sherig saga - Paro College of Education

SHERIG SAGA
Profiles of Our Seats of Learning
A Centenary Tribute
Centre for Educational Research & Development
Paro, Bhutan.
Sherig Saga
A Centenary Publication of the
Centre for Educational Research & Development
The Royal University of Bhutan
Paro College of Education.
Telephone: 00975 8 272011/272829
Facsimile: 00975 8 271620
E-mail: cerdir@druknet.bt
© Centre for Educational Research & Development
ISBN: 132564545
Credits:
Design and Layout: Bhutan Media Services, Thimphu.
Cover Design: Mr Nima Tshering, Postgraduate Scholar, Rhykus University, Japan
Printing:
The profiles document the narrations and voices of the schools and institutes represented in Sherig
Saga and not necessarily the views and positions of the Centre for Educational Research &
Development, the Royal University of Bhutan, or the Ministry of Education.
Foreword
One of the most gratifying features that has accompanied the march of our country since the
inception of planned economic development has been the rapid growth of modern education. On the
eve of the launch of the country’s First Five Year Plan in the early 1960s, there were just a handful
of schools attended by a couple of hundred students. Thanks to the vision of our beloved Kings and
the high priority accorded by the Royal Government to the education of our youth, we have today
close to one hundred fifty thousand students taught by over six thousand teachers in more than
five hundred schools and institutes spread across the length and breadth of our country.
As a signatory to the Education for All protocol and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
the Royal Government of Bhutan is committed to providing free basic education, which at the
moment stands at Standard X, to all the Bhutanese children irrespective of race, religion or gender.
To this end, the Government has put in place an average of more than two schools in each of the
202 gewogs in the country. Community schools are among the fastest expanding facilities for
learning in the country today. Located close to our scattered communities, these schools have made
possible the rapid growth in that enrolment that we have seen over the years. These community
schools are an excellent testimony to the collaboration between the government and the people in
building facilities for learning.
Another very encouraging feature of our education system is the provision of non-formal education
to those of our brothers and sisters who missed the opportunity when they were young. We have
today over 18,550 housewives, husbands, adult men and women acquiring the power to read and
write and do arithmetic in our community learning centres which now number six hundred forty
six.
Our children receive sound modern education in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences,
mathematics, IT, languages and a host of other co-curricular and extracurricular areas. Imparting
of wholesome education and learning of our core Bhutanese values are important elements of our
educational experience. Our teachers, past and present, from far and near, have given their best to
the education of our children
Despite the diversity of sites and the complexity of circumstances, our schools and institutes have
been critical instruments in forging a sense of nationhood and national identity. Even in the
remotest corners of our country, our children bring the nation together as they sing the national
anthem in front of our national flag and remind themselves that they are a part of a bigger reality.
It is most befitting that we should follow the origin, evolution and vision of our seats of learning as
we celebrate the centenary of our glorious monarchy. I commend the efforts of the Centre for
Educational Research and Development (CERD) in conceiving of this excellent way to celebrate the
achievements of the past hundred years during which our visionary monarchs have taken our
country forward to unprecedented heights of success and prosperity.
Sherig Saga is truly a tribute to our great leaders as well as a treasure of information for
researchers and students interested in the evolution of our education system.
Tashi Delek.
Thinley Gyamtsho
Minister of Education and Chairman,
University of Council, (RUB)
Preface
There are times in the life of a nation that bring it back unto itself and give it reason for joy and
fulfilment. When we look back a hundred years from now, our country presented a wholly different
image of itself and its people. Come 1907 and Bhutan has moved on by leaps and bounds. Today,
we pay homage to the vision and sacrifices of our enlightened monarchs who have led the country
forward to ever greater heights of glory and success.
If anything has consistently and faithfully followed the progress of our country over past one
hundred years, it is the light of learning and the fruit of modern education that has enabled Bhutan
to reap the benefits of human endeavour in diverse fields beyond our borders and helped us
continue appreciating our own rich heritage.
Starting from very humble beginnings, our seats of learning brought together the youths of Bhutan
from diverse backgrounds and transformed these reluctant young men and women into powerful
agents of development of the country. Our centres of learning span community schools in the
remotest parts of our country to the Royal University of Bhutan enabling Bhutan to partake of the
adventure of higher education.
Thanks to the early interventions at the most formative stages of our children’s lives, many of the
alumni of our schools and institutes are studying in some of the finest colleges and universities
around the world and winning laurels for themselves and for our country. Despite many difficulties
and challenges, our schools and institutes have measured up to their expectations and continue
bringing the light of learning to remote hamlets and valleys. The reality of distance and adversities
of home have not deterred our young scholars as they often trudge long hours through sun and
rain to receive education.
Dedicated teachers from far and near have made fine contributions to educate our young men and
women, often managing with the barest of resources. But human will and commitment have
prevailed and education has been a success story. Even as Bhutan enters a most exciting phase in
its history, our seats of learning will continue being called upon to do their part to educate our
youth to participate fully in the task of nation-building.
It is in the fitness of things that we should profile our seats of learning and follow their progress as
we prepare to celebrate the great occasion of the ushering in of the institution of monarchy in the
country. Today, we offer our tributes to the vision and leadership of our enlightened monarchs who
have made our country prosperous and proud. We offer our gratitude to them for lighting the lamp
of learning for the flowering of the Bhutanese mind.
I commend the Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD) for pioneering the work
of profiling our schools and institutes and taking stock of their progress over the years as a novel
way of celebrating the great event of the centenary of our glorious monarchy. Besides, Sherig Saga
will be a significant contribution to the literature on our education system.
Tashi Delek.
Zangley Dukpa
Vice Chancellor
Introduction
April 14, 1965. All India Radio made the momentous broadcast:
Less than three miles from the new Dzong, Bhutanese workers are busy constructing Bhutan’s first
Public School … a pointer to the carefully thought-out blending and balancing of the old and the new
that is so much the Government’s concern in shaping Bhutan’s future. The new school will be the
main source for the flow of doctors, engineers … The school will also afford opportunities to the
students to learn about and take pride in their country’s history and culture.
The same year, the beloved father of modern Bhutan, His Majesty the late Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck himself inaugurated what was to become Yangchenphug Public School, and said:
I think our new beloved school is going to be one of the jewels of the future of Bhutan or at least we
should make it one of the real jewels of Thimphu valley.
Milestones like these have marked the march of a country in search of a destiny. Bhutan has
moved on. The lifting of the veil of isolation was co-eval with the dawn of a new age. And the
lighting of the lamp of modern education was co-eval with the birth of a brave new world. The story
of modern Bhutan is the saga of educating a nation.
Since the dawn of the century, as Bhutan became a unified nation with the installation of the
Gongser Ugyen Wangchuck as the first hereditary monarch of the Wangchuck dynasty, education
has been acknowledged as an important priority of the Royal Government. The genesis of the
present Ugyen Dorji Higher Secondary School, for instance, can be traced all the way back to 1913,
with Druk Thuksey Lopon Dago as its first head teacher.
The breath-taking development strides recorded by the land of the peaceful dragon in a span of a
mere four and a half decades are a hymn to the vision and courage of successive generations of our
leaders who saw the culmination of our country in the promise of the future, nourished by the
wisdom of the past, sustained by the genius and industry of the present.
And so it has been. Education has been the principal instrument in leading Bhutan out of the
shackles of medievalism into the forefront of the twenty-first century. Fed by some of the most
ancient spiritual traditions of the world and borne forward by the achievements of the human race
in diverse fields, the Bhutanese people have been able to discover the
knowledge and insights hidden away in the natural and social sciences, mathematics and
philosophy, art and literature, humanities and information technology, cultures and civilizations
and enriched their own understanding of themselves and sharpened their world-view. Today, we
participate in the global community as a confident, dynamic and forward-looking people and
nation.
All these from the most humble of beginnings. Apart from the long-standing monastic institutions,
our first seats of learning were the mobile court schools started by His Majesty the first King Druk
Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck, followed by some seven to ten Hindi-medium schools set up by His
Majesty the second King Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck.
His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck introduced modern western-style English
medium schools and ushered in a new age in the annals of our country. Still, our first scholars
were reluctant cow-herders and farm-workers who would go into hiding when government officials
came to the village to conscript young boys into school. They belonged to a time when parents
would bribe the conscripting officials into excusing their children from admission to school or when
the children were made to pretend that they were either deaf or dumb. Admission of girl children
was a much later episode in the general drama of reluctance and evasion.
The few so-called unlucky ones who could not avoid conscription or had their names recorded by
default travelled long distances from home. They stayed in makeshift bamboo sheds with banana
leaves for roof, took turn to experiment with cooking and waited for their parents to drop the next
quota of ration. But they forged on and today they form the top rank of our government
functionaries in different fields.
During the reign of His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Bhutan has
witnessed unprecedented progress in all spheres of national life; school enrolment has exceeded
84% ; literacy rate has climbed to 60%, and student numbers are touching the 190,000 mark from
under-500 in mid-century. From a mere handful, we have today close to 500 schools from
community to higher secondary running right up to university level, with an additional 646 nonformal education centres.
Following the saga of education in the country has been a deeply chastening and ennobling
experience. Despite the late start of education in the formal, organized sense of the term, there were
already awakened minds and enlightened initiatives which lit the lamp of learning, albeit in the
most modest surroundings, right from the beginning of the last century.
Themselves often illiterate, several selfless individuals gave their all – time, efforts, land, foodgrains, and other resources to set up a bamboo hut, invited a learned person to the village,
collected the children of the community and started the process of learning. In time, some of the
alumni of these most unassuming temples of learning became some of the most outstanding
personalities of the country. The love of learning drew young boys and grown up men to the
presence of learned teachers who shared their insights and wisdom, often without formal degrees.
Often deprived and disadvantaged as many parents, brothers and sisters were, yet gave their best
to the setting up of schools and institutes, carrying materials from distant places, volunteering their
time and energy just so that their children and siblings, nephews and nieces could receive the light
of learning, which is their due.
Our humble abodes of learning have drawn educators from far and near. The dedication and
commitment of these teachers – Bhutanese, Indians, Canadians, British, Irish, among others – men
and women who truly believed in simple living and high thinking - is the sun in which we bask
today.
Our often porous, ramshackle, wind-blown, dust-floor, banana-leaf-roofed seats of learning have
stood Bhutan in good stead. They have taught us that despite the adversities of material resources
and crippling disadvantages of sites and situations, they could still stand tall and proud as builders
of faith and character and upholders of industry and integrity. With all their material inadequacies,
our seats of learning have stood high beckoning boys and girls from far and near, providing points
of reference to the community as a lighthouse to the sailors.
These seats of learning have faithfully followed the evolution of our country recording the different
milestones along the way – from humble community schools right up to the university. They tell of
our dreams and our claims on education and the future of our children and our children’s children.
They also register the pangs and pressures of growth.
Above all, these our seats of learning, whatever their size and status, have been home, for a third of
the year, to the largest number of the finest young men and women of our country at the brightest
part of their life. The walls and the ceilings, the doors and windows, the roofs and corridors, the
library and laboratory, the hallways and playfields, gardens and walkways, the books and pencils,
the teachers and friends, the sky above and the view beyond…All these and more become an
unforgettable part of our children’s lives.
Our schools and institutes are more than a function of sand and cement, wood and steel, brick and
mortar, a facility here, a structure there, or a space elsewhere. They are all these and more. They
are the people who come to animate these spaces and structures. They are the dreams and drives,
beliefs and convictions, mindscapes and heartscapes of individuals who singly and collectively
create and leave behind impressions long after they are gone.
Though much is lost, much remains. The vagaries of nature and often the forgetfulness of humans,
and still, at other times the deliberate intentions of individuals, have resulted in the loss of a vast
body of valuable information and precious institutional memories. Yet, it is heartening to discover
that many conscientious school heads and educators had the wisdom to keep meticulous records of
significant events and moments in the life of their institutes.
Sherig Saga is a record of events and processes, epochs and landmarks, institutions and
individuals, moments and memories. It is an acknowledgment of our schools and institutes, our
scholars and students, our leaders and their visions, our aspirations and achievements. It is, above
all, a celebration of the march of our country over the past hundred years since our first king
ascended the golden throne of Bhutan in 1907.
Today, we honour the vision and courage of our enlightened monarchs, and members of the royal
family, who ushered in the light of learning and development in to our country. We honour too the
efforts of generations of education officials, directors, director generals, secretaries, and ministers
who have contributed their best to the development of education over the past hundred years.
Today, we honour the tireless services, the convictions, and ideals of our teachers and educators
from far and near. We honour too the devotion and diligence of our scholars in their pursuit of
knowledge. Today, we honour the unsung heroes, who, in spite of themselves, lit the little lamps of
learning in their remote hamlets and valleys and gave their all for the love of knowledge.
It falls upon me to record my deep appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency Loynpo Thinley
Gyamtsho, Minister of Education, for his support to our project, to Mr Rabgye Tobden, Dzongkhag
Education Officer, Trongsa, who provided an impetus to our plan on institute profiles during the
Annual Education Conference in 2004.
Sherig Saga has been a long-drawn project. Many changes have taken place since we started the
work. Some schools have been upgraded, a few new ones added, and student and staff numbers
have changed. But the saga remains. And it has been a collaborative effort in the true sense of the
term. I am grateful to all the dzongkhag education officers, principals, head teachers and teachers
who were most supportive of the project and went out of their way to help us collect the information
on their schools and institutes. They had to bear with my endless requests to supply missing
information.
I am grateful too to my colleagues, Mrs Bishnu Pradhan who typed, and Mr Needrup Zangpo, who
sifted through the profiles from across the country and edited the language in places in the interest
of clarity and coherence. The information and presentation have been retained for the original
flavour of the profiles though.
Except for a few new schools which were added in 2006, Sherig Saga contains a brief profile on all
the schools and institutes in the country. The profiles are in no way exhaustive or comprehensive.
All that they do is capture the major strands of institutional memory. Much work remains to be
done to sharpen the memories and expand the profiles.
Sherig Saga is a hymn to the origin, evolution and vision of our schools and institutes as they
accompanied and aided the evolution and march of our country over the last hundred years even as
the land of the peaceful dragon sought to come to terms with itself and find its own place in the
wider world. Our seats of learning have been a bulwark of our strength. They should the bastion of
our hope as a new era unfolds. After all, what are schools and seats of learning but an autograph of
the minds and ideas that etch their taste and talent there?
This is the preliminary sketch of the ever-evolving saga of an all-embracing phenomenon. With
