Cultural or Political? Origin and Development of Educational Policy of the Tibetan Neidi Education in China

InIn order to cultivate talents and speed up development in Tibet, Tibetan Neidi¹ Classes/Schools were established in other parts of China from the mid-1980s with the approval and support of the Chinese central government. The authors provide details about the 20-year existence of the Neidi Classes/Schools, including student recruitment, teaching staff, and curriculum. They also trace the origins of this educational policy and argue that its roots go back to the Tang Dynasty and can also be found during the Republican period. Finally, the authors analyze the central governments’ methods in dealing with the relationship among ethnic groups, asserting that the methods have shifted between “culturalization” and “politicization.”