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KP Sharma
The government will hire 100 additional foreign teachers from India by July 2024 to address the shortage of STEM teachers in the country.
Minister of Education and Skill Development Yeezang De Thapa shared this information in response to a query from Dophuchen-Tading MP Ugyen Lama on the government’s strategy to address the shortage of STEM teachers.
According to the minister, the government will hire 35 mathematics teachers, 18 physics teachers, 19 chemistry teachers and 28 ICT teachers by July 2024.
Leonpo said 499 public schools were short of 1,110 STEM teachers, including 479 for mathematics, 241 for ICT, 193 for physics and 197 for chemistry.
As of June this year, there was an “urgent” shortage of 135 STEM teachers, including 46 in mathematics, 38 in ICT, 22 in physics and 29 in chemistry.
Leonpo added that besides the foreign teachers, 18 STEM teachers will complete their PGDE and join the service.
These include nine in mathematics, one in ICT, and four each in physics and chemistry, which reduces the shortage of STEM teachers to 118, which is expected to be filled next year.
Member of Parliament Ugyen Lama stressed the urgent need for STEM teachers, citing as an example that the science laboratory at Tashitang Secondary School was lying idle due to a lack of teachers and laboratory equipment.
Leonpaugh assured that the school will have a fully equipped laboratory by fiscal year 2024-2025, saying financial constraints in the past had prevented the school from purchasing equipment.
The minister said that by 2023, the Ministry of Education will face a shortage of 1,263 teachers.
To fill the shortage, the ministry recruited a total of 187 Bachelor of Education teachers in January, reducing the shortage to 1,076.
Leonpaugh said that from March to June this year, 646 contract teachers had been hired, and the teacher shortage had dropped to 430.
However, 247 teachers recently resigned and the teacher shortage has increased again to 677.
The minister added that by July, the shortage would be reduced to 456 with the arrival of 121 new PGDEs and 100 foreign teachers.
Khamdang-Ramjar MP Namgay Dorji expressed concern over the loss of teachers, especially in rural areas, leading to a decline in the quality of education.
He also criticised the timing of the professional development programme, saying it would disrupt teaching sessions.
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