A Tibetan researcher shared her personal experience of studying in a boarding school, confronting Western bias and false claims against China on issues related to southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region.
Western anti-China forces have been slandering China for systematically suppressing the language, culture and religious beliefs of ethnic minorities in Xizang, setting up boarding schools for "forced assimilation".
At the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in March this year, Sonam Drolma, a scholar from the China Tibetology Research Center, shared her experience of studying at a boarding school in a Tibetan-inhabited area of Sichuan Province, countering some Western false accusations and highlighting Xizang's advances in education and cultural preservation.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), she said that boarding schools are well managed.
"Some people abroad claim Xizang's boarding schools are about 'assimilation' and poorly managed. But that's not the case. I myself graduated from a boarding school. No one forced us to attend these schools. My parents compared options and chose the boarding school that suited me best. First, enrollment is definitely voluntary. Second, the education that these schools provide is truly excellent. It's bilingual or multilingual. You can learn Tibetan, the national common language, and even an international language, English. It offers a multilingual educational model," the scholar said.
The true value of boarding schools extends far beyond academics, she said, adding that they are powerful incubators for cross-cultural understanding and social cohesion.
"It's not just about academic achievement. Boarding schools bring together students of various ethnic groups. China is a united multi-ethnic country, and Xizang is a multi-ethnic autonomous region. In boarding schools, there are students from Hui, Han, Tibetan and other ethnic groups. Living together helps us develop communication skills. It's a pluralistic environment that gives you a pluralistic perspective. So I believe boarding schools bring only benefits, not a single drawback," Sonam Drolma said.
In response to false accusations from some Western institutions about Xizang, she called for more efforts to share Xizang's stories with the world.
"This March, I met with a UN official. We discussed the situation in Xizang, and they acknowledged how some Western media keep hyping up bogus issues. They know that Xizang has done an excellent job in poverty alleviation. High-level UN working groups have praised Xizang's achievements. It's not that everyone is criticizing us. Some are recognizing our progress," Sonam Drolma said.
Tibetan scholar refutes Western bias on China with personal experience
