The ruling is likely to cause a precipitous drop in the number of Tibetan senior high-school students studying Tibetan, since it will now be optional in the last 3 years of high school. Students in China rarely have time for subjects that don't contribute to their gaokao score. (10)

Tibetan will still be a compulsory class in Tibetan primary schools (grades 1-6) and junior high schools (grades 7-9), but not in senior high schools. (9)

Tibetan high school graduates who need a qualification in Tibetan language in order to join a college course on Tibetan medicine, language or literature will be allowed to take a separate Tibetan exam, but it will not count towards their gaokao score. (8)

He added that the policy change is because Tibetan-related university programs "face relatively limited enrollment quotas, narrow pathways for advancement, a narrow range of disciplines, and limited employment opportunities." He did not provide evidence to support these claims. (7)

Karma Tseten said the goal of removing Tibetan from the gaokao "is to correct the erroneous societal perspectives of prioritizing scores and academic advancement, and to truly achieve student success and social equity." It is unclear how the decision could help these aims. (6)

The announcement was made by Karma Tseten, governor of the TAR, at a high-profile press conference at China's State Council Information Office in Beijing on Tuesday Aug 5. It was made clear that the decision is not limited to the TAR but will apply throughout China. (5)

Till now Tibetan students could use their Tibetan paper grade for 50% of their gaokao marks, but ability in Tibetan will now not count. Tibetan will also not be one of the optional gaokao papers (ideology and politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, and biology). (4)

This means that Tibetan will no longer be a paper in the gaokao. (3)

"Following relevant policy adjustments, Tibet, like other provinces and autonomous regions, has implemented a "single-paper [unified] exam" system. The unified exam covers Chinese, mathematics, and a foreign language (including English, Russian, Japanese, French, German, and Spanish)." (2)

Map3: China's 8 cross-border villages in Bji Gewog, western Bhutan, & areas claimed there by China. The Bhutan-Tibet (China) border is as shown on the 1:250,000 Map of Bhutan 2006. Names of valleys & sites of Chinese villages added. Map: Robert Barnett 2024.

Note that Map 2, based on Bhutan's official 2006 map, shows Menchuma as *within* Tibet (China). Previous Bhutanese maps & government statements showed Menchuma as part of Bhutan, suggesting Bhutan ceded the area to China at some time in the early 2000s. This has never been made public.

Map 2: China's 14 cross-border villages in Kurtoe Gewog, Lhuentse, northeastern Bhutan. The Bhutan-Tibet (China) border is as shown on the 1:250,000 Map of Bhutan (Dept. of Survey & Land Records), 2006. Names of valleys & sites of cross-border villages have been added.

Map 2: China's 14 cross-border villages in Kurtoe Gewog, northeastern Bhutan. The Bhutan-Tibet (China) border is as shown on the 1:250,000 Map of Bhutan (Dept. of Survey & Land Records), 2006. Names of valleys & sites of cross-border villages have been added : R Barnett 2024

Time-lapse videos of construction at each site are here: turquoiseroof.org/forceful-dip... /5

China's explanation to CNN for its villages within Bhutan's traditional borders: “China’s construction activities in the border region with Bhutan are aimed at improving the local livelihoods”. (The only residents in those areas are the c. 7000 people China has paid to relocate there since 2017.) /4

CNN has a major report on China's villages in Bhutan: edition.cnn.com/2024/11/05/a.... It has the 1st quote from China's Foreign Ministry on the villages, not denying they're in disputed territory: “China and Bhutan have their own claims regarding the territorial status of the relevant region.” /3

Details of China's construction programme on the Bhutan border are here, including lists and locations of the Chinese cross-border villages: turquoiseroof.org/forceful-dip.... /2