INTERVIEW WITH GYEN NAWANG DORJEE LA, EDUCATION DIRECTOR OF TCV SCHOOLS
The Education Director paid his last visit to LTCV on Friday, 19th October. This is the script of an interview taken during his visit.
Question: Till now you have served in TCV in various posts. Now you are given a very special and an important post. How did you feel about this?
Answer: Yes, this is true. Ama Jetsun Pema la has asked me to take this new assignment of running the TCV college and this was confirmed in the last meeting of the TCV Executive Council meeting in July 2007, which Amala chairs.
I am excited about this newest project of TCV. I fervently hope that I will be able to do justice to the trust and confidence placed on me. I will be joining college campus by the end of December this year.

Q: What type of major changes that you saw between the students of then and now?
Ans: I think this comparison leads us nowhere. Times are different. Situations are different. Contextually, the scenarios have changed. The assessment and requirements keep shifting. The question really should be: Do our students in the present have the wherewithal to face the challenges posed by the present and solve problems as they face them in the fast changing world? We should focus on this rather than superfluous comparisons of standards of different generations!

Anyway, to answer your question of changes between students of then and now: Students then had fewer facilities. But they were much more deligent and hardworking. I think, students of today are more aware of the world and changes taking place in various fields due to information technology.

Q: You have spent lots of your time with Tibetan students and I think you had many experiences. Can you please share an experience?
Ans: While working in TCV for the last 31 years, I have realized the import and significance of serving the Tibetan cause through the work of TCV, which for me is a service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and our people. All I am today is due to the grace of His Holiness. Period. When I have received so much love and care when I was vulnerable and helpless, how can it be that I do otherwise!
I have been inspired by the untiring and dynamic leadership of Amala and learned so much from her of the value to serve the Tibetan children and the need for commitment for the Tibetan children's education.
I have enjoyed working with the colleagues ever since I joined TCV. There is palpable synergy and resonance in the TCV work culture that rubs on you when you stay long enough and when you are a TCVian. The closeness, the feeling of dedication and the effort to make a difference are some of the special features of TCV, which I will always cherish in my life.
There are many special experiences of working in this beautiful organization. I always pride myself for being an effective teacher. I don't know whether my students and colleagues see that way. I love the classroom environment. I love to interact with the students in whatever I know. So as a teacher and headmaster, I used to games and drama to the students in the evenings when I had the time. Those were the memorable days for me! Tiring but fulfilling!

Q. Lastly, do have any message for students and staff?
Answer. I do not have any "message" as such. But whenever I interact with students and teachers, some of my thoughts are:
To students:
Learning is always personal: A good student must be self-motivated, proactive and self driven. There is no place to play the blame game in school.
As human beings, we are built to learn: So with bit of effort and confidence there is nothing in the school curriculum that we cannot learn. As students, we tend to limit ourselves. This is harmful in learning.
A school is a place for self-discovery: Understanding yourself - your personality, intelligence, interests and other traits through the school days is key. To know this as students we need to participate in school programs and activities. And, when you have a better understanding of yourself, you understand others and the world around you better.
Questioning is key to learning: This is the key method and we don't do enough of this. Having the habit to question and search, to provoke, to analyze and find value are the touchstones of education for me.
For colleagues:
The way you teach is more important that what you teach: Whatever subject you teach, the key is the way you teach, the way you relate to students, the way you provoke their intelligence that will make the difference.
The child is the first frame of reference: It is not the syllabus, it is not the textbook, it is not the curriculum. The child is the reference. As teachers, sometimes we forget this!
A teacher without a passion for teaching is a sad teacher: As teachers, we have to love what we do. Otherwise, the fire goes out and then we go through the motions of teaching.

Kelsang Dolkar

................................................................................................................................................................................

An Interview with Geshe Dorjee Damdul lak
This interview was taken after the visit of Geshe Dorjee Damdul lak in our school.
Q. How did you feel when you first gave us teaching? What did you expect from us?

Right from the beginning I was quite impressed by the attention the students gave to my talks despite being in such tender ages. But of course, like any other elderly Tibetans, I also would wish for the from all Tibetan students for the reason that unlike other young children of the world, we the Tibetans and particularly the young ones have special responsibilities to shoulder.
We should know that the beautiful Tibet, our motherland is under the state of suffocation to death under the Chinese illegal invasion. And the rich Tibetan culture, including Buddhism, which is one of the richest traditions in this world, the true source of Tibetan identity and pride, is presently at stake of disappearance from this world. This is what we all Tibetan should know. In the later case it is not just, simply to blame the Chinese, for we the Tibetans outside Tibet as well, might turn out as another of blame if we don't realise the value of our own culture and not strive to uplift and preserve it by taking keen interest in the study and imbibing it with in ones being.

Q. Did you feel we are capable of learning it? Why?

I particularly enjoyed the end question-answer sessions for it helped revive a confidence and hope within me when the students came up with thoughtful challenging questions blend with an air of gentleness and calmness. I discovered that by no means there is any difference between the brains of Tibetans and Westerners. Our youngsters are equally talented.

Q. Do you have any special advices to the teachers?

Although I didn't get much time with the staff members, the little time I had woth the school principal and others and particularly the religious instructor, inspired me so much letting me inflate with a deep sigh of relief. They truly bear self-effacing kindness, love and moral responsibility towards the students. I hope and pray all staff have the same quality. The quality of love and respect to ones own job and the students is the greatest gift of satisfaction and the soaring inner happiness. Genuine happiness alone is the weapon to turn enemies into friends. Young children are so receptive to affection from elders and particularly from teachers.

Q. How was your teaching result?

I was there only for few days. It is the teachers and staff of your school the students should be feeling grateful to. They are the strength behind the success of the school. The staff should know this factuality of responsibility and shoulder it accordingly; the students from their side should help the staff by working jointly with them to get to see the light of freedom for Tibetans and that the our rich culture shine all over the world.

Q. Any comments or advices to we students?

Whether we agree or not, Tibetans students are the seeds of hope of H. H. the Dalai Lama all Tibetans particularly those in Chinese prison suffering on our behalf. I am very optimistic with the younger Tibetan generations including those in your school with the belief that they are well aware of the facts mentioned above.
Kelsang Dolkar