Behind the facade: China accused of using schools to erase Tibetan identity

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 6 : China has opened a new state-run boarding school in Chone, eastern Tibet, for students in grades 4 to 6, touting it as a sign of development and educational progress.

Visuals shared on the social media platform WeChat by Chinese authorities on August 24 show gleaming classrooms, dormitories, and sports facilities. But behind the polished facade, rights groups and exile communities are sounding the alarm over what they call a disturbing trend of forced cultural assimilation, as reported by Phayul.

According to a recent report by the Tibet Action Institute (TAI), these institutions are part of a broader campaign by Beijing to undermine Tibetan identity by separating children from their families and immersing them in a Mandarin-dominated environment.

Titled "When They Came to Take Our Children", the July 2025 report details how children as young as four are being subjected to emotional and cultural isolation. As reported by Phayul, TAI accuses China of using education as a tool to sever ties between young Tibetans and their heritage.

The school targets children aged 9 to 12, a crucial stage in identity formation.

Experts warn that boarding life deprives children of daily contact with their parents, grandparents, and local community.

This separation disrupts the natural transmission of the Tibetan language, religion, and cultural values. Students reportedly begin to feel ashamed of their background and are discouraged from speaking Tibetan, even at home, as cited by Phayul.

UN Special Rapporteurs previously expressed concern over this issue, noting that while only 20% of Chinese students nationwide attend boarding schools, nearly all Tibetan children are forced into them.

In a 2023 statement, the UN warned of the long-term psychological damage caused by such policies, describing the situation as a systematic effort to reshape Tibetan identity.

While China markets these facilities as progress, critics argue they are instruments of state-sponsored cultural erasure.

As highlighted by Phayul, the international community is being urged to take urgent action. "Beneath the shiny surfaces", TAI warns, "lies a strategy to eliminate an entire way of life."

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