The Bhutanese Leading the way.
While thousands of civil servants gather for the 108 Jangchub Chorten event in Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), schools across the country remain open, with teachers balancing participation in the spiritually significant undertaking and their responsibilities to students preparing to sit for upcoming examinations.
Some teachers have travelled to Gelephu to participate in the event, while others have remained behind to ensure that teaching and learning continue.
The arrangements come as earlier concerns about teachers not being sent to the gathering, particularly as participation, has drawn attention to how government agencies are managing staffing while maintaining essential services.
In response to questions from this paper, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) said participation in the event is voluntary, with school staffing arrangements determined locally to minimize disruption to students.
“All citizens, including public servants and educators, can participate in the event as registered volunteers,” the MoESD said.
The ministry said that participation by ministry officials would be guided by individual choice and applicable leave arrangements, while departments are required to ensure essential public services and administrative functions are maintained.
For schools, the ministry said, “The dzongkhags and thromdes will determine the necessary arrangements, balancing staff participation with the need to ensure continuity of teaching and learning and minimise disruption to students.”
The clarification indicates that teachers’ participation is not intended to come at the expense of classroom responsibilities.
Instead, local authorities are expected to balance the number of staff participating with the need to keep schools functioning, particularly while students prepare for examinations.
The ministry also highlighted the spiritual and national significance of the project, describing it as an undertaking that offers prayers for peace, harmony and the wellbeing of all sentient beings.
According to the ministry, the initiative embodies Bhutan’s Buddhist heritage and His Majesty’s vision of coming together in unity and voluntary service, and will create an enduring spiritual landmark in GMC.
The ministry said it too is part of the national effort. “The ministry joins the nation in this collective endeavour, including through a collective Sherig contribution towards the construction of one chorten,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), responding to this paper, reiterated that participation in the event is voluntary, and that civil servants are free to take part alongside other citizens.
The commission also noted that civil servants are contributing to preparations through their involvement in various logistics teams, supporting the organization and smooth conduct of the event.
However, the RCSC said, “The continuity of public service delivery remains important. Civil servants providing essential services will continue to attend to their responsibilities, with necessary arrangements made to ensure that these services remain available to the public,” the RCSC said.
Therefore, participation in the event is voluntary, but the responsibility to maintain public services remains.
For the education sector, this means local authorities must consider both teachers’ opportunities to participate and students’ need for uninterrupted lessons and examination preparation.
The arrangements also highlight the practical challenge of coordinating a large national gathering without interrupting routine government functions.
While the event brings together citizens in a shared spiritual undertaking, schools and other essential services must continue to meet their responsibilities.
For students preparing for examinations, continuity in teaching remains particularly important. Any disruption during this period could affect classroom preparation, making staffing arrangements and coordination at the local level crucial.
The ministry says dzongkhags and thromdes will determine school-level arrangements, while the RCSC has emphasised that civil servants responsible for essential services must continue attending to their duties.
As the 108 Jangchub Chorten event brings civil servants together for a shared spiritual purpose, the focus also remains on ensuring that public responsibilities continue alongside participation.
With MoESD leaving school-level arrangements to dzongkhags and thromdes, the coming days will highlight how effectively staffing is managed to keep classrooms running and students prepared for their examinations.
