The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Regular teachers with a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), trained to teach Classes VII to XII, have raised concerns over being assigned to teach lower grades, raising questions about teacher deployment, and whether their assignments align with their training and expected teaching levels.
The issue comes as growing concerns over how teaching responsibilities are distributed in schools. Public discussions have highlighted cases of Dzongkha teachers reportedly being asked to teach Mathematics or Science, as well as general primary teachers being assigned to teach Economics in higher classes.
The concerns have also drawn attention to the challenges teachers face when assigned to subjects or grade levels outside their areas of specialisation.
Questions have been raised about the reasons behind such assignments and their possible implications for teaching quality and students’ learning, with calls for education authorities to clarify how teachers are deployed across schools.
A regular teacher from a school in Samtse said his professional training as a PGDE graduate was primarily oriented towards teaching higher classes. However, he said teacher shortages had required him to teach at the primary level.
“The reality of our school system often requires me to teach students at the primary level, particularly Classes III, IV and V, due to a shortage of teachers in these sections,” he said.
“While I fully recognize that teaching at every educational level is equally important, and that no class should be considered less significant than another, I believe this situation raises important questions about teacher deployment, professional preparation and the quality of education we aspire to provide,” he added.
He said teaching higher classes requires subject-specific expertise, analytical thinking and the ability to guide students towards independent learning, while teaching younger children requires different pedagogical skills, including activity-based instruction, continuous supervision, patience and an understanding of children’s cognitive, emotional and behavioural needs.
Although these skills can be developed through experience and professional training, he said moving between the two levels can be challenging, particularly for teachers who have not been specifically trained to teach both.
The teacher said managing students across different grade levels can be challenging because younger children and older students have different attention spans, learning needs, classroom dynamics and behavioural expectations. Adapting teaching methods and classroom management strategies to meet these varying needs can be demanding, particularly when teachers have to ensure that every student receives adequate attention and support.
He clarified that his concern was not about being unwilling to teach primary students, but about whether teachers were being deployed according to their training and the different requirements of each educational level.
“My concern is not that teaching primary students is beneath my qualifications or that I am unwilling to take on additional responsibilities. I firmly believe that primary education is the foundation of a child’s academic journey and deserves the highest level of commitment,” he said.
He called for more sustainable measures, including strengthening teacher recruitment, balancing teaching responsibilities and providing professional development for teachers assigned to levels outside their primary area of preparation.
A History teacher at a school in Trashigang has also raised concerns about being assigned to teach subjects outside his specialization. In addition to teaching History to Class VII, the teacher is responsible for ICT in Class II and English in Classes III and V.
He said, “I am expected to complete at least 18 teaching hours a week, but with only over 100 students in the school and limited History classes at the lower secondary level, I had to take on additional subjects and teach younger students.
Similarly, several teachers said they had little choice but to accept teaching assignments outside their specialization because of staffing requirements and the need to meet the prescribed teaching hours.
He said teaching lower classes had been challenging, particularly when adapting lessons and assessments to younger students’ needs.
“I find it difficult to simplify lessons to their level of understanding. Since I have not been trained to teach lower classes, I also struggle with maintaining assessment records and applying formative assessment methods, as well as identifying students’ different learning needs to use differentiated teaching,” he said.
For a PGDE graduate teaching Class V in Gasa said she was assigned to the primary level because the school lacked general teachers. Having expected to teach higher classes, she said the assignment initially left her overwhelmed, particularly when managing a class of students with different personalities and learning needs.
She said that although she had gradually adapted by using different teaching strategies, the experience remained challenging. She also questioned whether there were gaps in the teacher deployment system, and whether the initial expectations set for PGDE graduates to teach higher classes were being followed.
Furthermore, a teacher from the western part of the country said the issue was not limited to PGDE graduates already working in schools, but had also been experienced by teachers during their teaching practice.
The teacher said several other teachers had been assigned to teach classes below Class VI, while one friend trained in Chemistry was assigned to teach Mathematics.
The teacher also cited examples of teachers being assigned general subjects outside their specializations, including Dzongkha teachers teaching in primary schools and teachers handling Business and Economics.
When this paper raised the concerns with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), the ministry said teachers are deployed according to their academic qualifications, professional training and subject specialisation.
“Schools are expected to make teaching assignments accordingly, and assigning teachers to subjects outside their areas of specialisation is not ministry policy,” the MoESD said.
The ministry also said it had no formal reports of the specific cases cited.
“The ministry currently has no verified information to indicate that this is a widespread or systemic practice,” MoESD added.
MoESD acknowledged that some schools may face temporary teacher shortages, requiring short-term arrangements to ensure classes are not left without a teacher. However, the ministry said such arrangements should be temporary, appropriate to the circumstances and made in consultation with the teacher concerned, without changing the teacher’s subject specialisation.
The ministry added that requests to change or expand a teacher’s subject area are considered on a case-by-case basis, supported by recommendations from relevant authorities. Where the proposed subject differs substantially from the teacher’s original specialization, the ministry may require an assessment of the teacher’s competency before considering a formal change.
“Teachers who believe they have been assigned subjects outside their qualifications or competencies are encouraged to raise the matter with their school administration and relevant Dzongkhag/Thromde Education and HR authorities, and with the Ministry where necessary,” the ministry said.
However, several teachers said they had not raised their concerns with the MoESD, fearing that doing so could put their Individual Work Plans (IWPs) at risk. Some also expressed doubts about whether formal complaints would lead to any action, saying they were unsure if their concerns would be addressed even if reported.
