Latest statistics recently released by the Tibet Education Department show that, to date, Tibet’s illiteracy rate has fallen to 0.52 percent, 0.5 percent lower than at the beginning of the 12th Five-year Plan period (2011-2015).

In old Tibet, the vast majority of people receiving an education were from noble families. Illiteracy rate reached 95 percent as the serfs and slaves, who took up 95 percent of the total population, had no right to an education. Nowadays literacy covers 100 percent of the population in Tibet.

In order to allow children of all ages to go to school, during the 12th Five-year period Tibet led the way by establishing a free 15-year education system for children from pre-school up to high school. All students studying at Tibet Autonomous Region public schools can enjoy 15 years of free study and students from private schools or other schools can also enjoy equal financial subsidies.

In addition, since the "three guarantees" (free food, accommodation and study expenses) policy was implemented in primary schools of pastoral areas in 1985, Tibet has already raised the "three guarantees" standard 14 consecutive times to 3,000 yuan (484 US dollars) per year.

Norbu Tsering, principal at Medrogungkar Middle School said that a series of good policies allows everyone to go to school and parents are more willing to send their children to school. "The number of students that have dropped out in recent years can be counted on one hand - of course the illiteracy rate is getting lower and lower".

According to statistics, there are 1,855 schools of various types and level in Tibet and 322 places of learning. Among them, institutes of higher learning have increased to six and secondary vocational schools to nine. There are more than 600,000 students at schools of all forms.

Up to now primary school enrollment rate is 98.94 percent, middle school gross enrollment rate is 96.24 percent, high school gross enrollment is 74.47 percent, higher education gross enrollment rate is 29.45 percent and pre-school gross enrollment rate is 61.49 percent. Tibet has already established a complete, modern education system covering pre-school education, basic education, vocational education, higher education, adult education, special education and others.