Tibetan Children's Village School, Bylakuppe

The largest concentrations of Tibetan refugees have been resettled in South India in five settlements. The growing population and increasing number of destitute families moving into the settlements from other places had put heavy demands for more schools, particularly day-care centres, that would take care of children while parents toil on farms.

The Tibetan SOS Children's Village, Bylakuppe is located in the Lugsum Samdupling Tibetan Settlement, 90 kilometers from Mysore city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is a branch of the Tibetan Children's Villages (TCV) based at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh State. It was opened in 1981 on sixteen acres of land donated by the settlement. After a great deal of planning and work, an idyllic children's village was created consisting of a school, 29 children's homes, two hostels, playgrounds, auditorium, health clinic, administrative block and residential facilities for staff. The village also runs ten day-care centers for infants of the Tibetan settlers in the Bylakuppe and Hunsur areas. The school was upgraded to senior secondary level for Commerce Stream in 1993 and affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi. The medium of instruction at the primary level is in Tibetan. Tibetan language and culture are a vital part of the school curriculum.

Currently, the Village has 1,265 students and 133 staff members. The school has a fine record of academic excellence. .

Leadership: Janyeal Tamdin, Director. Mr. Dhondup Tsering, Principal

Website:Tibet Children's Village

(Tibet Corps hopes to start programming at the school in summer of 2013. Please stay posted for updates)