prayers, with reverence, with gratitude, we offer Sherig Saga as our humble tribute to the genius
and wisdom of our visionary leaders on the glorious occasion of the centenary of the foundation of
our enlightened monarchy.
May the light of learning forever shine on our country as a new age dawns in the Jewel of the
Himalayas.
* * *
Contents
I
II
III
Forward
Preface
Introduction
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Schools and Institutes
Bumthang Dzongkhag
Chukha Dzongkhag
Dagana Dzongkhag
Gasa Dzongkhag
Haa Dzongkhag
Lhuntse Dzongkhag
Monggar Dzongkhag
Paro Dzongkhag
Pemagatshel Dzongkhag
Punakha Dzongkhag
Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag
Samtse Dzongkhag
Sarpang Dzongkhag
Thimphu Dzongkhag
Trashigang Dzongkhag
Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag
Trongsa Dzongkhag
Tsirang Dzongkhag
Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag
Zhemgang Dzongkhag
Appendix
All Our Schools
ExcerptS from The Call
How it all began
-Late Rev. Father William Mackey
Bhutan always had monastic education. Clever young monks were sent to Tibet for 12 to 15 years.
They returned to Bhutan with a solid foundation in SCRIPTURE, ASTROLOGY, MATHEMATICS,
MEDICINE and CHOEKI, the religious classical language of the KANJUR, the TENJUR and
ZHUNGCHEN CHUSUM. These lopons set up centres of Bhutanese religious learning.
In many villages, the local GOMCHENS, married village clergy, taught a small group to read and
write CHOEKI. These groups had a tremendous influence on the local villagers. They were called
upon to guide, encourage and help the local people in sickness, death, marriage and birth.
The first King, Ugyen Wangchuck, had a mobile court school that moved with him around the
country. Clever young men were selected by His Majesty and were given experience in dealing with
money, solving local problems, directing villagers to take responsibility in improving the
surroundings of villages. These men became the first DZONGPENS and POENKHAGS.
The second King, Jigme Dorji, set up 7 to 10 HINDI MEDIUM schools, in Bumthang, Haa, Wangdi,
Tashigang, Damphu and Paro. This was the beginning of our present Bhutanese education system.
The third King, Ugyen Dorji Wangchuk, decided to go in for ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOLS. The
Prime Minister approach the Darjeeling Jesuits of St. Josephs’s College, North Point, in 1962. I was
asked to come to Bhutan by the late Prime Minister, in March, 1963. It took sometime before I
could get the necessary papers from India. I arrived in Paro, early October, 1963. At that time
Bhutan has some 20 HINDI/ENGLISH MEDIUM PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
Lyonpo Dawa Tshering, the then secretary of the Development Ministry, slowly replaced Hindi
textbooks by English ones.
His late Majesty and the late Prime Minister asked me to set up an English Medium Education
System, based on the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Mr Rustomji, the then Political
Officer in Bhutan, promised that he would get our High Schools affiliated to the West Bengal Board
of Secondary Education.
We ran into the Indian Constitutions. The first two graduating classes could not get admission in
Indian Colleges. We needed a Migration Certificate, which Bhutan could not issue. The first two
classes of graduates were sent to AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND. The present Secretary General
joined them. The first Class X Graduates from BHUTAN, graduated in 1967, 1968.
The first Bhutan School to appear at the CLASS XI Cambridge System was Tashigang High School.
Paro High School joined them the second year.
The Indian School Certificate Class XI (old Cambridge System) became the INDIAN SCHOOL
CERTIFICATE, CLASS XI. Two years later, this broke up into ISCE X and ISC XII, the system we are
following at present.
Many of these first schools still exist today:
Tashigang:
Mongar:
Radhi, Bidung, Tashigang, Wamrong
Mongar
Lhuntse:
Ha:
Paro:
Samchi:
Tashiyangtsi:
Punakha:
Wanddi:
Bumthang:
Chirang :
Dagana :
Sarbhang :
S/Jongkhar :
P/Gatshel :
Lhuntse, Zangkhar
Haa
Paro, Drukgyel
Samchi, Kalikhola, Sibsoo, Chengmari
Tashiyangtsi
Tshochasa, Logodama
Gaselo, Samtengang, Gangtey Gompa- now Phubjikha.
Ura, Jakar, Domkhar, Tang.
Damphu, Gopini, Pataley, Khorsaney, Lamidara.
Goshi.
Gaylegphu, Surey.
Deothang Primary.
Yurung, Shumar, (which grew into P. Gatshel Junior High School)
NIE began in 1968, as TTI, this has grown into NIE.
The first Principal of TTI was M. Modak, he was followed by Sivedasan, B.S. Sharma, and MISS C.K.
GURUNG- the longest reigning Principal. She retired from NIE in Dec. 1992. Pema Thinley is the
present Director. In 1975 Paro TTC began.
We now have:
95 Community Schools
144 Primary Schools
14 Junior High Schools
8 High Schools
7 Institutions
Still we are expanding Education facilities, so as to have UNIVERSAL- at least 95%- literacy by the
turn of the century. No small achievement.
The Department of Education HAS HAD A LONG LIST OF DEVOTED CAPABLE DIRECTORS:
Late Prime Minister Jigme Dorji
Ashi Tashi officiating Prime Minister
Lyonpo Dawa Tshering- the first Director of Education
Dr S.C. Mittal
R.S. James
A.N. Dhawan
Dasho Nado Rinchen, Longest reigning Director
Dasho Jigme Thinley
Dasho Thinley Jamtsho- Now called Director General of Education.
Lyonpo Dawa Tshering went to Kerala in 1962, and came back with some 20 teachers. They arrived
in SAMDRUP JONGKHAR, WHERE THEY WERE GIVEN RATIONS AND A LITTLE MONEY. THEY
SATARTED WALKING (NO ROADS THEN IN THE ESAST), from village to village. He left two
teachers in each of the schools. He told them he would pick them up some 10 months later. Some
of these, like Mr and Mrs R Krishnan, recently retired.
Spent almost two months of their winter holidauys walking to and from LHUNTSI. These were very
devoted sincere teachers, who sacrificed their whole life for Bhutan Education. Bhutan is grateful.
Their contribution to our present education system in the early years was enormous. Without their
devoted and sincere teaching in isolated difficult rural areas, Bhutan could never have reached its
present high standard of education in the INTERIOR SCHOOLS.
Those who have made an outstanding contribution to Education are listed below district wise:
Tashigang:
Rev. Fr. W. Mackey
Babu Tashi
Lopon karpa
Dr Karchung
Late Dasho karma Dorji
Mrs. Lingshi Anayat (GURU AMA)
Mr. R. Sing
Mr K.P. Nair
Ha:
Lopon Dago- he and Father Mackey received the Thuksey medal from his Majesty, on
national Day, 1973, for their work in Education.
Paro:
Punakha:
Jakar:
Mongar:
Thimphu:
Mr Philby
Mr P.B. Nair
Mr M. Prasad
Fr. J. Coffey
Mr. Peter
Mr M.K.G. Kaimal
Mr R. Shivadasan
Mr P.B. Nair
Lopon Phuntsho
Late Dasho Pema Wangchuk, Father of the Joint Director of Education, Nima
Wangdi
Mrs Namchu
AND MANY OTHER UNSUNG HEROS AND HEROINES.
Jesuits involves in Education: Fr. Mackey, Fr. Coffey, Bro. Quinn, Fr. Cherian, Fr. Perry, Fr.
Paikeday. The Fathers began in Tashigang, 1968, moved to Kanglung and Sherubtse School, High
School, College.
Father Coffey and Mother Peter moved to Punakha to found Punakha High School. Father Mackey
and Bro Quinn moved to Khaling to begin Jigme Sherubling High School.
Father Mackey moved to Thimphu as: head of CTDD, Chief Inspector of Schools and finally as
Honorary Advisor to the Division of Education…until the “DAY HE DIES.”
BUMTHANG DZONGKHAG
Jakar Higher Secondary School
Jakar Higher Secondary School is one of the oldest schools in Bhutan. It was founded in 1961 as a
government secondary school. It was upgraded to a junior high school, high school and higher
secondary school in 1983, 1995 and 2002 respectively. Presently this school offers three disciplines
of study: Arts, Commerce and Science. Science stream has been started only this year (2004). From
2003, the school has offered computer education to one section while other sections opt for
Commerce and Economics.
Jakar School has been successful in producing the following outstanding alumni and teachers:
Distinguished Alumni:
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
Dasho Pema Wangchen
Mr Namgyal Drukpa
Mr Tsheringla
Mr Dorji Sangay
Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi
Mr Gempola
Dr Major Leki Wangdi
Dr Pema Jamtsho
Mr Kadola
Mr Wangdila
Dasho Kezang Dorji
Ms Karma Tshomo
Secretary to His Majesty the King
DEO, Bumthang
Store Officer, Trashigang
Head Teacher, Zilukha
Auditor General
Director, National Library
RBA, Tencholing
ICIMOD
DAO, Monggar
RC-Gelephu
Farm Superintendent, Bumthang
Head Teacher, Zangtherpo PS, Bumthang.
Distinguished Teachers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Dasho Karma Geleg
Lopon Gempo Tenzin
Lopon Ngawang Rinzin
Mr MKG. Gopal Kaimal
Mr Dawa Tshering
Dr. Phub Rinchen, Secretary, BBED
Since it was first started as the first school in the Dzongkhag, this school has come a long way under
smooth management of various dedicated heads and teachers. It is today one of the well-established
higher secondary schools in Bhutan. Besides delivering education to students, the school also
involves local people in its various activities. Thus, it helps disseminate different ideas and creates
awareness on various developments in the community. We can, therefore, say that the school over the
years has became a source of support for the community in general. The school has also contributed a
lot to the development of business in the community due to the increasing student number.
At present, Jakar School has 21 members of teaching staff with 434 students.
The names of heads are as follows:
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Names
Mr Karma Ghaley
Mr M.G.K. Kaimal
Mr Akerketta
Mr Kurien
Mr Pema Tshering
Mr K.C.D. Karthak
Mr S.K. Rai
Mr S.K. Saha
Mr B. B. Tamang
Ashi K.C. Roder
Mr S. Paul
Mr Namgay
Mr Sonam Tshewang
Mr Keeran Sharma
Mr Tshewang Ngedup
Mr Karma Yeshey
Mr Tshering Ngedup
Mr Karma Yeshey
Mr Wangpo Tenzin
Mr Pema Dawa
Mr Wangchuk Namgyel
Mr Lobzang Dorji
Mr Mindu Gyeltshen
Tenure
2. '61-4.'61
5.'61-11.'62
5.'63-5.'67
6.'68-11.'68
3.'69-11.'69
3.'70-5.'72
8.'72-4.'73
5.'73-11.'74
2.'75-3.'78
4.'78-10.'81
19.10.'81-30.11.'81
1.12.'82-29.2.'84
1.3.'84-2.8.'85
20.10.'85-23.3.'87
11.5.'87-24.3.'88
16.4.'88-16.12.'89
8.3.'90-9.9.'90
10.9.'90-31.7.'91
1.1.'93-'94
1995-1996
1996-1997
1.3.'98-31.12.'98
1.1.'99-22.3.2001
23.3.2001-till date
Vision of the future:
This school hopes for the best in the future by fulfilling the following mission and vision.
Mission:
The mission of the school is to inspire and encourage the students towards perpetual enhancement
of wholesome education to serve the Tsawasum with dedication and loyalty.
Vision:
Our educational endeavour aim at moulding students to become citizens who are intellectually
competent, spiritually mature, morally upright, psychologically integrated, physically healthy and
socially acceptable; who will champion the cause of love, justice, truth and peace and who are ever
open to further growth.
What this school is known for
Jakar Higher Secondary School is at present well known as one of the vocational centres of Bhutan.
Many students get education in electricals. This school is fully committed to building a successful
future for every student and helps him/her fulfill his/her cherished dreams. It also supports them
to realize their potentials and to be self-supporting through which their service to the Tsawasum
will be fruitful.
Sonam Kuenphen Higher Secondary School
Sonam Kuenphen Higher Secondary School was founded in 2001 by its proprietor, Mr Sonam
Phuntsho. The proprietor invested about Nu. 15.2 million in establishing the school. It is the
second private high school in the country and the first to offer boarding facilities.
The school is under the patronage of HRH Dasho Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck and was inaugurated by
His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, the then Minister of Education.
The school started with 88 students in Classes X, XI and XII (Arts and Commerce) and 8 teachers.
The number of students increased to 128 in 2002. Sonam Kuenphen saw its highest number of
students in 2003 when it admitted 159 including 6 Class X students. It now has 156 students
with10 teachers. The school has a capacity to take 450 students (150 as boarders and 300 as dayscholars).
The first principal was Mr Karma Dorji deputed by the Ministry of Education. He served the school
from year 2001 to 2003. The new principal is Mr Chewang Jurmi. He is also deputed by the
Ministry of Education.
Despite running at a loss of about Nu. 5 to 6 lakh every year, the school has produced good results
in the past three years. The school produced 86% pass results in ISC December 2003 which put us
second best on the list.
Location
The school is located in Chhumey, Bumthang, which is often known as the Switzerland of Asia. The
place is quiet and serene, ideal for studies, away from the hustle and bustle of town.
The location was chosen in the hope of serving the people and students of central region. In 2000,
the proprietor knew that Kelki Higher Secondary School had over 900 students with double shift
system. The proprietor approached the Ministry of Education with the idea of establishing a school
in the central region to alleviate this problem. A school was established in Bumthang as per the
directives given by the Ministry. Thus, Sonam Kuenphen Higher Secondary School was born. Other
advice given by the Ministry were:
1. A boarding school should be at least 15-20 Km from town. Sonam Kuenphen High School is
located about 21 km away from the main town of Chamkhar.
2. The Department of Education also promised that it would take care of all existing private
schools so that the schools do not face problems.
However, students prefer town areas where the night life is exciting. Therefore, students rush to the
private schools in the western region like Thimphu, Paro, Punakha and Phuntsholing as those
regions are nearer to the capital city and more developed. It is also more convenient to both parents
and students. Hence, we cannot get students in Sonam Kuenphen High School until all the private
schools in the western region can take no more. As a matter of fact, the number of students in
Sonam Kuenphen has never exceeded 160 during course of four years. To cite an example, we have
only 46 new admissions in our school this year and the future does not look promising either
considering the number of students the new private schools can take. Therefore, the management
of the school has now proposed a discount of Nu. 5000 per student in the next academic session in
the hope of attracting more students to this school.
School Facilities
The school has a well-equipped library and a well-furnished computer laboratory with 25
computers besides other facilities like a spacious football ground, basketball, volleyball and
badminton courts. Indoor games facilities like table tennis and chess are also provided. The school
also has a multipurpose hall that can accommodate 500 students very comfortably. The school has
provided teacher quarters within the campus for the convenience of the students and teachers.
Sonam Kuenphen Higher Secondary School stood second in nationwide Class XII examinations in
2004.
Chhumey Middle Secondary School
Chhumey Middle Secondary School today is a reputed school in Bumthang Dzongkhag. It is 250
km from the capital and 45 km from Trongsa. It is 20 km to Jakar. Behind a row of prayer flags,
the school buildings stand in silent pride in the colours of rainbow. The innocent voice of the
children, the floating sound of the ringing bell and the sweet songs of birds could be heard in the
snug canopy of pine trees. It is a beautiful school and it has prospered beautifully. Angels would
have carried all the good signs of the heaven when the school first started.
This school was started on May 19, 1983 as a primary school. It was the late Chuchipang Lama, a
revered lama, who performed the consecration rituals.
The establishment of the school in Chhumey was a dream-come-true for the late Lyonpo Sangye
Penjor. The school was upgraded to a middle secondary school as per the vision of His Excellency
Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup.
In the beginning, a certain Mr M. B. Chauhan was the teacher-in-charge of the school. With him
were Lopon Tshering Drukpa, Mr Narayan Sharma and Mr Subba and a non-Bhutanese teacher.
They were all young and energetic. They turned the school into a beautiful flower and its students
into lovely bees. Everybody recalls today that they were a wonderful group of people.
The school then had about 70 students making up Classes PP to V. The first batch of teachers was
soon joined by 4 more teachers: two Dzongkha Lopons by the name of Mr Tshering Dorji and Mr
Karma, and two non-Bhutanese teachers. One of the non-Bhutanese teachers called Mr Raut was
from Orissa. The other one was Mr B Daimarey.
Very soon, Mr M. B. Chanhan was replaced by Mr Pema Tshering. Mr Pema Tshering helped the
school build a good foundation. After him came a string of head teachers. Their names in
chronological order are: Mr Pema Tenzin, Mr Sonam Jamtsho, Mr R Navanethan (from Kerala, he
was affectionately known as Sadu), Mr Phub Dorji, Mr Karma Samphel (he was a very active
sportsman who lifted the spirit of the games in the school). Mr Karma Samphel paved the way for
the upgrading of the school. It became a lower secondary school in1998. He was the Head Teacher
of the school all through the transformation till 2000.
In 2001, the school was upgraded to middle secondary level. The first principal of the school was
Mr Wangchuk Dorji, who came from Dramitse LSS. He was a friendly man. Mr Karma Samphel
became the Assistant Principal. In 2002, Mr Wangchuk Dorji went for Master’s Course to Canada.
Mr Karma Samphel officiated. The year 2003 saw some interesting developments. Mr Karma
Samphel was sent to Punakha as assistant DEO. Mr Phuntsho Yonten came from Monggar Higher
Secondary School as the new principal. His coming to the school heralded a new period of progress
in the history of Chhumey School. He brought with him luck and charm to the school. If this school
were a river, one would describe its flow as smooth. The school enjoyed unprecedented peace and
harmony. This school became a garden of flowers and the children, bees in their hundreds.
As of 2004, the school had a total of 29 teachers including four Teaching Practice Trainees and two
apprentice teachers. It has seven members of supporting staff including librarians, office assistant
and laboratory assistants. There are nine other members of school staff like cooks, caretakers and
others. In all, the strength of the school staff is forty-five. The student strength in the school as of
August 2004 was 680.
Chhumey Middle Secondary School is a paradise of 18 buildings. Many of them are massive
structures. The rest are small cottages. There is still space for some more structures on the
campus. Like a fairy land, this school would be only for the worthy and the deserving. It would be a
much sought-after and coveted school. It would be every parent’s aspiration to have their children
sent to this school. Wonderful signs point heavenwards.
Ura Lower Secondary School
Ura lies towards the east of Bumthang Dzongkhag. It is on the Monggar-Bumthang highway, about
