In a bid to sever their ties from Buddhist culture and to make them think of themselves as "Chinese" instead of Tibetan, China is separating children from their families in boarding schools, according to Tibet Action Institute report.
According to official data, approximately 8,00,000 Tibetan children between the age of 6 to 18 are living in colonial boarding schools. Parents are compelled to send their children to boarding schools due to a lack of alternatives and are unable to advocate for other options in Tibet's repressive environment, reported National Review magazine.
The Tibet Action Institute report also said that students are at risk of losing their mother tongue and connection to their cultural identity due to various reasons.
These reasons include: classes are primarily taught in Chinese, they live apart from their families and communities and are, therefore, unable to practice their religion or access the most authentic expressions of Tibetan culture and traditions and they (Children) are subjected to a highly politicized curriculum intended to make them identify as Chinese.
Researchers have shown Tibetan boarding school students to be experiencing great emotional and psychological distress, including extreme feelings of loneliness and isolation, as a result of being separated from their families, communities, and culture, said the reported cited by National Review.
Earlier, the Chinese authorities in Lhasa have banned the teaching of Tibetan language in the schools to implement President Xi's idea of "Tibetan Buddhism with Socialist Character".
Further, China has stopped the Tibetan medium at school levels and made Mandarin the only language of instruction. Now the diktat bans the teaching of basic Tibetan in private Tibetan schools, which are run with public efforts during non-school hours or during winter holidays according to PRG's Strategic Insight.
( With inputs from ANI )
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