A new report by the US-based Tibet Action Group has brought renewed attention to China’s alleged use of colonial-style boarding schools in Tibet, accusing the Chinese government of pursuing political assimilation under the guise of education.
The report reveals that more than 100,000 Tibetan children, some as young as four, are being forcibly enrolled in residential preschools across Tibetan regions, while over 900,000 children aged 6 to 18 are already in similar institutions. These boarding schools, according to the report, systematically separate children from their families, prohibit the use of the Tibetan language, and suppress religious and cultural practices — even during holidays.
Tibetan leaders in exile have denounced the practice, calling it a deliberate campaign to erase Tibetan identity and indoctrinate children into Chinese Communist Party ideology.
Namgyal Dolkar, a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, criticised China for violating its own constitutional promises and international human rights obligations. “We are looking at a carefully orchestrated campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to control Tibetan minds for generations,” she told ANI. “By removing children from their cultural and familial roots and embedding them in politically charged school systems, China aims to redefine their identity — not as Tibetans, but as minor components of the so-called Chinese motherland.”
She further argued that the strategy represents a clear violation of international treaties signed by China, particularly those pertaining to the rights of children and the protection of minority languages and cultures.
Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue added that the report, spanning 62 pages, provides extensive evidence based on field research into China’s bilingual education policy, implemented in stages since 2009. “What we are witnessing is not bilingualism — it is cultural genocide,” he said. “These schools are designed not for education, but indoctrination. If this continues unchecked, Tibetan children will grow up knowing only Chinese language and identity, with no trace of their own heritage.”
Tsundue also highlighted that many of the boarding schools are situated in areas close to children’s homes, yet the Chinese government mandates that students live on-site, cutting off regular family contact.
The exile community is now urging international human rights bodies and democratic governments to intervene and pressure China to halt what they describe as an aggressive and systematic erasure of Tibetan identity.
The report has intensified global scrutiny on Beijing’s education policies in minority regions and reignited calls for greater transparency and accountability in China’s treatment of Tibetans.