May 23, 2008
The Future of TPA
One of the many issues raised at the Tibetan Language Teachers and Experts Retreat in Ann Arbor was the administration aspect of the weekend schools. Indeed a school can not function successfully without a sound administration and funding. In many areas, the school is directly administered by the Tibetan Association. In some, like in New York, school has an independent administration while financially supported by the Association.
Toronto has a similar model like the New York. Tibetan school in Toronto is administered by the Tibetan Parents Association. CTAO has been paying the teachers, procuring space for the school etc. TPA maintains a separate bank account and has a separate body of executive members elected to oversee the day to day running of the weekend school including collection of fee.
But this kind of system does not work for all situations. The present TPA has deliberated on the issue at length and with the future of the Tibetan school in mind, the Association has decided to hand over the school administration to the CTAO. This is specially relevant and appropriate as the CTAO has increased it’s executives to 21 and there is a education coordinator and a cultural coordinator. Future administration, in terms of collection of fees, paying teacher compensation. drafting rules and regulations, implementing programs and policies, Classroom and furniture procurement, and so on will be directly overseen by the CTAO. While the parents who have children attending the school will volunteer on a rotating basis to assist the teachers to discipline, to prepare snacks, to supervise children during recess and to help in general cleanup and maintainance of order.
It was noted at the Tibetan Language Retreat that in almost all areas in North America, parents and students tend to take a strong interest in Tibetan dance and music programs vis-a-vis the Tibetan Language Program. Since language is the backbone of any culture, some areas have decided that those students who are not taking Tibetan language classes will not be admitted to the Tibetan dance and music program. This kind of rule may well be adopted in Toronto in the future.
Tibetan Curriculum Finalized
Our main priority for the past one year has been to frame a Tibetan language curriculum appropriate for the weekend school. So it was for the Sunday schools in other Tibetan communities in the US. By the time, the first Tibetan language teachers and experts retreat was held at Ann Arbor, Michigan in April 2008, we had a skeleton of what the future Tibetan school curriculum might look like. TPA president Ugyen Norbu and Teacher Tenzin Dhargyal attended the retreat and presented our paper there.
Eventually the retreat came out with a structure that was based on ours, Minnesota and New York’s model while drawing from the advices of Tibetan teachers from various US Universities and Montessori teachers.
Finally, we have a curriculum that lays emphasis on teaching the language itself from Kindergarten to Class V. We also introduce basic Buddhist tenets and introduction the land and people of Tibet.
Tibetan Textbooks Arrive
Tibetan textbooks from the Tibetan Cultural Printing Press in Delhi have arrived. These textbooks will be the main resources for teaching Tibetan to our kids. TPA will be loaning these text books to our students upon deposit. The teachers are quickly drafting a lesson plan and syllabus based on the curriculum and will come out with a time frame or schedule for a academic session. We are hoping to put the system in place as soon as possible.
Teachers have also been given a text and briefed on the various methods of teaching based on the North American Montessori’s contextual teaching. Further teacher training will follow in the years ahead organized by the Office of Tibet.
Teacher Compensation
To uphold the dignity of Tibetan teachers and to raise the importance of Tibetan language, The TPA has resolved to compensate our Teachers for $50 per day. It has been observed at the Tibetan language retreat in Ann Arbor, many of the regions already pay this amount.
Fees
We have been taking a lot of steps in order to improve our school from all aspects and to attract more students. One of the things we have introduced is the discount system for those parents who have 3 or 2 children attending the Tibetan classes. The usual fee is $10 per month for a student. The new fee for those with two children will be $15 and for those with three children will be $25.
Tibetan Language Retreat
CTAO President, Mr. Norbu Tsering la, Mr. Ugyen Norbu, President TPA and Mr. Tenzin Dhargyal, Teasurer and Teacher attended the three day Tibetan Language Retreat at Jewel Heart Centre in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US on 18-20 April, 2008.
The meeting was addressed by H.H. The Dalai Lama and participants from all across the US deliberated on their experience of teaching Tibetan to North American Kids and discussed at length on the curriculum, method of teaching and administration of Tibetan schools.
The meeting came up with a draft structure on which the future North American Tibetan Curriculum may be based. The draft will be tested and evaluated and any further changes will be added in the next meeting of the Tibetan language Teachers and experts conference.
