China’s boarding-school system in Tibet is viewed as a strategic move aimed at cultural erasure and ideological influence. By enforcing the Mandarin language, promoting Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ideology, and separating children from their families, Beijing is shaping a generation of Tibetans who may lose their Tibetan identity. According to a report, the CCP has placed over a million Tibetan children in state-run boarding schools, where they are isolated from their culture and taught to revere Mao Zedong and the CCP.
Writing for the ‘Journal of Democracy’, Khedroob Thondup, the Dalai Lama’s nephew, highlighted that the CCP’s actions in Tibet are not just about territory and religion but also about erasing memories. The focus is on classrooms as the primary battleground, with language policies, boarding schools, and ideological indoctrination being key tools. Children, seen as vulnerable carriers of culture, are the main targets of this campaign.
The boarding-school system is central to Beijing’s strategy in Tibet, with children as young as four being taken from their homes and placed in institutions where Tibetan language and culture are marginalized. Tibetan is often treated as a secondary subject, while Mandarin is the primary medium of instruction. The deliberate separation of children from their families is a crucial aspect of this approach, weakening community bonds and disrupting cultural transmission.
The long-term goal of this systematic campaign is to eliminate Tibetan identity and ensure future loyalty to Beijing. By erasing Tibetan heritage in classrooms, Beijing aims to prevent potential resistance in the future. However, the human cost of this initiative is significant, with children experiencing psychological trauma from separation, punishments for practicing their traditions, and a disconnection from their cultural roots. Families are torn apart, communities are fractured, and generations risk losing their language fluency and ties to Buddhist traditions.
