The Chinese government has intensified its crackdown on private educational institutions that promote Tibetan language and culture, as part of a broader effort to suppress the fundamental rights of Tibetans. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, the Jigme Gyaltsen Vocational High School, linked to Ragya Monastery in Qinghai province, eastern Tibet, was shut down by authorities in July 2024.
The Human Rights Watch report emphasized the school’s esteemed three-decade history of teaching Tibetan language and culture alongside the Chinese national curriculum. This dual approach equipped students with modern vocational skills while fostering an understanding of their linguistic and cultural heritage. In a troubling development, Humkar Dorje Rinpoche, a senior lama who founded a similar vocational school in 2007 with government approval, was reported missing in December 2024. Exile media, cited by Human Rights Watch, suggested he was forcibly disappeared while in police custody.
Concerns mount over the well-being of local spiritual leaders, as authorities previously detained Khenpo Tenpa Dargye, another senior educator, and 20 followers from the region. Community leader Gonpo Namgyal, detained with others, died three days after his release in mid-December, possibly due to abuse in custody. Since 2021, at least five similar vocational schools have been shuttered in eastern Tibet without official reasons provided, with authorities mandating all students attend state schools.
In these institutions, Tibetan children receive education exclusively in Chinese from primary through high school, with Tibetan relegated to a foreign language subject despite constitutional protections and international treaties supporting education in native languages. Additionally, reports reveal that Tibetan youth in state schools face increased political indoctrination and military training. In January 2023, four UN special rapporteurs expressed serious concerns about China’s educational and language policies in Tibetan areas.
