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…years of inconsistent policies have put private schools on the brink of collapse
KP Sharma
Private schools in India, once a vibrant sector, are now on the brink of collapse due to drastic policy changes.
Inconsistent policies introduced by successive governments have undermined the stability of the independent school sector, leading to the closure of many schools and creating an increasingly challenging business environment for those that have survived.
In recent years, the number of private high schools has dropped dramatically from 21 to just four.
Private schools have been hit hard, especially after the previous Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) government abolished the cut-off score for Grade 10 admission in 2019. But private school representatives believe that the DNT’s policy was the last straw for private schools, but not the only factor leading to their current crisis.
They point out that the problem is actually more serious. Successive governments have not only ignored private schools, but also competed with the concept of private schools, making the sustainable development of private schools more challenging.
The plight of private schools worsened when the second government introduced the Central School Scheme, which reduced the number of students admitted to private schools from 10,000 to 5,000.
By the time the DNT comes to power, it can easily absorb the remaining 5,000 students in public schools in 2022.
These policy changes have led to Some private schools closed, while others switched to offering primary school courses in an effort to survive.
Private school representatives claim that the abolition of the score line has also led to a decline in educational standards. Currently, only 35% of students receive the score, but they cannot get adequate academic support and can only enter overcrowded public schools.
School overcrowding is particularly severe in urban areas. For example, Deqin Choling High School in Trund, Thimphu, currently accommodates about 2,000 students. “If the government wants to improve the situation, it will have to spend a huge amount of money to build dozens of new schools and recruit more teachers, who are already in short supply,” the representative said.
To ease these challenges, private schools have proposed a voucher system that would allow students to receive government subsidies while attending private schools, which they say could ease overcrowding in public schools.
Despite this, there has been little progress on this front, with government spending heavily on new buildings rather than supporting private schools. “The government would rather spend Nu100 million on wasteful construction than invest Nu10 million in the private sector,” the representative said.
Private schools also worry that strengthening central schools may draw more students away from private schools, which have large capacity and complete boarding facilities.
The representative suggested that private schools do not have to compete directly with public schools, but can focus on offering unique programs such as music, sports or art.
Private schools are also unhappy with the government’s plans to start specialist schools, which they feel should be left to private entities.
The representative said private schools had tried to work with the previous government but failed due to the previous government’s focus on fulfilling political promises, which the representative claimed was to the detriment of private schools and the education system.
During the summer parliamentary session, some MPs proposed that the government buy closed private school buildings and convert them into arts and humanities colleges to fill the gaps left by existing institutions.
The special committee on education of the national commission also recommended that the government review the 2012 Guidelines for Private Schools in Bhutan to address issues such as fee structure and operations.
The current government has not yet released a detailed plan for private schools, but has pledged to support their role in the education system by giving them greater autonomy in management, curriculum design and the recruitment of foreign teachers.
Some of the closed schools have been acquired by the government for various uses, while others remain unsold. Some owners are struggling to find buyers. Despite appeals to the government to buy their schools in the past, there has been no positive response.
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