50 km from Jakar town and lies at an altitude of 3200 meters above sea level. The place is one of
the coldest places in the country.
Ura Lower Secondary School lies on a beautiful wide valley. The school is connected by a feeder
road and a mini power station provides it with electricity. The school has a good environment for
educating children with boarding facilities for students who come from far-flung places. The school
has adopted different activities to enable wholesome development of every child and has planned
curricular and co-curricular activities according to education policies. The school has acquired
100% pass results in class VIII examinations since 1999.
Ura Lower Secondary School was established in 1961 and is one of the oldest schools in the
country. The first head teacher, who inaugurated the school, was late Mr Jo-Phajo from Tang
village, Bumthang. He contributed a lot to the development of the school. His successor, Lopon G.
Tenzin, played a key role in upgrading this school to lower secondary level in 1998 as per His
Majesty the King’s command given during his visit to the school in 1997.
After Lopon G. Tenzin retired on 30th April 2004, the school was taken over by Mr Karma Sangay.
He served as the head of the school for one year. Mr Wangchuk replaced Mr Karma Sangay in the
beginning of the year, 2005.
The school has good infrastructure on 20.86 acres of land. The school has two academic blocks, a
science lab, a hostel, a football ground, a basketball court, a volleyball court, some agricultural
land, a staff quarters, a nature garden with ponds and a good water supply. At present the school
has 357 students and 8 teachers.
Wangdichholing Lower Secondary School
The school is located on a vast plain in the heart of the Choekhor valley. It has an area of 16.5
acres. To its south is the great Wangdichholing palace, once the seat of the royal family. To its
north lies the majestic Jakar Dzong perched on a hillock. Anyone passing across the interior part of
the valley can catch a glimpse of the school.
The school was started in the year 1991 as Jakar Primary School at Linkana near the
Wangdichholing palace. Mr Tshering Wangdi was the first head teacher of the school. In 1993, Mr
Sonam Jamtsho took over as the new head teacher of the school.
The school was shifted to the present location in March 1995 under the same name. It was formally
inaugurated on 8th March of the same year.
A year later, the first batch of Class VI students passed out of the school. With growing student
enrolment every year, the school was required to expand its capacity. Hence, it was upgraded to a
lower secondary school in 1997. The school saw its first batch of Class VIII students graduate in
1998. For a school that had a humble beginning, it was a great achievement. Ever since its
establishment the school has been striving hard to establish itself as one of the most prominent
schools in the country and to produce competent students.
The school at present has 1183 students from Classes PP-VIII. It is headed by Ms Jigme Choden
who formally took over the charge of the school from Mr Sonam Jamtsho in 2002. There are 32
teachers currently working in the school.
The school has four main blocks of four classrooms each, one administrative block attached to the
staffroom, one library, and an MP hall. One more building is on the verge of completion while a
science laboratory and library hall are still under construction.
Tang Primary School
The school is located at the heart of Tang Gewog. It is connected by a 27-km feeder road with
Chamkhar town. It was built in 1965 with 11 students and 2 teachers. Mr Dorji, the gup of the
gewog then, was solely responsible for the establishment of the school. He is now 76 years old. He
resides in Rimochen Lhakhang. “When I was the gup, I proposed the establishment of the school to
Lyonpo Dawa Tsering, the then Director of Education, when he paid a visit to Tang. On my request,
he opened the school on 4.9 acres of land contributed free of cost by myself for the general good of
the people”, recalls the ex-gup Dorji.
According to Dorji, the place was called Tang as the place was considered a granary of the gewog.
Tang literally means granary.
The chronological order of the head teachers according to gup Dorji and Sangay Rinchen are as
follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lopon Jo Phajo
A teacher from India
Mr Pema Dawa
Mr Dorji Phurba
Mr Namgay Dukpa
Mr Dorji Sangay
7. Mr N. B. Dhakal
8. Mr Ngedu Dorji
9. Mr Karma Galey
10. Mr Yeshi Ngedup
11. Mr R.L. Sharma.
Outstanding Teachers
Mr Namgay Dukpa was a good administrator as he maintained good relations with the community.
Upon his arrival, health and sanitation of the children improved.
Lopon Gyem Tenzin was a strict disciplinarian and talented in and enthusiastic about songs and
dances. Under his guidance, the school gained many awards in cultural competitions. The standard
of Dzongkha in the school has improved a lot.
Mr Yeshi Ngedup took initiative to improve the infrastructure of the school. The school campus
beautification, start of modern games, and 100% Class VI results are some of his achievements.
Outstanding Alumni
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dr Pema Jamtsho (head, Planning Division, MoE, Thimphu)
Mr Namgay Dukpa (DEO, Bumthang)
Dasho Tshewang Dendup (Major General, RBA)
Dr Karma (Veterinary doctor, Chukha)
The school has enjoyed WFP facilities ever since its establishment in 1965. The school provides free
textbooks, stationery, games facilities etc. The school currently has 7 teachers, 121 students and 2
cooks. Sooner or later, the school will be upgraded to lower secondary level. The school is also to
receive electricity within a couple of years.
Choekhor Toe Community Primary School
Choekhor Toe Community Primary School is located near Zhabjethang Lhakhang. It is under
Choekhor Gewog in Bumthang Dzongkhag. It is three hours walk from the road head at Toktok
Zampa.
The school was established in 1991 as an extended classroom (ECR) of Jakar Primary School, the
present Wangdichholing Lower Secondary School, as per the government policy to provide
education to all. Before the establishment of the school, the children of Choekhor Toe locality were
sent to Jakar Primary School. It was a great problem because there were no boarding facilities in
that school. The children needed to have relatives there or else they missed the chance of going to
school. Some children who did not have relatives in Jakar either remained back at home or were
sent to Khagtang RBA camp, which is an hour’s walk from the present school, where the RBA
conducted classes for their children. Because of such problems, there are not many educated
people in the area.
The school was started with 77 students (34 boys and 43 girls) and 2 teachers with Classes PP to I.
In 1992, the school was upgraded to Class II, in 1993 to Class III, in 1994 to Class IV and in 1998
to Class V and 1999 to Class VI. At present, 2004, there are 138 students making up Class PP to VI
taught by four permanent teachers and three apprentice teachers. Multigrade teaching became
impossible in the school due to large number of students and lack of adequate classroom space.
Every year, before the arrival of apprentice teachers, the four teachers have to struggle with a
different kind of multigrade teaching (i.e. teaching two classes in two different classrooms with one
teacher).
With the establishment of this school, the community has been benefited greatly. Now every child
can go to school without any problem and with smaller expenditure. They can at least acquire
primary education which was not possible in the past. Among the first batch of students, a few of
them are studying degree second year at Sherubtse College in Kanglung while some of them have
joined different training institutes after completing Classes X and XII. But most of the students
dropped out of school between Class VII and X and are working as educated farmers.
The first head teacher of the school was Mr Tashi K (1991 to 1993). Mr Yeshey Ngedup was the
second head teacher who served the school for a year (1994). From 1995 to 1998, the school did
not have any officially appointed head. It was run by three teachers. In 1999, among the three
teachers, Mr Pema Rinzin was nominated for the head teacher’s selection interview and then
appointed as the head teacher of the school. He served the school till May 2002 when he was
transferred to Tangsibi Community Primary School. Then the school was taken over by Mr Lham
Dorji, the present head teacher.
The vision of the school is to provide quality basic education to all. With the change of time the
school and the community felt that the school needs to be upgraded to lower secondary level in
order for the parents to send their children to school easily and to bring down the dropout rate.
The distinctive feature of the school is that it is located in a plain valley surrounded by Chamkhar
Chhu on one side and Zhabjethang village on the other. Since the school has 7 acres of plain land,
there is no problem for playground and the space for construction. As the school is located near
Zhabjethang Lhakhang (the place where Guru Rinpoche’s footprint can be seen), the school is
visited by many tourists and pilgrims. The school has also felt the need to change the name of the
school to Zhabjethang Community Primary School because Choekhor Toe actually means upper
Choekhor that includes all the villages above Kurje Lhakhang (Dhur, Tangbi, Goling and Kharsat)
which have their own schools. The school serves as a community centre for non-formal classes,
public meetings, annual rimdo (puja), celebration of important national occasions like His Majesty’s
Birth Anniversary, losar, Blessed Rainy day and so on.
Chungphel Community School
Chungphel Community School is situated on the southern outskirts of Chhumey Gewog under
Bumthang Dzongkhag. The school was established on 4th April 1999. Presently, there are 66
students in the school. The school area has no more space for any future expansion.
No one knows how the name Chungphel came to exist. But many people believe that the prophesy
for the construction of Jakar Dzong came in the form of a white bird which is said to have flown
from this place.
The relatively small student enrolment has fostered the development of a “family atmosphere”
which ensures that pupils and teachers know each other at close quarters. There is only one
section of each class level. Therefore, the pupils are able to participate independently in any work,
play and learning activities of the school. This makes active involvement of the teachers important
in order to bring about the development of each and every child.
Parents’ involvement and participation in all school activities is encouraged and supported by the
Dzongkhag. Some of the school activities are designed with parents and their economic condition in
mind.
However, some of the games and sports activities are limited due to lack of space and facilities.
Even then, students get opportunity to participate in the gewog and Dzongkhag level football
competition. Such activities will really open the minds and hearts of our students which will in turn
help them learn a wholesome education readily.
Dhur Community Primary School
The school is about 14 km from the town of Chamkhar. It is under Choekhor gewog in Bumthang
Dzongkhag. It was Dasho Pema L Dorji, the former Dzongda of Bumthang and the present secretary
of the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources, who initiated the establishment of the school.
Thus, Dhur Community School was born in 1990. But its academic session was started the
following year in 1991. The school is beautifully located on the slope of a hill near the temple of
Dhur village.
Head teachers of the school
1. Mr Rupak Sharma (PTC) 1991-1996-(6 years)
2. Mr Tshewang Nidup (PTC)
1997- (1 year)
3. Mr Pema Wangdi (TTI)
1998… (present)
It was Mr Rupak Sharma who first sowed the seeds of education and kindled the light of knowledge
in Dhurpa’s children. He served the school for six years with the spirit of sacrifice in the interest of
students, the community and the nation at large. Mr Rupak is still fondly remembered by the
people as a man who made outstanding contributions to the school in particular and to the
realization of the goal of education in general.
Mr Tshewang Nidup, who is also said to be an outstanding figure, brought refinement in teaching
skill. He stayed in the school for a very short duration due to his own domestic problems. During
short period of Mr Pema Wangdi’s stay in Dhur School, he made teaching more effective and
meaningful.
It was in the year 1998 that I, the present head teacher took over the charge from the above person
as the head teacher. I would not like to praise myself, but in my own limited capacity and
knowledge, I have done and do best of my service to the community and the school. I have worked
diligently with a sense of sacrifice to bring the standards of our students to the level of expectation
of the Ministry. Our school’s aims and objectives are not only academic studies but also moulding
and shaping students’ life through a lot of practical ways and means like cultural competitions and
literary activities.
We teachers strive hard to provide wholesome education to all the students and make them
responsible citizens of this beautiful country.
Benefits to the community
The school has benefited the community in many ways. The school has opened the people’s eyes to
the outside world. It has opened up windows of opportunity for them. While some students of the
school have joined monasteries and organizations, some of them have even made it to college.
Starting 2004, our school has begun Class VI. This will mean a lot to the people because they no
longer have to send their children to other schools at a ‘high expense’.
At present, we have 94 students from Class PP-VI and three regular teachers. In order to overcome
the shortage of teachers, we follow multi-grade teaching system. In this school, as much as the
teachers do their best to teach, the students take profound interest to learn. Therefore, we think
that we are doing justice to the expectations and dreams of the community as well as the system.
Vision for the future
As far as the vision for the future of this school is concerned, I do not want to make much comment
for we have not drawn up any master plans for the future. But, in my personal opinion and feeling,
I do not think that the school will see upgrading for the next ten to fifteen years. It is because of
small children population and the site extension can be only marginal. Moreover, the school lacks
even basic infrastructure like a playfield to carry out various activities.
In conclusion, I would like to say that our school has grown both academically and physically. This
is all because of the good support and kind co-operation of the local community, DEO's and the
Education Ministry at large. I pray and wish for further development of the school.
Gaytsa Community School
Introduction
If schools are the temples of learning, then Gaytsa Community School could well be one. It is
located in Chhumey valley in Bumthang. It is located at a convenient place for the local
communities of Gaytsa, Buli, Domkhar, Uruk and Rangbi just beside the Gaytsa Bridge on the
Trongsa-Jakar highway. The school overlooks the broad valley with the historic Buli Lhakhang on
the Northern Mountains. Near the school is Tashi Chhoeling Dzong (the summer palace of the
second king Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck) in Domkhar.
The Trongsa-Jakar highway, the Gaytsa Bridge and the Gaytsa Community School are a little
bridge to higher education.
History
Gaytsa Community School was established in 1998 as an extended section of Chhumey Middle
Secondary School. The children from the communities of Gaytsa, Buli, Domkhar and Uruk had to
walk a long distance (some 7 kilometers) to reach Chhumey Higher Secondary School. So a
community school in the neighbourhood was necessary for convenience of the students as well as
the parents.
The Educators
Since its establishment, Ms Sarita Tamang has been head teacher of the school. At present, there
are five regular teachers and two apprentice teachers.
1. Ms Sarita Tamang (Head Teacher)
2. Mr Leki Dorji (Assistant Head Teacher)
3. Lopon Jampel (DLT)
4.
5.
6.
7.
Ms Karma Yangzom (teacher)
Ms Kencho Lhamo (teacher)
Mr Kunzang Rinzin (apprentice teacher)
Mr Gembo Tshewang (apprentice teacher)
The School Since 1998
Gaytsa Community School was started on 18th May 1998 with two teachers (one head teacher and
one Dzongkha apprentice teacher) and 91 students. It has Classes PP to III.
Class IV was added to it in 1991, Class V in 2001 and finally Class VI in 2002. At present, it has
174 students. In 2003, the first batch of Class six students passed out of the school. Being the only
school in the northern Chhumey valley, Gaytsa Community School has been a first step towards
higher education for the children of the neighbouring communities.
Besides academic activities, our school programmes include many co-curricular activities which
would make our students responsible citizens of tomorrow. Besides the four houses, our school
has Nature Club, Home Science Club, Literary Club, Health Club, Book-binding Club and Cultural
Club. The school conducts a thirty-minute reading programme for students on Thursday and
Friday after the evening prayer. Every Wednesday afternoon, there are games and sports activities.
There is a Driglam Namzha period on Saturday.
Distinctive Features
Gaytsa Community School is among the schools which carry out School Greening Programme
funded by the government of Denmark. Under this programme, we have been able to pave the path
between different classrooms, plant willow tree saplings beside it and provide dustbins for litter
collection
The Vision for the School
The school would like to be a model for environment-friendly centre for academic excellence and all
round development of a child with wholesome education. We also hope that one day electricity
would come to the school and the children would be able to use computer facilities. We hope that
the school would be upgraded to a lower secondary school.
The school would like to be remembered for making a small but significant contribution towards
educating the children of the community and also for imparting community improvement
education.
Jigmeling Community School
Jigmeling Community School was formally inaugurated on May 1st, 2003 with 45 students and two
teachers at Dechen Pelrithang, Tang. Since the construction of the school building was incomplete
at the time, it functioned in a farm house.
The new academic session began with the admission of 25 new students of which 13 were repeaters
in different grades. The school had three classes ranging from PP through II with two teachers.
Every year a higher class is added. It would go on till the school has Class VI.
Vision of Our School
The school wants to be an educational institute that provides education for physical, intellectual,
social and spiritual development of an individual as responsible and productive citizen of our
nation.
Mission
The mission of the school is to provide wholesome education to students in a conducive learning
atmosphere.
Goal





