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KP Sharma
this The school rationalisation initiative by the Department of Education and Skill Development is aimed at achieving efficient resource management and providing quality education, but it has not satisfied local leaders.
Many local leaders say the move has led to rural-urban migration and left many villages without proper education facilities.
The school rationalisation policy was initiated by the previous Bhutanese government to promote professional growth of teachers and ensure financial efficiency by reducing expenditure on small, unsustainable schools.
In 2019, the DNT government directed the Education Ministry to explore merging schools and reorganizing them into primary schools (PP to Grade VI) or high schools (Grades VII to 10).
Officials from the former Gross National Happiness Commission, the Royal Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Education began working on the proposed changes in 2021.
According to the State of the Nation Report 2023, the Education Ministry has merged 18 extended classroom units (ECRs) and four small primary schools with larger schools nearby.
In addition, 18 junior high schools (LSSs) and one secondary high school (MSS) were downgraded to primary schools, two primary schools were upgraded to MSSs, three LSSs were upgraded to MSSs, and four MSSs were upgraded to high schools (HSSs).However, local leaders, especially those of remote ethnic groups, expressed concern over the closure of the ECR, which once provided educational opportunities to the nearby Chiwog people.
“Nearby schools are closing because of low enrolment, which affects the community and exacerbates existing problems,” said a villager from Trashiyangtse.
He said parents often moved to cities to take care of their children, which exacerbated rural-urban migration. “We talk about reducing rural-urban migration, but the only facilities available in rural areas are being closed,” he added, suggesting improving facilities in these areas instead of closing them.
One villager in Zemgang, Zhejiang province, highlighted the issues raised by villagers who initially provided private land for the construction of a school but are now under pressure to demolish the facility.
“They provided the land to benefit the community, but now they are pressuring us to demolish the facility,” he said. “It’s no good for the owner or the community to have an unused building sitting there, and they’re paying taxes without getting compensated.”
Some local leaders also worry that abandoned buildings will deteriorate or become targets for arson and other incidents.
“The government has invested huge amounts of money in these infrastructures and it would be unwise to leave them lying idle,” said a villager in Sandrupjongkar.
Some villagers have suggested other uses for the facilities, but so far no proposal has been adopted.
At a 13th Five-Year Plan coordination workshop with local governments, School Education Secretary Karma Gali said the merger initiative will continue during the 13th Five-Year Plan as he believes Bhutan has too many schools relative to its population.
He clarified that the decision to merge or upgrade schools comes from the respective dzongkhags, not the education ministry.
As for plans for unused infrastructure, Karma Galey said Tsongkhapa or other institutions could come up with new uses as long as they benefit the public.
However, the National Land Commission has directed the ministry not to give away infrastructure for free without proper planning.
He added that furniture and equipment from the closed schools could be redistributed to other schools in need in this or other dzongkhags.
Despite these measures, some schools located in geographically sensitive areas, such as Nicola Primary School in Dagana, are still being considered for opening even though they have lower enrolment.
The issue was also raised during the last session of the third parliament, but the ministry is yet to decide on how to utilise the infrastructure of the closed schools.
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