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KP Sharma
According to the Ministry of Education and Skill Development (MoESD) of Bhutan, the flagship education programme implemented by the previous government during the 12th Five-Year Plan successfully digitised all schools in Bhutan.
The program aims to equip schools with modern, technology-based learning facilities to meet 21st century education standards.
With a budget of Ngultrum 900 million (Ngultrum 900 million), the flagship programme focuses on digitising schools in all dzongkhags and improving digital skills of teachers and students.
Key initiatives include installing computers, connecting all schools to high-speed fiber optic cables, and making ICT a compulsory subject from PP to Grade XII. The program also trains teachers and ICT laboratory assistants to support the new curriculum.
Former Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering highlighted these achievements at a press conference in December 2022, saying that all schools are equipped with internet facilities and IT labs.
As part of the programme, the Ministry of Education distributed computers and projectors to all schools, including Extended Classroom Rooms (ECRs), based on specific criteria to ensure equitable distribution.
Each ECR and small primary school will receive at least five computers and one projector. The Ministry of Education took into account factors such as school level, number of students, number of classes, ICT class hours and existing computer resources in the allocation process.
The Digital Flagship project managed by the former Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DITT, now GovTech) connected all schools to high-speed fibre, while seven primary schools switched to satellite connections. However, ECR was not included in the rollout.
The Education ICT Flagship project also established connections within schools and ICT laboratories to provide comprehensive Internet access.
A major component of this flagship initiative is a comprehensive review and update of the ICT curriculum. This task requires collaboration between ICT educators, university professionals, DITT, the Bhutan School Examination and Assessment Board (BCSEA) and the Ministry of Education and Social Development.
The review panel combined global best practices with local insights to identify the essential digital skills and knowledge students need to succeed in the 21st century world.
The team took into account factors such as pupils’ existing digital knowledge, age appropriateness and the availability of digital infrastructure in schools. “This approach helps identify the key digital capabilities pupils need to develop at different key stages,” the Department for Education said.
The new ICT curriculum is now compulsory for all students from primary to high school. Students from primary to high school have two classes per week, and students from high school to high school have three classes per week.
The Ministry of Education has also introduced a competency-based approach to teaching, whereby students are expected to master specific digital skills by the end of each lesson or key stage. Under this framework, competencies are grouped into four major themes: technology operations, communication and collaboration, safety and ethics, and coding.
This structured approach ensures students develop well-rounded digital skills relevant to their education and future career needs.
The revised ICT curriculum emphasizes essential digital skills for the 21st century, including digital literacy, information literacy, digital content creation, media literacy, online communication and collaboration, digital safety and cyber health.
An innovative aspect of the curriculum is the introduction of coding lessons right from pre-primary. Students start with unplugged coding activities and gradually learn block coding and script coding as they progress. CodeMonkey online platform is used to teach coding to students from PP to VIII and Python coding is introduced in grades IX to XII.
Although the Ministry of Education announced that it has successfully integrated ICT facilities into schools, some schools still face challenges such as insufficient computers and inadequate internet connectivity.
The Department for Education has acknowledged these issues and said they will be addressed in current plans to ensure all schools can benefit from digital advances.
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