To promote and inculcate the highest Bhutanese values
To make optimum use of available resources
To keep clean and healthy
To create conducive teaching-learning atmosphere
To develop reading habits
We Value
Sincerity, Honesty, Sense of belonging, Truthfulness, Obedience, Patriotism and Self-respect.
Khangrab Community School
Mebartsho is a well known religious pilgrimage site in the country. People from far and near come
to visit this place. At the source of the stream that feeds the lake, there is a school. It is called
Khangrab Community School. It is under Tang Gewog in Bumthang Dzongkhag.
The school is in upper Tang. Ugyen Choling Palace, the palace of our second King His Majesty Druk
Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck is just in front of the school. Bumthang is known to people as
Switzerland for its beauty. I should say that the place is known by this name particularly due to the
beauty of Khangrab.
Khangrab community School was started in the year 1999 with sixty students making up Classes
PP and I with one teacher. People of the locality were very much delighted when the school was
opened. They said that that they were brought out into light from darkness. Even today, the
people's enthusiasm is high. They are enthusiastic about upgrading the school to a high school.
There are three NFE centres in the locality. So most of the people have come to understand the
value of education.
Kharsat Community School
Kharsat Community School was established in the year 2001 in Choekhor gewog in Bumthang. It
is about 13 km from Jakar Dzong and 6 km from Kurje Lhakhang. Before the existence of this
school, children from three villages of Kharsat, Goling and Thangbi had to go to Dhur Community
School and Zangtherpo Community School which are some 10 km and 6 km respectively from the
villages. Children found it difficulty to walk to and from the schools. As a result, children were
admitted to the pre-primary class usually at the age of 7 and 8. The need of a new school was
raised long time back and it was proposed to be established in Thangbi. Later, it was shifted just
above Kharsat village for convenience of the majority of school-going children and renamed it as
Kharsat Community School.
Like all the community schools, this school was constructed by the community with materials from
the government. Gup and tshongpa played a major role in the construction. A four-unit classroom
was established in 2001 and a head teacher’s quarters in 2002. Another four-unit classroom-cumlibrary and office has been planned to accommodate children up to grade VI. Till now, the school
has been run by the head teacher who is assisted by an apprentice teacher. The school was started
with 29 children and one teacher. Now the strength has increased to 40 children making up
Classes PP-III. As per the government’s policy, the school will be upgraded to primary level very
soon.
Student enrollment since 2002
Year/Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Boys
2002
Girls Total
8
3
11
7
9
10
3
7
3
2003
Gir
ls
3
13
7
11
18
29
13
23
Boys
Total
Boys
2004
Girls
Total
6
20
10
1
3
7
3
5
3
12
6
6
6
19
9
36
14
26
40
The school has formed School Management Board (SMB) headed by the gup. The SMB plays a vital
role in the development and management of the school. SMB meets at least thrice a year- once in
the beginning of the year to discuss the overall activities of the year; once after the mid-term
examinations to discuss the mid-term results and other issues with the parents, and finally at the
end of the year to review the school activities. The annual school rimdo (religious rites) coinciding
with the school foundation day on 23 March and His Majesty’s Birth Day celebrations are organized
and supervised by the SMB. His Majesty’s Birth Day is also observed as the school Sports Day.
Although the school is a small community school with 40 children run by one regular teacher,
many curricular and co-curricular activities are properly and routinely carried out.
Management plans and polices are as follows
Vision: To be a model primary school that produces academically sound and disciplined students.
Mission: The school strives to develop wholesome students with the provision of excellent academic
and co-curricular activities as well by instilling in them the Bhutanese values so that they become
productive citizens of the kingdom.
Goals




