The Bhutanese Leading the way.
On asked how the quality of education is likely to improve after the pay hike to the teachers during the Friday Meet, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering said the quality of education can be improved as a team, and that education sector should be given maximum attention.
He said that the government only frames rules and policies on education, but ultimately, it depends on the students and teachers how the quality really improves.
“Of course, I am not saying that raising their salary is intended only to retain them or to encourage them. This is one of the ways to show respect to the profession and give maximum attention. We know that this is important. Therefore, try to respect this and let’s work together,” Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering said.
When it comes to further government’s plan to improve the quality, he said that they must respect the profession and improve their standards. “I am now going to focus more on Paro and Samtse NIE campus. Students entering Samtse and Paro NIE campuses should be getting more stipends compared to others,” he added.
He also said that all the campuses; especially those two campuses, should be upgraded if possible to the best international standards. The faculty in the two campuses should receive more capacity building attention from the government and that will add up in improving the quality of education.
“It doesn’t mean that the education quality is very bad,” Lyonchhen said. He said there needs to be improvement in the quality by working together, including teachers, students, media and government.
“If we all agree this is important, and if you think that quality of education needs to be improved, we will all have to work together. In next five years, whatever we do, education quality will always be on our agenda. Holistically this is a team game,” Lyonchhen added.
Meanwhile, Education Minister J.B Rai said that changes to education system cannot be done overnight because education system is complex and diverse.
He said, “When we just incentivize the teachers to certain medium, that doesn’t mean that, so far, the quality of the education was very bad. 80 to 90 percent of the teachers have been doing fine and contributing towards quality education without incentivizing them. Through this, we are recognizing them as they are one of the agents in the whole system of the education.”
