MoESD opens pre-primary admissions for 2025 with over 400 registrations already in

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) has opened the application process for Pre-Primary (PP) admissions, and student transfers for the 2025 academic year.

“The minimum age for PP admission is five years as of 5th February 2025, and over 400 admissions have been registered so far,” stated MoESD.

For PP admission, children who have completed Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) or were previously enrolled can log in using their student code, with the default password set to passw0rd321.

Those without a student code must register using a parent’s or guardian’s email address, where a password will be sent.

The PP admission process follows a specific timeline: Applications are open from 6th to 30th November 2024, with schools reviewing applications from 1st to 7th December. Parents will have from 8th  to 17th December to accept or decline admission offers.

Schools will allocate classes and sections within a week of reopening, and required documents include the parent’s CID copy, a letter of concern from the employer if the parent works within the school’s catchment area, and a birth certificate for children without a CID.

Regarding student transfer for 2025, applications are open to all from 1st to 31st January 2025. “There are no specific criteria set for student transfers in 2025; however, placements will depend on seat availability in schools,” said MoESD.

Furthermore, student transfers in 2025 ensure smooth transitions across classes I to XII, except for VII, IX, and XI.

“For classes VII, IX, and XI, separate notifications for admissions will be issued after their common exams, and students will be notified as soon as results are declared,” stated MoESD.

Schools will review applications between 1st to 15th February, and parents must confirm placements from 16th  to 20th February.

“Documents required for transfers include either a transfer order or a letter of concern. This letter should come from the working agency if the parent(s) are employed within the school’s catchment area, or from the Gewog Office if the family belongs to the relevant gewog,” said MoESD.

Updated Guidelines for PP admissions

For fully online admissions, parents of new students without a student code must first register on the EMIS portal at https://portal.education.gov.bt and upon registration, parents will receive login credentials, which allow them to access the application system.

For existing students or those enrolled in ECCD, login is possible with a student code and a default password, passw0rd321. Once logged in, parents can register their child by selecting the nationality status.

For Bhutanese nationals, details are fetched automatically from the Department of Civil Registration, while non-Bhutanese student details are retrieved from the Department of Immigration.

After registering, parents can apply to schools by selecting the desired Dzongkhag or Thromde and choosing one or more schools. Principals will receive these applications and  either accept or reject them.

Parents must check the portal to confirm the school’s decision, and if accepted by the principal, parents can confirm or decline the offer. “If approved by principals, the parents on behalf of the child have to accept the child’s decision to be accepted or rejected. Once you have taken action, principals will see the change in status saying a particular student has accepted or rejected the admission,” stated MoESD

For partially online admissions, parents who cannot access the online portal have the option to submit application documents directly to the school. In these cases, the school principal enters the information on behalf of the student, registering them as new or transferring students based on prior ECCD or school enrollment.

Principals can then approve or reject applications, and parents confirm the school’s decision on the portal. Once both parties have accepted, the student is officially admitted.