To equip itself with adequate classrooms, staff and resources to bring about academic
excellence.
To produce physically fit and mentally sound students. To produce values-conscious
students
To incorporate various curricular and co-curricular activities in the school plans
To upgrade teachers’ professionalism
Objectives
Literary: Appreciate and apply literary skills in their lives.
Games and Sports: Develop skills and take part in games and sports.
Cultural: Understand and learn the skills of cultural activities.
The school is divided into four houses, namely Tag, Chung, Druk, and Singye guided by four house
captains and a school captain. Different clubs like Health and Sanitation Club, Art and Literary
Club and Games and Sports Club have been introduced. Literary, cultural and games and sports
competitions are organized housewise.
Shingkhar Community Primary School
Shingkhar Community Primary School is located above the village and below the Rinchen Juney
Gonpa. Shingkhar is under Ura Gewog, Bumthang. But it is far away from Ura village. The school,
however, is connected to Ura by a feeder road.
The school has a total area of 7.80 acres of land surrounded by barbed wire fencing which was
contributed by WWF.
Shingkhar Community Primary School was built in1998 by the community and the government. It
was inaugurated by the then Director Mr Nima Wangdi on 13th March 1999. It was started by the
head teacher, Mr Rinchen Phuntsho. There were 26 students (12 boys and 14 girls making up
Classes PP to II
In year 2002, the school was upgraded to Class IV. In 2004, it has been upgraded to Class VI. At
present, there are 51 students and three teachers including the head teacher.
On the campus, there are two main buildings including the head teacher’s quarters. One building
houses four classrooms and one office. There is a volleyball court and an incomplete football field.
So far, Shingkhar School has not had enough teachers. Apart from one or two apprentice teachers
at times, head teacher himself is the only teacher in the school.
Shingnyer Community Primary school
It was a cold, dry spring day. The sun shone with all his brilliance in the clear sky. On that day, a
gate was erected and decorated with mentshi dhar and other fine cloths. Colourful flags fluttered in
tune with the wind which swept the village.
It was April 1, 2000. It was the day when the people of the community saw their long-cherished
dream come to fruition.
On that particular day, Dasho Jigme Zangpo (the present National Assembly Secretary) and Dasho
Thrimpon Phub Dorji were the chief guests who undid Khadar Knot as a sign of formal opening of
the school. Also present at the occasion were the DEO Dorjang Drukpa, Dzongkhag officials and the
gewog representatives. All the people from the community participated in their most delightful
mood to witness the ceremony. There were speeches, and a cultural dance performed by the village
women.
The school is located above the community. The exquisite school buildings and their surroundings
can be viewed from the highway just before entering into the beautiful valley of Ura. Above the road,
one can see verdant forest well protected and maintained over the years. The local deity Phola is
said to be in-charge of the forest. It is due to this that the village came to be known as Shingnyer.
Shing means tree Nyer means custodian. The school is connected by a feeder road. On foot, it
would take 15 minutes at the most.
The school started with one teacher and 27 students in an old structure. The school was be 5 years
old by the end of 2004. So far there has been not much increase in enrollment. It is because the
village is small with only 32 household. But it is at least sure that there could be no full stop in the
enrollment.
I (Sherub Gyeltshen) have been single-handedly running this school for the past four years. It is
only this year that the school received a Dzongkha teacher. Prior to his arrival, it was quite
challenging to handle both administration and multi-grade classes of the school. But, I was able to
negotiate the problems with my skills acquired through attending important workshops.
Down the years, we have seen some encouraging developments in the school. A double-storey
classroom building with adequate furniture has been built. A library with good collection of books
has also come up. An NFE centre has also been set up in the school. Under the WWF funding, the
additional two classrooms will be built. By then, the school will have enough classrooms. So in
terms of infrastructure, the school will be very rich.
Besides, every year the school has been able to add higher classes, thus paving the way for fullyfledged primary school. The driving force behind all these positive developments is the continuous
co-operation and support from the community and enthusiasm and zeal from the teachers who
have worked hard to impart quality wholesome education. Besides, the Bumthang Dzongkhag
Administration and Dzongkhag education sector have particularly been always a source of
inspiration, guidance and support to us. It is because of all their help that the school has been able
to come this far in its unending journey towards excellence.
To continue to keep the same pace of the journey, the school has already committed itself to
carrying out many activities. The school has a vision of being a model school in providing the best
primary education. The mission of the school is to create a caring environment where there will be
an effective delivery of quality wholesome education with strong foundation prospect for higher
education.
To fulfill its vision and mission, the school will strive hard so that it will in the long run fulfill the
aspiration of the community as well as the nation as a whole.
Tangsibi Community Primary School
Tangsibi Community Primary School is located on a gentle slope on the Monggar-Trashigang
highway overlooking the small Tangsibi village. It is twenty-five kilometres from the Dzongkhag
headquarters in Jakar. It falls under Ura Gewog.
The school was started in 1991 with thirty-two students under the care of Mr Nidup Dorji. It was
formally started as an extended classroom (ECR) of Ura Primary School.
At present, the school has eighty-five students, two regular teachers and a few apprentice teachers.
The school which comprises seven classes ranging from PP to VI is headed by Mr Pema Rinzin, the
head teacher.
The school became a fully-fledged primary school in 2004 with Class VI added to it. This move was
initiated by the present DEO, Mr Namgyel Drukpa, with the intention to provide basic education at
the community level.
Most of the students who passed out of the school have not been able to pursue higher education
owing to financial problems and lack of family support. Some children are forced to remain in the
village assisting their parents. Some of them have joined the army and private sector.
The presence of the school in the village is a great help for the villagers. The teachers and senior
students help villagers in reading and explaining the letters they receive. Besides, the school also
helps the community in providing health education on various health issues.
Within short period of time, many head teachers have gone on transfer. But the growth of the
school’s infrastructure has not suffered. The school has seen a gradual development in terms of
infrastructure and campus beautification.
The following is the list of head teachers in chronological order.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Nidup Dorji
M.B. Mukhia
Lham Dorji
Pema Rinzin
1991
August 1992
August 1992 to May 2002
2002 May
An institution without vision and mission is like a person walking without a destination.
The vision of our school is to be a centre of excellence in primary education. The mission of the
school is to provide quality education and ensure academic excellence through wholesome
education within a caring environment.
The school hopes that with active and inspiring participation of SMB members, teachers and
parents it will grow into a good caring institution in an ever sustainable way. The school would like
to be remembered as one of the model multigrade schools under the auspices of Resource Centre
introduced recently in the school.
Student enrolment from 1991 to 2004
Sl.No
1
2
Year
1991
1992
Class
PP-I
PP-II
Number of students
77
98
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
PP-III
PP-IV
PP-IV
PP-IV
PP-IV
PP-V
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
101
123
128
125
113
145
144
145
142
150
150
138
Zangtherpo Community Primary School
Zangtherpo Community Primary School is named after the place name Zangtherpo, a religious site
(Nye). It is one kilometer from Kurje Lhakhang alongside the feeder road connecting villages of Dhur
and Choekhortoe and overlooking the majestic Chamkhar Chhu. It has an area of 17.94 acres.
This school was established on 11th May 1998 and it was inaugurated by UNICEF representative in
the presence of Dasho Jigme Zangpo, the then Dzongda of Bumthang. It was established for the
welfare of the people. Prior to establishment of this school, the students from the villages as far as
Thangbi, Goling, Kharsat, Dorjibee, Pangrey, Tamzhing, Kenchosum, Dawathang, Noorgang and
Jambay Lhakhang had to reach Wangdichholing Lower Secondary School, the only school of that
time with primary classes. The establishment of this school came as a big relief to the parents and
students of these villages. They now have to walk a shorter distance and can, therefore, send their
children early to school.
Initially the school was started with three teachers along with 158 students from Classes PP-III. Ms
Karma Tsho was appointed as the head teacher of this school.
CHUKHA DZONGKHAG
Portrait of an Institute: Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology, Phuntsholing
-Chandra Shekhar Sharma
Lecturer in English, RBIT
The Backdrop
The Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology (formerly known as Royal Bhutan Polytechnic) was
established in 22nd February 1972 at Dewathang under Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag. The
Institute started with twelve students pursuing diploma programme in Civil engineering, Electrical
Engineering and Certificate course in Surveying. The first batch of Surveyors graduated in 1974.
The certificate programme was discontinued in 1978 and the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
was introduced in August 1988. Certificate programme in Drafting and Surveying were
reintroduced in the year 1976-77 and were later discontinued in the year 1990.
Royal Bhutan Polytechnic received substantial assistance from the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) to develop the various laboratories and workshops and Staff Development
Programme.
The first UNDP/ILO project was signed on 9th October 1973 with the primary objectives to "correct
Bhutan's heavy reliance on expatriate workers in teaching and operational activities" and "provide
additional trained workers to match the anticipated expansion of technically oriented jobs"1
The infrastructure of the institute at Dewathang got a new touch through the ADB Project that
arrived later. Additional buildings were constructed, equipment were procured and staff were
trained to address the shortage of technically qualified technicians.
His Majesty the King announced on 17th April 1998 to upgrade Royal Bhutan Polytechnic into an
engineering college. However, due to security reasons, the Royal Bhutan Polytechnic was
temporarily shifted to the Rinchending Campus in April 2000. The Institute shared the resources of
the Royal Technical Institute.
In September 2001, the Institute introduced undergraduate programme in Civil and Electrical
Engineering and was renamed as Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology (popularly known as RBIT).
The number of students enrolled for the first time in degree in Civil engineering was 15 and in
electrical engineering it was 10. The first batch of 18 indigenous engineers graduated on 30th June
2005.
RBIT remained an independent educational institute under National Technical Training Authority
(NTTA) until 2ndJune, 2003. With the establishment of the Royal University of Bhutan, RBIT
became a federated member of the Royal University of Bhutan.
Presently, the institute offers four years degree programmes in civil and electrical engineering, three
years diploma in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering and a two-year certificate course in
mechanical engineering.
The diploma programmes will be relocated back to the Dewathang campus from August 2006. It is
envisaged that the certificate programme will be transferred to one of the VTIs.
Location
RBIT is the only engineering college of the kingdom. The institute is situated in Rinchending
bordering the Phuntsholing-Thimphu Highway. The campus is on the lap of southern foothills that
overlook the tea gardens of Bengal. Its nearness to the town contributes in meeting the
requirements whereas its location, a little far from the crowded township, helps in peaceful
teaching-learning activities. It has a green, quiet and aesthetic mountainous environment that
helps effective learning.
Our Vision
The vision of the institute is "to be a premier institution to meet the changing needs of technical
manpower and support in realizing the national vision- Bhutan 2020."
Our Mission
The mission of the Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology is “to provide a forum for aspiring youth to
be trained as engineers and technicians, and to upgrade the skills and knowledge of technical
personnel to meet the emerging needs of industry, community and individuals.”
Organisation
The institute is headed by Principal, Mr Nidup Dorji. The Vice Principal looks after academic affairs
and the Assistant Principal looks after students’ affairs.
The total staff strength is 91of which 57 are teaching staff.
There are four departments responsible to impart education and training at various levels.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Department
Department
Department
Department
Department
of
of
of
of
of
Civil Engineering.
Electrical Engineering.
Mechanical Engineering.
Information Technology
Science and Humanities.
A. Department of Civil Engineering
Mr Karma Gayleg is the Head of the Department. The Department comprises 15 faculty members.
The department is responsible for four years undergraduate degree and three years diploma
programme in Civil Engineering. Besides academic activities, the department performs consultancy
services in Material Testing, Soil Testing, surveying and design.
The laboratories in department are Soil Mechanics Lab, Material Testing Lab, Surveying Lab,
Remote Sensing and Geology Lab, PHE Lab, Transportation engineering lab, Plumbing Workshop
and Masonry Workshop. Some of these laboratories are in the development stage.
B. Department of Electrical Engineering
Mr. Tshewang Lhendup is the Head of the Department. The Department comprises of 16 faculty
members. The department is responsible for four years undergraduate degree and three years
diploma programme in Electrical Engineering.
Various laboratories in this department are Electronics Lab, Communication Lab, Electrical
Machine Lab, Instrumentation and Control Lab, Basic Electrical Engineering lab, measurement lab
and Electrical workshop. The other labs under development are Power Electronics Lab, Power
system Lab, High Voltage Engineering Lab and Measurement Lab
C. Department of Information Technology
This department shares the responsibility to help the students to attain competencies in IT. IT
courses are compulsory for the students. Mr. Nima Dukpa, Assistant Principal, is the head of this
department and is supported by four faculty members. The department has two computer
laboratories housing 40 computers for students training purpose and a server room to monitor
internet services in the institute. The department is also responsible for the maintenance of the
computers in the various centres of the Institute and maintenance of the wireless internet facility in
the campus.
D. Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Mr. Karma Dukpa is the Head of the Department. The Department comprises 12 faculty members.
The department is responsible for three years diploma programme and two year certificate
programme in Mechanical Engineering. The various laboratories and workshop in this department
are Machine Tool Workshop, Fitting Workshop, Sheet Metal Workshop, Welding Workshop,
Automobile Workshop, Hydraulics & Pneumatics Lab.
The rain water gutters produced by the departments are in good demand in the kingdom.
E. Department of Science and Humanities.
This department cares for fostering understanding in the sciences and humanities. The Vice
Principal is responsible for the good health of the department. There are 7 faculty members. The
department supports the other departments to teach English, Dzongkha, Mathematics,
Management, Engineering Economics and Sciences. The laboratories under this are: Physics lab,
Chemistry lab.
Other incorporating units
Exam cell: The exam cell looks after all the activities related to tests and semester exams.
Printing of question papers, mark sheets and publication of results are the
major tasks that rest with the cell.
IIR Section: The institute has an IIR Section to maintain industry- institute relations and
organise programmes for professional development of students. IIR section is a
bridge between the institute and technical society. The main aim behind
keeping it is to bridge the distance between academia and practical demands.
Institute Research committee (IRC): IRC is formed to encourage and facilitate research
and research proposals of the faculty. Mr. Karma Gayleg (HoD Civil
engineering) is the head of IRC.
Outreach activities of the institute
Besides academic activities, the Institutes also facilitates outreach activities by providing
consultancy services and conducting tailor-made short-term training programme to various
agencies. Consultancy services include topographic survey, soil test, testing of construction
material, concrete mix design.
Short-term course on Auto-CAD, STAAD-PRO, LisCAD, Seismic Design, Supervision and Quality
Control in Construction, Project Planning and Management, Computer application and
Management, Environmental Impact Assessment, skills upgradation courses in carpentry,
masonry, electrical wiring are very popular. The institute organises workshops and seminars for
other organisation.
The Programmes Offered
Currently the institute offers the following programmes.
S.No.
Courses
Duration
Basic
Qualification
1.
Bachelor of Civil Engineering
4 Years
Intake
2006
35
2.
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering
4 Years
35
XII
3.
Diploma in Civil Engineering*
3 Years
60
X
4.
Diploma in Civil Engineering*
3 Years
45
X
5.
Diploma in Mechanical Engineering*
3 Years
20
X
6.
Certificate in Mechanical
2 years
25
Engineering#
* To be at Dewathang from the coming session. # Proposals due for relocation
XII
X
Objectives of Programmes: The academic programmes are objective oriented. These objectives
define the acquired ability of our graduates and technicians. Objectives of different programmes are
as follows.
As Civil Engineering graduates they will be able to:








