The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has a proposal to establish Bhutan’s first ‘Premier School’. Like central schools, the premiere school will receive increased funding, and the main objective is to bring about a premier quality of education.
The ministry found that the quality of education in science subjects are comparatively low and so the premier school will be science focused.
The school will also be encouraged to develop links with universities and other academic institutions.
The monitoring officer and coordinator for Central School Unit, Kaka, said, “The main objectives of proposing the premier school is to bring about a center of excellence, especially in the science division for bright students,” he explained.
He said attention will be given to the students who are doing well and who can explore going to the next level. The premier school would be equipped with all the required materials of learning for science and the students would also be provided with all the same kind of free facilities that are provided in central schools.
He also reasoned that having all categories of students who are below average, average and extremely bright students clubbed in a same class or school will bring about a low level of competition among students and will also bring a ‘conflict of learning expectancy.’
Currently there are three proposed locations for the establishment for the premier school; Punakha, Trongsa and Zhemgang.
Kaka said, “The proposal is still under process and if it gets approved, it will be opened earliest by 2018.”
It is not decided if the students will have to take an entrance test to enroll in the premier school. “We will be taking the best,” Kaka pointed out.
Japan’s ‘Super Science School’ is the model that the premier school will follow. “It will serve as motivation for those students who aspire to become what they want in the future, and even they can become who they have never imagined to become, like scientists, doctors, engineers and many more,” he added.
The premiere school will start at seventh grade, or high school level. Teachers with high reputation, qualification and experience will be working in the school.
Kaka said the proposal has most probably been approved and such a school will bring about a significant development in the quality of education.
