The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A recent evaluation of private educational institutions in Thimphu has revealed significant gaps in accessibility and inclusivity, raising concerns over the readiness of the sector to serve diverse learner needs.
Despite the growing importance of flexible learning options, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning remains severely underutilized in Bhutan’s private education sector. According to the report published by Competition & Consumer Affairs Authority (CCAA), only 1 out of the 10 institutions evaluated had provision for remote learning or virtual classes.
Even more concerning, none of the institutions included policies or infrastructure to accommodate students with disabilities or special educational needs. The absence of accessible learning options and disability-inclusive practices suggests that students requiring special support are being systematically overlooked.
These shortcomings come alongside other critical issues identified in the study.
Many institutions were found to use vague or incomplete Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) that fail to safeguard consumer rights.
For instance, refund policies were often restrictive or unclear, with some institutions imposing heavy penalties for withdrawal or offered no refunds.
Tuition-related costs were inconsistently disclosed, and data privacy protections were nonexistent in all institutions reviewed.
Only 30% of institutions allowed withdrawals without harsh penalties, and few offered flexible class schedules even in emergencies.
Furthermore, no institution provided guidelines about data collection policies and consent for sharing student data with third parties. No clear policies existed regarding how long personal data is retained or disposed of.
Also, registration fees varied significantly, with some institutions charging non-refundable amounts as high as Nu 10,000, while others keep them to a decent Nu 2,000.
Some institutions offered scholarships but failed to clearly define eligibility and consistency in application. There was no assurance that courses would not be arbitrarily discontinued. No institute mentioned about the guarantee of services in their T&C.
While more than half of the institutions had clear and formal dispute resolution methods. However, 30% of the institutions does not provide any information about complaint handling or dispute resolution.
Around 90% of the institutions used clear and concise language and ensured easy access to these terms, either in print or online, prior to enrollment.
While 70% clearly highlight key terms such as refund policies, withdrawal conditions and payment schedules, the remaining institutions presented these details vaguely, making comparison and comprehension difficult.
Additionally, only 60% of the schools gave full details about tuition fees. The other 40% left out extra costs like uniforms, books and extracurricular activities, which can lead to unexpected financial burdens.
CCAA recommends that the government introduce a standardized T&Cs framework for private institutions.
Key components of the recommendation included defining clear refund eligibility criteria and setting a minimum refund deadline in the T&C.
To ensure fair and transparent fee structures, institutions are to look at capping late payment fees to prevent excessive financial burdens on students and refrain from charging undisclosed additional fees.
Formulate clear policies on compensation or alternative options when a program is discontinued or substantially modified, to protect students from being unfairly impacted. Also, provide advance notice of significant changes and offer full or proportional refunds to students who withdraw as a result.
All institutions are to implement a structured dispute resolution process, including mediation and arbitration options, to ensure fair and impartial handling of grievances.
Likewise, institutions are to specify data usage purposes, obtain consent for third-party sharing, define data retention periods, and ensure continuous access to academic records.
The study randomly selected 10 out of the 62 private educational institutes in Thimphu for the evaluation. A comprehensive review of their T&Cs was conducted, along with an analysis of consumer complaints lodged with the CCAA.
