2. Education and Human Capital

    The government of the Tibet Autonomous Region attaches great importance to the establishment of an education system, with a view of spreading technology and culture as well as increasing the value of human capital. By the end of 2008, Tibet had 1,017 schools of various kinds at all levels, including 884 primary schools, 117 regular secondary schools, ten secondary technical schools, and six colleges and universities. Now, an education system with local characteristics has taken shape, covering education for preschool children, primary and secondary education, higher education, vocational education and adult education (see Table 2 and Figure 12). Before the democratic reform, education was monopolized by monasteries. Only some 2,000 monks and children of noble lineage were studying at government-funded schools and private schools, which shut their doors on the average farmers and herdsman.

    The illiteracy rate in Tibet was 95% before the democratic reform. To enhance the educational level and scientific and cultural qualities of the Tibetan people, the local government has increased spending on the establishment of an elementary education system, and made great efforts to eliminate illiteracy in young and middle-aged population. By the end of 2008, all 73 counties in the region had completed the task of "making six-year compulsory education available to all school-age children," with a 100% coverage rate. Some 311,800 students were studying in primary schools, and the enrollment rate was 98.5%. Seventy counties had realized the goal of "making nine-year compulsory education available to all school-age children," with a 90.2% coverage rate. The number of students studying in junior high schools reached 139,900, with an enrollment rate of 92.2%. The number of students receiving senior high school education is on the rise, as 44,600 students are now studying in senior high schools, with an enrollment rate of 51.2%. At present, the local population receives an average 6.3 years of education. For adults without school education, especially those under the age of 50, literacy courses and evening classes are provided, reducing the illiteracy rate to under 2.4% (see Fig. 13).

    In 2008, 29,409 students were studying at four-year colleges and universities and three-year junior colleges. With an enrollment rate of 19.7%, the region saw steady development in higher education, which has been enlarged in scale and significantly improved in teaching quality.

    The first secondary technical school in Tibet opened in 1959. By the end of 2008 there were around ten technical schools, with 21,000 students. Higher technical education in Tibet started during the period of the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), and has been enjoying rapid development ever since. Now there are over 5,000 students studying in higher technical schools in Tibet.

    With substantial support from the central government, all of Tibet's 74 counties have undertaken to establish training bases for workers and farmers. In light of the needs of the labor market in Tibet, training courses in practical skills and techniques are also offered to farmers and herdsmen, covering areas such as farming, animal husbandry and mechanical maintenance. Training courses are also offered to surplus laborers from farming and pastoral areas for their future employment. In 2008, some 255,000 farmers and herdsmen across Tibet took part in such training courses, greatly improving the quality of the local labor force. In addition to improvements in the local education system, Tibetan students also enjoy opportunities to study in inland areas. Since 1985, the accumulated investment in Tibetan education from 18 provinces and cities in the inland areas has reached 576 million yuan. More than 300 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools have been rebuilt in all 74 counties. Since 1985, classes and schools for Tibetan students have been set up in 20 provinces (cities) across the nation, covering education from junior high schools to colleges and universities. By the end of 2007, there were 28 schools in China with classes for Tibetan students, including 19 junior high schools, seven senior high schools and two teacher training schools.

    In addition, 53 inland senior high schools accept Tibetan students, and over 90 inland colleges and universities now admit high school graduates from Tibetan classes. The inland junior high school Tibetan classes have an accumulated enrollment of 36,000 persons, and have fostered 18,000 qualified personnel for Tibet.[14]

    While modern education flourishes, Tibet has always paid special attention to education in the Tibetan language. As clearly stipulated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, the right of ethnic minorities to use and develop their own languages is protected and guaranteed. Regulations of the Tibet Autonomous Region on the Study, Use and Development of the Tibetan Language (2002 Revision) once again strengthened the legal status of the Tibetan language in education in Tibet. By the end of 2006, a total of 880 primary schools and 1,351 teaching institutions offered bilingual courses in Chinese and Tibetan, with 310,000 students, accounting for 95.60% of the total number of students in Tibet's primary schools. Moreover, 117 secondary schools offered bilingual courses, with over 110,000 junior high school and 28,000 senior high school students, accounting for 94.62% and 85.96% of the total number of junior and senior high school students, respectively. In the local teaching force, 15,523 teachers are bilingual. As an ordinary institution of higher learning, the Tibetan Traditional Medical College uses three models in bilingual teaching, with 589 students. In elementary and secondary education, both the Tibetan and Chinese languages are compulsory courses for Tibetan students; such courses are offered from grade one in primary school to grade three in senior high school. In the college entrance exam, the two languages are also subjects of examination, whose scores are taken 50% respectively into the final score.[15]

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]