formulate / prepare project proposals and plans.
design, analyse, prepare working drawings and estimates of various civil engineering
structures.
execute/supervise the construction of various civil engineering projects with quality
control measures.
Carry out civil engineering related tests and field investigation works.
carry out survey for civil engineering works.
carry out feasibility studies for civil engineering projects.
prepare bid documents, specification of works and evaluate tenders.
adapt to new technologies/developments.
As Electrical Engineering graduates they will be able to:

formulate/prepare proposals and project plans.
 design and estimate electrical installation works.
 execute/supervise the implementation of electrical works with quality control measures.
 use relevant software for electrical engineering works.
 identify faults in electrical installation.
 prepare tender documents, work specification, evaluation of tender for electrical works.
Working under the close supervision of a professional engineer, a Civil Engineering technician
will be able to:
accurately interpret and communicate written and oral instructions.
supervise the work of all personnel for whom the technician is responsible.
accurately communicate the instructions from the professional engineers to the workers.
identify problems before / during / after the construction, and ensure that timely
remedial measures are taken.
 correctly interpret the architectural and structural drawings and suggest changes as per
the site conditions and standard code of practices.
 maintain all books of accounts related to the work and make timely reports.
 prepare, interpret and explain the contents of the related tender documents.
 keep abreast with the change in rules and regulations on construction as amended from
time to time.
 follow and enforce safety measures at work sites.
 Use related software for electrical work.
 Carry out quality control tests.
Working under the close supervision of a professional engineer, an Electrical Engineering
technician will be able to:























accurately interpret the written and oral instructions of a professional engineer.
supervise the work of all personnel for whom the technician is responsible.
Accurately communicate the instructions from a professional engineer to craftsman and
tradesmen.
correctly identify the causes of various defects in Electrical Installations and advise on
the most appropriate methods of rectifying defects.
correctly interpret Electrical engineering drawings.
assist project engineers in formulating project plans / proposals and preparation of
related designs, drawings and estimates.
identify problems before / during / after the construction, and ensure that timely
remedial measures are taken.
prepare working drawings from free hand sketches and samples.
design simple Installations and prepare drawings and estimates.
supervise the implementation of electrical works at the construction site.
maintain all books of accounts related to the work and make timely reports.
prepare, interpret and explain the contents of the related tender documents.
keep abreast with the change in rules and regulations on construction as amended from
time to time.
follow and enforce safety measures at work sites.
use related software for electrical work.
supervise and carry out routine and planned maintenance of electrical installations.
manage the implementation of electrical projects.
carry out Electrical Installation survey and load forecasting.
carry out quality control tests.
Working under the close supervision of a professional engineer, a Mechanical Engineering
technician will be able to:

prepare basic designs, drawing and estimate of mechanical work.















accurately interpret the written and oral instructions of a professional engineer.
supervise the work of all personnel for whom the technician is responsible.
accurately communicate the instructions from a professional engineer to mechanics and
operators.
correctly identify the causes of various defects in mechanical Installations and advise on
the appropriate methods of rectifying defects.
correctly interpret mechanical engineering drawings.
assist project engineers in formulating project plans/proposals and preparation of
related designs, drawings and estimates.
identify problems before / during / after the fabrication / manufacture / construction
and ensure that timely remedial measures are taken.
prepare working drawings from free hand sketches and samples.
supervise the execution of mechanical works at the work site.
maintain all books of accounts related to the work and prepare timely reports.
prepare, interpret and explain the contents of the related tender documents.
follow and enforce safety measures at work sites.
supervise and carry out routine and planned maintenance of mechanical installations.
maintain proper inventories and stores.
perform machining operations on conventional machine tools with fairly good degree of
accuracy.
Course Structure
The academic session is divided into two semesters. The degree programme is of eight semesters,
diploma programme of six semesters and certificate programme of four semesters. The first year
course in degree programme is common to both Civil and Electrical Engineering. The second and
third year courses are broad-based with few common subjects. The final year course is broad-based
with electives, seminars and project.
The first year first semester course in diploma programme is common to both branches of
engineering. The second year course is broad-based with a few common subjects. The final year
course is broad-based with electives, seminars and project. Certificate course is practical-intensive
and is divided into four semesters.
On-The Job Training forms an important part of the programs. While the degree and diploma
programme students undergo OJT for six weeks, the certificate students have to undergo for eight
weeks. Students are attached to various organizations to practise their profession and understand
the realities of the field situation and familiarize the working environment. Project work in the final
year allows the students to integrate their learning in various areas. It instills analytical attitude
and team spirit in the students.
The present student strength
COURSE
B. E
DIPLOMA
YEAR
CIVIL
ELECTRICAL
MECHANICAL
FIRST
B
20
G
9
TOTAL
29
B
22
G
3
TOTAL
25
B
G
SECOND
THIRD
13
16
3
1
16
17
19
13
3
1
22
14
FOURTH
FIRST
10
39
3
9
13
48
9
38
1
7
10
45
15
1
SECOND
36
10
46
42
8
50
12
4
TOTAL
TOTAL
GRAND
TOTAL
BOYS
42
GIRLS
12
32
29
6
2
38
31
16
19
92
4
17
23
109
16
90
22
112
54
CERTIFICATE
TOTAL
FINAL
FIRST
FINAL
29
8
37
29
6
35
163
43
206
172
29
201
12
15
14
68
0
8
13
26
12
23
27
94
70
15
14
403
14
8
13
98
Academic Support facilities
Each department of the Institute has a LRC equipped with computers, printers, photocopy
machine, paper shear, binders and OHP. The institute has an internet lease line of 256 kbps. The
whole campus is connected to internet through wireless network.
The library is small and modest and is increasing the collection of books, journals and periodicals
each year.
Co-curricular Activities
Vis-à-vis academic activities, co-curricular activities form a necessary part of the training
programme. The various activities organised are cultural programme, literary activities, games and
sports activities and SUPW.
Service to the Nation
The institute feels proud that it has trained and supplied 1603 engineers and technician to the
nation since its inception in 1972. The alumni of the Institute are shouldering key responsibilities
in implementing Royal Government’s plans of developing and maintaining infrastructure for
economic growth of the country. The maintenance of roads, operation and maintenance of hydroelectric power generation, transmission and distribution system, operation and maintenance of
telecommunication facilities, addressing the needs of rural infrastructure development by
strengthening the Engineering cells of the Dzongkhag are a few of the prominent areas that the
alumni have made significant impact on. Statistics on the numbers of students graduated from the
Institute are as follows:
84
23
27
501
DEGREE
Electrica
Civil
l
DIPLOMA LEVEL
Civil
B
G
Electrical
T
B
G
T
Mechnical
Year
B
G
T
B
G
T
B
G T
1976
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1977
0
0
0
0
0
0
15
0
15
12
0
12
0
0
0
1978
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
0
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
26
17
19
26
22
31
0
31
42
41
30
25
20
29
15
23
42
0
26
17
19
26
22
31
0
31
42
41
30
25
23
31
19
26
50
0
8
6
10
10
5
7
0
11
9
15
14
11
13
12
7
20
20
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
0
2
0
8
6
10
10
5
7
0
11
9
15
14
12
13
12
10
20
22
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
9
9
10
6
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1997
0
0
0
0
0
0
34
44
24
5
29
12
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
35
35
35
35
38
23
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
4
3
8
1
0
6
5
6
8
6
1
41
40
41
43
44
34
17
33
28
25
54
25
3
6
6
6
7
3
20
39
34
31
61
28
10
11
5
8
8
5
CERTIFICATE LEVEL
Drastsma Mechanica
Surveyor
n
l
B
G T
B
G
0
0
0
7
0
7
0
0
0
42
0
42
0
0
0
19
0
19
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
1
5
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
9
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
9
9
10
6
8
7
1
5
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
9
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
5
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
34
23
29
36
27
38
0
42
61
68
48
44
42
50
32
49
70
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
3
1
3
2
7
3
10
0
34
23
29
36
27
38
0
42
62
70
51
45
45
52
39
52
80
0
12
0
0
0
0
0
0
70
15
85
0
0
1
0
0
0
10
11
6
8
8
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
62
79
68
68
100
53
9
11
13
14
13
14
71
90
81
82
113
87
0
0
T
B
G
B
TOTAL
Gran
d
G
T
2
Total
1
2004
0
0
0
0
0
0
21
2005
7
2
9
9
0
9
31
TOTA
L
7
2
9
9
0
9
74
8
5
1
8
9
5
26
23
6
29
6
0
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
49
20
1
21
8
0
8
0
0
0
0
0
9
84
3
43
9
4
9
48
8
12
3
1
12
4
5
3
0
5
3
7
6
22
2
6
1
5
4
1
4
8
1
2
0
3
0
2
3
7
3
76
15
91
74
27
110
141
1
16
3
1603
Steps Ahead
The Diploma Programme will be relocated to Dewathang Campus from August 2006.
This will help the institute to increase intake in its degree programme and to plan for
further diversification of the programmes offered. Royal University of Bhutan marks,
“Relocations of the diploma section would ease the space constraints… ”2 Some of the
future plans nestled in the bosom of RBIT are:





