The Department of Education organized the 12th Orientation on College Admission and Scholarship to the Class XII Passed out students on May 4, 2017 at Nyatri Hall, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala. Mrs. Donkar Wangmo, Head of the Counseling section gave the welcome address and stated the purpose of organizing the event for the graduating class XII students. She said that preparing children for the transition from School to College becomes an important service from the Department as many of our students do not have any adult in their life to provide the necessary guidance. Through this Orientation, we empowered the students to confidently tackle with the admission issues and apply for scholarships and admissions in time.

Mrs. Nangsa Chodon, Secretary, Department of Education was the Chief Guest and delivered the inaugural speech and spoke on the importance of upholding one’s cultural heritage and continue to study one’s own other tongue as well as be a responsible Tibetan ambassador at College. She urged them to feel the gratitude of HH the Dalai Lama and be thankful to HH the Dalai Lama and motivated them to come back to serve the community by sharing her experience of having served almost 40 years.

She concluded her speech by wishing them healthy and happy life and good luck in their academic endeavor.

There were four sessions and first session on “Value Education & Tibetan Identity” was lectured by Ven. Geshe Lhador, Director of Library of Tibetan Archives and Work & Geshe la elucidated his lecture by citing day to day examples and made them easy to comprehend and also stated from a research that people who were successful later in life were the ones who had received deep value education in his or her early life”. Ms. Donkar Wangmo (Chief Counselor) did presentation on Transition – preparing the students what to expect and being mindful of the psychological changes accompanied with the transition. The next session was on Delhi University Admission procedure spoken by Gonpo Dhondup, B.A 3rd Year student from Delhi University and Mr. Tenzin Chondhen, Assistant Counselor, presented the DOE Domestic and Overseas Scholarship & in the last session, Ms. Wangmo answered the queries raised by the students which were not covered in the topics.

Students were given some handouts such as Orientation booklet, Handbook on Institutions, Notepad and pen. Total of 30 students from CTSA, TCV, THF & STSS attended the Orientation and of the 30 participants, 25 student said that at the end of the Orientation, they felt Confident; one needed More Help; two felt So..So & two felt Very Confident based on the written feedback given by the students.

The Department of Education has conducted school based Orientation to graduating Class XII students in the month of February and March, 2017 at CST Mussoorie, CST Darjeeling, CST Kalimpong, CST Dalhousie, CST Mussoorie, CST Shimla & THF Mussoorie.

Similar Orientation for Class XII students was conducted by Mr. Jamyang Wangyal, Resident Counselor, South Zone Guidance & Counseling Cell at Mundgod, a branch unit of the DOE Guidance & Counseling section at five Tibetan Settlements (Doeguling, Lugsam, Delar, Rabgayling & Dhondenling) in the Southern India & Coaching students at Dharwad from April 22 to April 29, 2017.

Department of Education has so far organized 11 Orientation program for Class XII graduates and this is the 12th Orientation Program.

This is funded by SOIR-IM (Swedish Organization for Individual Relief).