A report by the Tibet Action Institute claims that China’s boarding schools are indoctrinating Tibetan children as young as four, leading to cultural erasure and psychological harm.
A recent report by the Tibet Action Institute has raised serious concerns about China’s state-run boarding schools in Tibet, alleging that these institutions are systematically indoctrinating Tibetan children as young as four years old.
The report claims that the Chinese government is using these schools to erode Tibetan culture, language, and identity, effectively assimilating Tibetan children into the dominant Han Chinese culture.
According to the report, the Chinese government has established a vast network of boarding schools across Tibet, where children are separated from their families and communities.
In these schools, instruction is primarily in Mandarin Chinese, and the curriculum emphasizes Chinese history and Communist Party ideology, including “Xi Jinping Thought.”
The report cites interviews with Tibetans who have fled to India, describing the psychological and emotional trauma experienced by children due to forced separation and cultural assimilation.
The Chinese government has denied these allegations, asserting that the boarding schools are intended to provide quality education to children in remote areas.
Xu Zhitao, vice chair of the Tibet region’s government, stated in 2023 that the curriculum includes Tibetan language and culture, and that the schools aim to improve educational access and human rights in Tibet
The report calls on the international community to urge the Chinese government to abolish the boarding school system and to conduct a public investigation into the alleged abuses and mental health concerns of Tibetan children in these institutions.