Increase intake capacity in the existing programme.
Diversify programmes.
Promote research activities.
Develop adequate infrastructure to support and diversify the
existing programmes.
Upgrade academic and professional qualification of the teaching
faculties.
Paraphrases
1. The first UNDP/ILO Project, 1974 stated in Polytechnic in 25 Years, 1999.
2. Royal University of Bhutan-Annual Report, August 2005, page 38
Chukha Higher Secondary School
Blended with Indo-Bhutanese architectural designs, a design quite unusual from others,
yet very common in the vicinity, Chukha Higher Secondary School stands on a
descending landscape, among the verdant trees and imposing buildings of CHPC
(Chukha Hydro Power Corporation).
As a monumental symbol of friendship between Bhutan and India, some great
personalities in gho and trousers among the cloud of dust saw Chukha Higher
Secondary School come to life on 20th July 1977. It was then known as Indo-Bhutan
Central School. However, the school could only function from the academic year 197879 with a total strength of 184 students. Shri K.S. Nagaraju Rao was the first principal,
who organized the school on a sound footing. He rendered his service to this school
from 29.5.1978 to 31.1.1979. The school was then run by Kendriya Vidyalaya
Sangathen.
Initially, in its first phase, the school had classes up to VIII only. However, due to the
increase in the number of officers, staff and workers in the Project, the school had to be
upgraded to Class X during the academic year 1979-80. Shri R.L. Gupta was then the
second principal of the school from 14.2.1979 to 31.7.1982. And it was during his
tenure as the principal that the Plus II scheme was introduced. Another gentleman
called Shri S. Rangunathan as the third Indian principal followed him. He had taken
over the school on 20th May 1983 to 4th November 1986.
On 1st May 1989, the school’s history opened another new chapter as the last Indian
principal Shri S.P. Jain, who helped to run the school from 14th Oct 1986 to 30th April
1989, handed over the Indo-Bhutan Central School to the Department of Education,
Royal Government of Bhutan. The school then started functioning with a changed name
as Chukha High School with a total strength of about 400 students. Mr Mingboo
Dukpa, who had worked for one year as the Vice Principal in the same school became
the first Bhutanese principal of the school on 1st April 1989 to 1st April 1991. Ever since
the nationalization of the school, it picked up greater momentum for growth. In the
beginning, the school had classes ranging from primary level to Class X. The first batch
of Class X students sat ICSE in March 1992. Later, primary section was segregated
giving birth to another new school, which today stands as Tsimalakha Lower Secondary
School.
Ms Phintsho Choden, a visionary citizen and the founder of the Foundation Day of the
school, took over the school as the second Bhutanese Principal on 1st April 1991 to 5th
March 1995. Under her dynamic leadership, the school was well known across the
country. Today, the school celebrates its Foundation Day on 2nd May coinciding with the
birth anniversary of our late King His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
History reveals its Foundation Day to be on 1st April. However, on a deeper study, Ms
Phintsho Choden changed the Foundation Day from April Fool’s Day to the historic
occasion of May 2nd. This was in fact a wise step taken by her.
Mr Sangay Tenzin, who is the current Chief Controller of Examinations, succeeded her.
During his tenure as the principal, the school witnessed a drastic change. From a mere
high school, it transformed into a higher secondary school in 1998, offering courses in
Commerce and Arts. Mr Sangay Tenzin, who was the longest serving principal, who
served from 5th March 1995 to 10th July 2002, left the school in the safe hands of yet
another dynamic principal Ms Dawa Choden.
No sooner did Ms Dawa Choden take over the office than she took forward the school
and its family to a greater and wider horizon of intellectual territory with clear and
specific objectives in the mind.
Today, to her credit, the school can proudly boast of hundred percent pass results in
ISC-2004 and approximately 97 percent in BBE examinations in 2004. Today, under her
leadership, the school could also obtain a huge CHPC Office as our boys’ hostel.
Furthermore, the school could also widen its area.
Today, this school as a premier institution not only offers a variety of opportunities to
the learners, but also stands as an epitome of Indo-Bhutan friendship. “This is a school
well known for its unique structure and for cohesive co-existence of all its members as a
big family-CHSS,” says one of the senior most teachers. And as such, this school would
like to be remembered as “a premier and ideal institution for cost-effective wholesome
education in the kingdom.”
The benefits of this school do not end within the parameter of the school. The tentacles
of social welfare service of this school have even touched the remotest parts of Chukha
Dzongkhag. Today, besides helping community in social services, this school also
provides hopes and dreams to six orphans by sponsoring their education. “We are also
hoping to identify more children hereafter, in the years to come,” says Principal Dawa
Choden with a genuine smile. To its own community, the school has organized and still
organizes several workshops and meetings in order to promote belongingness, parental
education and also to sensitize the community to the challenges faced by their own
school. “I feel happy to have joined this wonderful and unique school,” remarks Choni
Seldon, Class XI student, who had been enthralled by the peculiar architectural designs
of the school.
Since this school has passed many milestones of success with a lot of infrastructure
constraints, the staff and students still hope to flourish further in the years to come and
promise to produce productive citizens through quality education. This is the vision of
the school. Furthermore, the school hopes to offer science stream to eager learners by
the next academic session. And above all, “with the coming of JICA Project, our school,
perhaps ten years from now, dreams to be elevated to the status of a degree college.
This is the new dream that we dream,” asserts Mr Yang T Dorji, the assistant principal.
Today, this school is the home to 554 students, 27 teaching staff and 11 non-teaching
staff.
When the history vanishes to the breath of the night wind of modernization, this school
feels proud to have two senior most teachers- Mr G.P. Pandey and Mr K.R. Pillai, who
have seen the birth and growth of the school. To them today, this school is not only
their home but also fills their heart and mind with a sense of belonging, security and
peace. When asked about his own opinion, Mr K.R. Pillai, who had refused several offers
to work in private schools, says, “Money is not a matter for me, but love for the
profession and attachment that I have with this school occupy a top priority in my life as
a teacher.”
“This school is the assimilation of two great cultures,” says Mr K R Pillai when asked
about the distinctive features of this school. To him, this school is not only an institution
where a teacher just comes to teach. It embodies a deeper and far profounder meaning.
He says, “Each blade of grass and each grain of sand of CHSS has lots to tell, lots to
share if we can listen to their silent voices.”
The alumni of this school cover the length and breadth of the country. To mention some
outstanding alumni in particular:
Ms Maya Sherpa, Administrative Officer, Haa
Dzongkhag; Mr Ugyen Dorji, Chief Pharmacist, JDWNRH (who was once the house
captain of Red House in this school); Ms Sarita Lama, B. Arch, City Corporation,
Thimphu; Dr Tej Nath, DMO, General Hospital, Tsimalakha; Mr Bhandari, AEO,
Monggar and Mr Karma Jamtsho, Engineer, Thimphu. Furthermore, “there are many of
our students across the kingdom working as army officers, section officers, junior
engineers, teachers, tax inspectors and as office workers,” say Principal Dawa Choden.
Chukha Higher Secondary School, however, with its infrastructure constraints, dreams
and hopes to satisfy all those that come here with unquenchable thirst for knowledge
and wisdom.
This is in fact a very big and honest dream of Principal Dawa’s School.
Phuntsholing Higher Secondary School
Location: Phuntsholing, Chukha Dzongkhag
Year of establishment: 1983
Vision of our school: To be a leading educational institute in order to develop our youth
to be productive citizens of Bhutan.
Mission of the school:



