Wisdom Textbook Project
Following is a report by Dr. Phuntsok Tsering, the Tibet Foundation representative in Mongolia and Prof. Sh. Choimaa, author and member of editors of Wisdom Book, and the head of Buddhist Cultural Studies, National State University, Mongolia
General background
Mongolia, under communist regime for more than 80 years, suffered not only the destruction of Buddhism but also its related culture and tradition. The most important loss, which cannot be restored easily, are the spiritual values cultivated with Buddhism for centuries in Mongolia.
On an official visit to the UK, Mr. Tsanjid, the education minister of Mongolia (2000-2004) met with Tibet Foundation trustees and requested their help in producing moral education textbooks for secondary schools in Mongolia. The board of trustees took this matter seriously and discussed the matter with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his council of religion and education. His Holiness personally recommended Prof. Jedrung Tenzin, one of the best known Tibetan scholars with the experience of working with students and compiling such textbooks to advise and help with the project.
Mr. Phuntsog Wangyal, the Foundation trustee in charge of aid projects came to Mongolia and officially signed the agreement of cooperation with the Mongolia Ministry of Education. For the sole purpose of this project Mr. Wangyal came to Mongolia eight times and Prof. Jedrung Tenzin four times and spent months working with Mongolian scholars and experts on the textbook. Once the draft in Mongolian with a Tibetan translation was completed a team of Mongolian authors and scholars led by then the deputy education minister Prof. Tumur Ochir went to India. After a thorough revision of the draft with other Tibetan scholars and Phuntsog Wangyal, they had an audience with His Holiness and received his blessing.
Wisdom Textbooks
It is the first time such text books in modern Mongolian language have been written and edited by well-known Mongolian scholars and teachers working closely with Tibetan scholars. It is also the first time ever such textbooks based on moral education have been introduced to secondary schools in Mongolia. This project is a joint cooperation between the Mongolian ministry of education with Prof.Tumur Ochir as the head of the project and the British charity Tibet Foundation with Phuntsog Wangyal as chief coordinator of financing the project.
The Wisdom Textbooks consists of three volumes:
Volume I, Mongolian traditional ethics is designed for classes 1 to 5.
Volume II, Understanding mind for a healthy living is designed for classes 6 to 9.
Volume III, Foundation of Buddhist wisdom is designed for classes 10 and 12.
In 2008, 75,000 copies of the textbooks were printed and distributed to some 650 schools throughout Mongolia. Currently, they are used as teaching material as a part of Social Science and Civic subjects. In the future the ministry of education is planning to introduce it as an independent subject. As a part of the agreement between the Mongolian education ministry and Tibet Foundation, a teachers training programme is being conducted during the summer vacation. The work on the teacher’s handbooks (manual) is in progress and near completion.
Assessment of the Textbooks
As a part of an assessment of the books, an essay competition was held amongst the secondary school teachers in the summer of 2009. Some 2,000 teachers from three major cities and various districts in the country participated in the essay competition. On 7th June 2009, the results of the competition were announced and prizes were awarded by Prof. Tumur Ochir, the former deputy education minister and Phuntsog Wangyal, a trustee of Tibet Foundation.
The first 10 winners of the competition gave short speeches at the gathering to share their experience of the textbooks and the books impact on the morale of students. The overall impression was outstanding and extremely positive. A teacher said that within just a few months of its introduction the Wisdom Textbook has become one of the favourite subjects amongst many of her students. Another teacher said that after studying the textbook a naughty student generally known to behave badly in the school approached her asking that he would like to be trained to become a good person, even perhaps to become a monk. Another teacher called the text a “golden book” turning students from bad to good behaviour.
Many parents and guardians of the students welcomed the book and expressed their wishes that the time allocated to teaching Wisdom Textbooks be extended. Many expressed their gratitude to Tibet Foundation and to those who worked tirelessly on the textbooks for their generosity and hard work. There is already a growing demand for the Wisdom Textbooks from libraries, academic institutes and even from ordinary individuals. Requests were also made to put the three volumes of Wisdom Textbooks on websites for others to freely download them. Other suggestions include that the textbooks are reviewed after five years.
The State Award
Tibet Foundation is the longest serving Tibetan non-government organisation helping the Mongolian people in the revival of their Buddhist culture. Its founder, Phuntsog Wangyal, first established contact with Mongolia as early as 1974, when, after founding the charity, Tibet Foundation established a special programme to help the Mongolian people in their effort to revive Buddhism and their traditional cultural heritage.
Tibet Foundation has contributed to a wide range of activities in the revival of Buddhism; creating awareness of Mongolian cultural heritage in the west, translation and publication of Buddhist art, culture and religion, and introduction of Buddhist subjects in the Mongolian education system.
On 8th June 2009 the Mongolian President His Excellency Mr. Enhbayar conferred Mr. Phuntsog Wangyal, the founder and trustee of Tibet Foundation with the “Friendship Medal of Mongolia”, one of the highest state award for foreigners for his “significant contribution to the development of cooperation between Mongolia and the United Kingdom…. to restore the Mongolian traditional culture, customs and spiritual heritage.” On receiving the award, Mr. Wangyal said that he was greatly honoured and that it was his pleasure to accept the award on behalf of all those who have supported the Foundation as generous donors, committed volunteers and dedicated staff.
The Mongolian people would like to express their gratitude to the Foundation and their supporters and wish great success in all their noble works. To sustain the progress already made we wish all supporters and well-wishers to continue their cooperation with the Foundation.
Mongolia 1st October 2009
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