Dharamshala: The Department of Education (DoE), Central Tibetan Administration, inaugurated a three-day “School Leadership Conference” at the College for Higher Tibetan Studies (CHTS), Sarah, on 2 January 2025. The conference –funded by Global Affairs Canada– aims to enhance the leadership capabilities of school principals and head teachers.
The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Education Kalon Tharlam Dolma Changra and was attended by Tenzin Dorjee, Head of the Academic Section, DoE; Tsering Yangkyi, Under Secretary, DoE; along with principals and head teachers from Tibetan schools in India and Nepal. Representatives included heads from Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) schools, Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society (STS), Sambhota Tibetan School Mussoorie (STS) and Tibetan schools in Nepal.
Tenzin Dorjee, Head of Academic Section, DoE, delivered the welcome address, providing an overview of the conference’s objectives and emphasising its significance for fostering effective school leadership. He highlighted the goals and structure of the three-day event, designed to equip participants with tools and strategies for leading their institutions more effectively.
In her opening remarks, Education Kalon Tharlam Dolma Changra greeted the school leaders and commended their dedication to the education of Tibetan youth. She emphasised the important role of strong leadership in shaping the future of Tibetan schools and creating an environment conducive to holistic learning. She encouraged participants to actively engage in the sessions and implement the insights gained to enhance their schools’ academic and cultural development.
Education Kalon Tharlam Dolma emphasise the importance role of school leadership in ensuring the overall success of educational institution. She remarked, “School leaders must take on greater responsibility to effectively guide both teachers and students, ensuring that school achieve positive outcomes. Leadership in schools comes with significant duties, including ensuring school safety and security, evaluating teachers and other works.
In her address, Education Kalon stated, “School leaders must take on greater responsibility to effectively guide both teachers and students, ensuring that schools achieve positive outcomes. Leadership in schools comes with significant duties, including ensuring school safety and security, evaluating teachers, and other administrative responsibilities.”
The Kalon further stressed the importance of leadership in shaping positive results for the schools. “School leaders should take more responsibility so that they can effectively communicate with teachers, who, in turn, will influence the students. Strong leadership ensures that schools will bring about more positive results.”
Education Kalon also spoke about the broader scope of school leadership, noting, “School leadership carries great responsibilities, such as managing school, ensuring the safety of the students, and evaluating teachers. To run the school smoothly and bring meaningful results, school leaders must set an example for both the staff and the students.”
Addressing the future needs of the Tibetan community, Education Kalon expressed her hopes for increased specialisation among Tibetan youth. She pointed out that while many Tibetans have acquired skills such as driving, there remains a lack of specialised professions, such as mechanics or mobile phone technicians, in the community. She stated, “Even though we live in a modern era where nearly everyone has a mobile phone, there are few Tibetans specialising in making or repairing mobile phones. I hope that in the future, we will see more Tibetans pursuing specialised fields.”
Education Kalon Tharlam Dolma Changra concluded by expressing her gratitude to the school leaders present at the conference, saying, “I would like to especially thank and express my gratitude to every school leader who is present here today. I urge you all to take your leadership responsibilities seriously, as your leadership will shape the future of our community.”
The conference, which commenced with the theme “Leading Learning” on the first day, will continue with the second day focused on “Leading Culture” and conclude on the third day with discussions under the theme “Strengthening School Leadership.”
