By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 21 Oct: Chinese authorities have forcibly closed at least three privately run Tibetan schools in occupied Tibet’s Golok region of Amdo between August and September 2026, depriving children of educational institutions that prioritised Tibetan language, culture and community traditions, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

The schools include the Golok Tadrak Orphan School, the Ra-Gya Jigme Gyaltsen Grassland Girls’ School and a community-funded primary school in Jasag village, all in Machen (Chinese: Maqen) County.

Authorities shut down the Golok Tadrak Orphan School on 2 September. Established in 2005 with financial support from the late Dr Tawu Lobsang Palden and his wife, the institution provided care and education to more than 300 orphans and children from disadvantaged families.

The closure followed an order issued on 27 August against the Ra-Gya J...