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Tibetan School
Indo Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute
“Our lives are like bubbles on the surface of water. People can be inspired by action. If they see something is happening they can start to give. If you work hard in the right way the effects will spread like light.” Dhardo Rinpoche
There are now estimated to be 100,000 Tibetans who have made the long arduous trek over the Himalayas into India, to live in exile. Those fleeing the oppression and terror of the Chinese authorities hope and dream of a better life for themselves and their children. For many Tibetans in exile the ITBCI is the realization of this better life. The school offers two hundred students (including seventy boarders) the chance of an education. The minimal fees mean that even the very poorest families can send their children to school to benefit from a good education.
In the classroom, students learn maths, English, science, geography, history, and IT. In addition to this, the school curriculum has a strong emphasis on Tibetan culture and language. Students regularly learn and perform traditional dances, plays and songs.
The fusion of cultures is obvious throughout the school; it is a melting pot of all things- traditional, modern, Indian and Tibetan. It is especially evident in the school playground, where a combination of several of languages including Tibetan, English and Hindi can be heard. While one group of children practice the ancient Tibetan dances to celebrate the Shoton Festival, another group kick around a football and dream of David Beckham and in another corner of the playgrounds students’ gossip about their favourite Bollywood movie stars. This cultural balancing act is the most special part of the school; The Dalai Lama recently described the Tibetan people as ‘global citizens’ and Tibetan culture as ‘global culture’. The students of this school enjoy their citizenship of the world.