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KP Sharma
The Bhutanese government’s decision to recruit foreign teachers from neighboring countries to address the country’s shortage of STEM teachers has once again sparked hopes and criticism among Bhutanese teachers.
These foreign teachers will be hired on a contract basis for a period of two years and are aimed at improving STEM education and enhancing students’ academic performance in STEM subjects.
The teachers’ biggest concern was that school infrastructure and resources were insufficient to support foreign teachers in providing effective education.
Although the Ministry of Education claims to have well-equipped science and information technology laboratories, some schools, especially those in remote areas, still face severe shortage of talent.
“The computers we have in the lab are outdated and have little storage space and capacity,” said a teacher in Samut Seri, highlighting the challenges of access to technology.
A teacher in Zemgang highlighted the obstacles that poor internet connectivity poses to delivering modern lessons.
Amid these challenges, doubts have arisen regarding the effectiveness of hiring foreign teachers and their impact on Bhutan’s STEM education system.
While they acknowledge the expertise of these faculty, they question whether their input will lead to substantive improvements without addressing existing infrastructure challenges.
Education Minister Yeezang De Thapa acknowledged the problems at a press conference, admitting that despite efforts to equip schools with IT resources, many still lack the necessary facilities, especially in remote areas.
She assured that immediate steps would be taken and said a large budget had been allocated during the 13th Five-Year Plan for strengthening ICT infrastructure and procuring more computers for schools.
To address these challenges, faculty members recommend conducting systematic evaluations of foreign faculty contributions to effectively assess their impact.
A principal in Dagana stressed the importance of such assessments for future planning in the sector.
Some teachers suggested strengthening support for STEM teachers in the country, noting that with enhanced facilities and infrastructure, Bhutanese teachers are capable of effectively delivering lessons in STEM subjects.
The teachers also suggested a different system from the current one for the deployment of foreign teachers to make their services more beneficial and impactful to the Bhutanese education system.
“Deployed individually, foreign teachers have little impact; deployed collectively, they can drive significant curriculum change,” said a teacher in Thimphu, stressing the need for collaborative teaching approaches.
An official from the Ministry of Education said that the contract system is adopted for hiring foreign teachers to allow for more flexibility in evaluation and deployment, especially in terms of remuneration and selection.
According to the official, foreign teachers will be paid competitive salaries comparable to those of P3 level teachers. Funding will be equally shared by the governments of Bhutan and India, with each bearing 50% of the cost.
He defended criticism that the pay gap could lead to a decline in teacher motivation in the country and argued that offering higher salaries was essential to attract high-quality professionals.
The current salary structure for P3 level teachers ranges from Ngultrum 47,500 to Ngultrum 61,715 and these teachers are expected to receive additional contractual allowances as per the terms of their recruitment.
However, this is in stark contrast to the previous government’s approach, which paid each foreign teacher 140,000 Ngultrum, far higher than the current standard.
Bhutanese teachers believe that while hiring foreign teachers can provide a promising solution to the country’s STEM teacher shortage, addressing infrastructure barriers is crucial to ensure they contribute effectively to the education system.
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