medicine and arts were added to the curriculum.
　　 The readjustment and reform revitalized Tibetan education. But, due to unfavorable factors, some problems were not eliminated.

4. The Steady and Healthy Development of Modern Education (1987-Present).

　　The State Council held the second conference on aiding Tibetan education in September 1987 in Beijing. The conference held that Tibetan education developed at a rate lower than that of China’s inland areas. Major reason behind this lied in the shortage of talented people. It was decided during the conference that eight aid projects with a total investment of 60 million yuan be undertaken in Tibet. The conference adopted the plan on Inland Aid to Tibetan Education. In November of the same year, the Communist Party Committee and the people’s government of the Tibet Autonomous Region jointly held the third education conference, which adopted the following principles: “Stressing primary education, giving priority to priority to the training of teachers, consolidating and enhancing college and university education, and actively developing vocational and adult education.” The conference called for efforts to absorb other nationalities’ experiences on running schools as well as advanced science and technology; integrate inheriting and carrying forward Tibetan traditions with learning advanced experience of the others in an organic way, thus creating a new way of running schools with distinct Tibetan characteristics. All these are aimed at accelerating the pace of Tibetan education,, promoting Tibet’s economic development and preparing talented persons for the economic flourishing expected in the early 21st century. The conference also worked out special methods for the implementation of the plan on Tibet’s educational structure reform.
　　 The reform principles adopted during the above-mentioned two conferences proved to be correct and conformed with the actual conditions in Tibet. Therefore, both the fourth and fifth Tibetan conference in 1993 and 1994 on education reaffirmed the principles of “stressing primary education, giving priority to the training of teachers, consolidating and enhancing college and university education, and actively developing vocational and adult education.” In March 1993, the State Council entrusted the State Education Commission to hold a work conference on aid to Tibetan education. The conference focused on ways and means for further development of Tibetan education. It worked out the principle that strenuous efforts should be made to help develop Tibetan education for a considerable period of time and in a gradual way. It affirmed a systematized approach for inland areas to contract to aid Tibet. It also called for efforts to do a good job of Tibetan classes in the hinterland. Meanwhile, the State Planning Commission, the Finance Ministry, and the State Education Commission jointly earmarked 41 million yuan in aid of Tibetan education, and planned to train all people involved in educational management and middle school headmasters in various prefectures, cities and counties.
　　 The loving care of the Central Government, the huge support from the people throughout China and efforts made by the people’s government of the Tibet Autonomous Region guaranteed conditions necessary for Tibet to develop education. In the past 10 years following the second conference on aid to Tibetan education, Tibetan education enjoyed steady, healthy, sustained and fast development. During this period, education was elevated to a more important position, and aroused more attention of leaders at all levels. Respect for teachers and advocating education became a social fashion. People became aware that science and education bring about economic growth. Various business and social circles began to show their concern and support to education. Meanwhile, all education-related rules and regulations were perfected, and educational organs readjusted, making them more suited to Tibet’s economic and social conditions. Tibetan education has become mature as it mingles Tibet’s traditional characteristics with a modern flavor.
　　 Statistics show that, by the end of 1995, Tibet had 3,950 primary schools with 258,651 pupils, or 70 percent of the school-age children in formal education; 89 middle schools, with 33,009 students; 16 technical secondary schools, with 5,730 students; four colleges and universities, with 3,736 students. Besides, there were 750 students learning at other job-training schools, 100,000 adults on cultural and technical courses, 10,000 children in kindergartens, and 10,222 Tibetans attending schools in inland areas. The total work force engaged in education totaled 21,000. Eighty percent of them were Tibetans and people of other ethnic groups. School conditions were greatly improved. Each school had its own classrooms. Every student had a chair and a desk. All schools had basic teaching equipment and facilities. There were 100 educational satellite ground stations in various prefectures and couties of Tibet. Computers, TV sets and audio-videos have made way into classrooms. The drop-out rate in primary schools has dwindled and the graduation rate increased.
　　 Tibet’s educational development has improved the cultural quality of the Tibetans, and increased the scientific and technological level of the economic sector in Tibet; and promoted cultural and ethical progress in the autonomous region. Educated youths, imbued with new ideology, have cut a brilliant figure in the development of commodity economy. This has enriched the vitality of Tibet.