Dharamshala, 15 September 2025: Presided over by Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, the fifth day of the tenth session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile commenced with a starred question from Parliamentarian Tenzin Jigdal directed to Sikyong Penpa Tsering.

The Sikyong provided clarifications regarding the stalled Sino-Tibetan dialogue, noting that no substantive discussions have taken place since 2002, and responded to supplementary questions raised by other parliamentarians.

The session then proceeded with the presentation of the Standing Committee’s review of the Department of Education’s (DoE) detailed annual report by Parliamentarian Juchen Konchok Chodon.

A motion for debate on the DoE’s précis report and its review by the Standing Committee was tabled by Parliamentarian Lobsang Thupten and supported by Parliamentarian Tsering Yangchen.

The session after the tea break was chaired by Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang and proceeded with clarifications from the Kashag, followed by a general debate on all reports under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education (DoE). The House deliberated on the report from the Department of Education and commended the department and the schools under its supervision for their outstanding academic achievements.

The Kalon provided clarifications on various matters relevant to the department, including current teacher salaries, the standardization of new Tibetan terminology, the functioning of Tibetan weekend schools, the production of children’s books based on the experiences of former Tibetan political prisoners, child-centred education approaches, Social-Emotional-Ethical (SEE) learning, the development of skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking to support innovative learning, current reservation of seats for professional courses, and the Tibetan charter school in the US, among other initiatives.

The session then proceeded with Kalon Gyari Dolma of the Department of Security (DoS) presenting the précis of the 2024-2025 annual report for the DoS. Parliamentarian Lobsang Thupten then tabled the Standing Committee’s review of the DoS’s detailed annual report.

A motion for debate on the DoS’s précis report and the Standing Committee’s review was introduced by Parliamentarian Tenzin Jigdal and supported by Parliamentarian Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen. This was followed by Kashag’s clarifications. General debate on all reports under the jurisdiction of the DoS will continue in tomorrow’s session.

The house adjourned at 6:00 PM.