To provide a caring and nurturing environment that will help the students bring
out their best innate abilities.
To go beyond the prescribed curriculum to provide various positive learning
experiences to the students.
To inculcate in the students the value of perseverance in the task of
development, compassion for all the sentient beings, patriotism towards the
Tsawasum, and the love of life-long learning.
Phuntsholing Higher Secondary School is located a few yards from Indo-Bhutan border.
It is near the confluence of Omchu and Amochu. Its green playground and trees around
the campus add to the beauty and grandeur of the place.
Phuntsholing was and is one of the most important trading centres in the country.
Population is a growing crisis of the place. Phuntsholing had a big primary school that
was established in 1961 in the present Revenue and Customs Office area. There was,
therefore, an acute need of a school to accommodate the students passing out of that
primary school. Therefore, the present school was established as a junior high school in
the year 1983. The school was started with 200 students and 9 teachers including the
head teacher. It had then classes ranging from IV to VIII. In the year 2000, the school
was upgraded to a high school. Dasho Zanglay Drukpa, the then Chukha Dzongda,
inaugurated the school. In the year 2003, the school was upgraded to a higher
secondary school with classes ranging from VII to XII. The first batch of Class XII ISC
students passed out of the school in December 2004 with 100 percent pass results. The
school offers Science and Commerce streams.
Mr K B Basnet from Kalimpong was the first head teacher of Phuntsholing Junior High
School. He was the head of the school from 1983 to March 1998. In 1998, Ms Nainakala
Gurung took over as the head of the school as part of the royal government's plan to
nationalize all the heads of the schools. Ms Nainakala is still the head of the school.
The school built up the whole of its campus through its own efforts. It carried out a
number of fund-raising activities and built facilities like basketball court, volleyball
court, football field and a clean, spacious toilet for the students.
At present, the school has 19 teachers and 12 non-teaching staff. The strength of the
students is 627.
Since its establishment, the school has seen some of the committed and experienced
teachers like the first head teacher, Mr K B Basnet, Mr R K Krishnan, Mr Sabastian,
Lopon Pema Namgyel, Mr Moitra, Mr R K Sinha and Mr K B Rai. The school also fondly
remembers the contribution made by Ms Nilima Barla (presently lecturer in NIE, Samtse)
and Ms Sonam Choden.
The distinctive feature of the school is that the values are lived and nurtured and not
merely taught. The students are given constant encouragement and support to excel in
academic and personal development. Every student gets personal and career counseling.
Phuntsholing Higher Secondary School is run on the basis of many guidelines framed by
itself which are in line with the guidelines of the education ministry. The school, among
others, considers parents as partners in education. The parents of the children in the
school are called upon to help the school make their own children better. They are, for
instance, called upon to take equal part in the children's punctuality, discipline,
academic performance and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. So, the
children's education is not confined to the school campus. All through their days in the
school, the children learn- from their teachers as well as from their parents and
guardians.
The children are, though, not expected to rely only on their parents and teachers. They
have a set of guidelines to follow. In their own education, they are expected to play a
greater role than their parents and teachers. Likewise, the teachers in the school also
have a set of guidelines to adhere to. They are given to understand their own role as
teachers and their place in the wider scheme of things and the children's lives. Their
aims and those of children are expected to be set against the backdrop of the wider
national interest and objectives.
In short, the students in the school are called upon to learn more than what the
teachers teach them and the teachers are called upon to teach beyond prescribed
textbooks. In other words, values education forms a crucial part of education in the
school.
The school would like to be remembered as a place of learning of the highest truth, a
caring and warm place where every child who passes out of it do so with the best
education. A place from where mature, rational thinking, skillful, confident, value-laden
students pass out; a place where the teachers, parents and the community together take
up the responsibility of bringing about the holistic development of the students.
Reldri Higher Secondary School
In the last four decades, Bhutan has transformed from an isolated kingdom to one that
is striving to keep pace with the development of neighbouring countries. Under the
dynamic leadership of His Majesty, our beloved King, the Royal Government has placed
tremendous emphasis on the development of the private sector. A close look at this
scenario suggested the foundation of Reldri Higher Secondary School with primary
responsibility to offer comprehensive all-round educational services to Bhutanese
Children.
The school is owned and managed by Ms. Tashi Tshomo, the daughter of Dasho Nado
Gyeltshen, the General Manager of R.I.C.B, Phuntsholing.
It is situated in a beautiful scenic vicinity of the foothills of the Himalayas about 5 km
from Phuntsholing city on the way to Pasakha Industrial Estate and within one km from
the Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology, Rinchending. The school compound consists
of 14.5 acres of more or less even land. The school has four completed separate
functional buildings, facilitating services for its 137 first batch of students. Of the four,
two buildings house classroom and administrative block. The remaining two are school
Cafeteria and Temple. The cafeteria provides facilities like infirmary, telephone room and
a storeroom. Besides, the school has many works in progress, such as three separate
buildings for classrooms, a football ground, and a basketball court.
RHSS serves the students of Phuntsholing and Chukha catchment area by focusing on
the needs of individuals. Students are expected to demonstrate respect and sensitivity
to others and to pursue excellence in academic and co-curricular programmes. A
dedicated faculty works under the able guidance of the principal and the assistance of
students to reach their goal.
The Vision:
To be the cynosure of academic excellence with a pleasant environment
for the wholesome development of the students.
The Mission: The basic aim for the establishment of RHSS is to nurture young budding
teenagers of the nation, possessing patriotic, social, moral and personal values with
academic excellence together with skills essential to life, who would be competitive and
productive in contributing towards the attainment of national goals through quality
educational facilities.
Goals: The school aims to attain the development in the following four broad areas:
a) Cognitive Domain.
b) Psychomotor Domain.
c) Affective Domain and
d) Values
Objectives: Our school education is geared towards the achievement of the following
objectives:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
To help students gain mastery of basic skills and fundamental
processes
To help in intellectual development.
To educate and encourage students to help them identify suitable careers.
Develop inter-personal understanding.
Encourage citizenship participation.
Help develop a sound and ethical character.
Promote emotional and physical expression.
Facilitate self-realization.
Management and Staff:
RHSS is governed by the school Management Board. The SMB is entrusted with
manifold responsibilities for the smooth functioning of the school. They are as follows:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
Ensuring proper implementation of the government policy and guidelines.
Ensuring quality of services.
Deciding the intake capacity of students and admission modality
Approving the calendar of activities.
Reviewing scholarships to deserving students, if any.
Ensuring proper discipline in the school.
Any other administrative action relevant to the operation of the school.
List of SMB Members:
1. Ms. Tashi Tshomo
2. Mr Kinga Rinchen
3. Mr Jigme Thinley
4. Mr Gopal Chhetri
5. Mr Tsheten Dorji
6. Mr Chimi Dorji
7. Mr Sajy John
Proprietor
Principal
Head teacher, Phuntsholing, LSS.
Parents’ Representative
Parents’ Representative
Teacher
Teacher
Staff List 2004
Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Name
Mr Kinga Rinchen
Ms Archana
Mr Sajy John
Mr Suresh Kumar
Mr Pema Chojay
Mr Chhimi Dorji
Mr Kamalesh M.N
Mr Bhaskar Gupta
Ms Phul Maya
Ms Tshering Dema
Mr Prithman Sherpa
Designation
Principal
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Office Assistant.
Security & Transportation
Qualification
B.A Eco (H), PGCE
M.A (Eng), B.Ed.
M.A (Hist), B.Ed.
M.A (Geo), B.Ed.
M.A (Dzongkha)
B.A, (Dzongkha)
B.Sc, PCM (Main)
M.Com B.Ed.
X, PTTC
X, ISCE
VIII
Facilities Offered

A sprawling campus away from the hustle and bustle of the city with wellventilated and spacious classrooms.

Fully-fledged secretarial/administrative services for easy communication with
fax, e-mail and telephone facilities.


Computer lab for curricular-based teaching and technology based learning.






Adequate provision for games and sports.
A well-stocked library with current and past editions of reference books,
magazines, journals and periodicals to assist the students aspiring for
excellence.
Bus services from Phuntsholing city to the school and vice versa (5 km).
Pure filtered drinking water facility.
Clean and hygienic school cafeteria.
Infirmary with a stock of essential medicines for immediate attention.
And above all a team of qualified and experienced teachers led by an energetic
and dynamic principal with years of experience in managing higher secondary
schools.
Admission Policy
1. Admission for Class XI is given upon fulfilling the following criteria:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Have an aggregate of 50% in BBCSE/ISCE
Have a good character Certificate.
Have citizenship Card or letter from the Home Ministry in Proof of Identity.
Are the residents of the catchment area.
For students who have less than 50% aggregate but 45% minimum, the admission
committee may consider for admission if:


There is a recommendation letter from the head of school last attended

Other documents as specified in ii) to iv) above.
Both students and parents give the letter of undertaking assuring the display of
good behaviour and good academic performance.
2. Admission for primary classes will be granted if they can produce;




Health Card indicating the right age.
I.D Card of the parents.
Progress report and transfer certificate from previous school
The child has attained a minimum of 6 years.
Streams Offered
I.
II.
III.
ARTS
English
Dzongkha
Economics
COMMERCE
English
Dzongkha
Economics
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Geography
History
Business Mathematics (optional)
Computer Science (optional)
Commerce
Accounts
Business Mathematics
For primary classes as per government school.
Fees Structure
For Class XI & XII Nu. 19,500/- per year payable in three installments.
For Primary Classes:
Non-refundable Deposit
Nu. 2000/- per year.
Monthly installment
Nu. 450- to Nu. 500/NB: Examination fees, fees for eligibility certificate, cost of school dress/uniform,
transport etc. are not included in the fees.
We presume the graduates of RHSS will have a feeling of self-worth, respect for all
individuals and commitment to life-long learning.
Chapcha Middle Secondary School
Chapcha Middle Secondary School is situated right on the top of the cliff of Zimla called
Phola Gang in Chapcha gewog in Chukha Dzongkhag. The school is one hour’s drive
from Chuzom along Wangchu. It is completely isolated from the rest of the villages and
shops.
Prior to the establishment of the school, this place was used by the local people who
practised Bonism as the place of offering for their local deity (phola).
The school was established in the year 1996 with Mr Tshering Drukpa as the head with
classes ranging from PP to VI. In the year 1998 the school was upgraded to a fullyfledged government boarding junior high school with Mr Jimba Dorji as the head
teacher. In 2001, the school built some more infrastructure with help from the World
Bank. With this, the school was further upgraded to middle secondary level with Mr
Sherab Dorji as the head. The primary classes were already segregated from the school
and was shifted to the old school which is near the old Chapcha Dzong which is in ruins
today.
Previously, the school was located at the site of the old Chapcha Dzong. The school did
not have proper playground and the space was limited. Therefore, the then department
of education on August 1, 1992 sent to the school a technical team to study the prospect
of expansion of the school area.
The team found the present location of the school most suitable for expansion for it was
a piece of government land and it is centrally located. Since it was moved to the new
location, many changes have taken place in terms of infrastructure and communication
facilities. Currently, additional infrastructure like science laboratory and the library are
coming up under the new head, Mr Norbu Wangchuk. The school takes in a minimum of
400 boarding students and has very few day-scholars.
The school experiences frequent change of weather as it is located between temperate
and sub-alpine zones. Unlike other places, this area has no variety of vegetation. The
prominent vegetations are blue pine, oak, hemlock, juniper and it has a lot of flowering
plants during the short summer. Grasses do not grow tall enough as the place remains
cold most of the year.
Darla Middle Secondary School
Location
Darla Middle Secondary School is located in Chukha Dzongkhag under Phuntsholing
Dungkhag. It is 6.5 km towards THPA power house from Jumja Zero point on the
Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway.
The school area overlooks the most spectacular sight and breathtaking green
mountainous landscape of Darla Valley.
The need of a school in Darla locality was first conceived by Mr Karna Bahadur Chhetri,
the then Gup of Tala Gewog, with some support from the local community members.
Initially the school was established about half a kilometer away from the present
location in a horse stable of Chapcha Penlop, Dasho Nagchung. This school existed as a
community school headed by Mr Laxmi Prasad Sharma in the late 1950’s.
The Present School
The present school, which started as Tala Primary School took shape in the current
location in 1961 under the supervision of Mr Karna Bahadur Chhetri, the then Gup. The
leading protagonist, Mr Karna Bahadur Chhetri, with some cooperation from the public,
went to Paro and got the approval for the establishment of the school. The construction
of this school initially started in 1961 and completed in 1968 and recognized and started
to function as a fully-fledged primary school under the headship of Mr Rudra Basnet.
Chronological list of head teachers of the school
1. Mr Karna Bahadur Chhetri, founder of the school.
2. Mr Laxmi Prasad Sharma (Founder head teacher of the Community School)
1957-58
3. Mr Deomani Subba (Supported the Community School)
1959-61
4. Mr Rudra Basnet (First head appointed by the govt.)
1961-64
5. Mr A. N. Bhaskaran
1965-67
6. Mr Chandrama Thakur
1968-72
7. Mr B. D. Rockka
1973-74
8. Mr P.M. Dutta (Teacher Incharge)
1975-75
9. Late Mr Edwin Benjamin Lama
1976-76
10. Mr B. K. Benjamin
1977-80
11. Mr Viswanathan
1981-82
12. Mr Ganesh Chhetri
1983-85
13. Mr D.B. Rai
1986-88
14. Mr Tshering Dukpa
1989-91
15. Mr Dhendup Tshering
1992-97
16. Mr Karma Phuntsho
1998- till
till date.
Alumni of Darla Middle Secondary School
1. Dasho Thuji Norbu
2. Mr N. B. Raika
Former Director of Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs
Lecturer, NIE, Samtse
3. Mr B. K. Subba
4. Mr Bimal Pradhan
5. Mr Pushpalal Nirola
6. Mr Purna Bdr. Ghalley
7. Mr Prem Mani Pradhan
8. Mr Hari Prasad Kafley
9. Mr Bhim Mani Pradhan
10.Mr D. B. Pradhan
11.Mr P.M. Pradhan
12. Mr N.K. Sharma
13. Mr Surjaman Samal,
14. Mr Ganga Ram Chhetri
15. Mr Deo Kumar Monggar
Executive Engineer, Pendent Cement Authority Ltd.
Assistant Director, RRCO, Phuntsholing.
Former Secretary, UNESCO, Education Div.
D.F.O., Monggar
Sr. Auditor, Royal Audit Authority
Engineer, Department of Telecom
Asstt., DFO, Thimphu
Former Adm. Officer, Paro District Hospital
Engineer, Microwave, Thimphu
Teacher, Darla MSS
Manager, BOB, Thimphu
Teacher, Gyelpozhing HSS
OA, Wangchu MSS
How the school has evolved over the years and how it has benefited the community,
society and the country as a whole.
A walk through the old Darla
"There was no electricity, nor telephone. The favoured way of transportation was on
horse. Life was different then," said Mr N. K. Sharma, a teacher and a denizen of the
school. In 1950’s, he started his schooling in the same school under Mr L.P. Sharma,
only teacher then teaching twenty students in a thatched hut presently below the
chorten near the road. "I, along with other village boys, used to sit on floor with a slate
in hand and pebbles and maize grains in the pocket, listening to the old man. Now, how
can I measure the changes that have taken place?"
In 1961, the school was shifted to the present place. The school is now 55 years old.
Comparatively, the school has not progressed much in terms of infrastructure. Though
the school is upgraded to middle secondary level, there are not enough facilities. The
only reason one can give for this is that the school is not located in a proper place. The
area restricts the construction of more buildings.
The teachers and the students of course do not lose hope. They work hard taking
interest and initiatives to make the best use of the available resources in order to impart
education effectively.
"The teachers and the students of Darla Middle Secondary School have to put in a little
more extra efforts, make a little more extra sacrifice and commitment in our respective
jobs so that together we can make a difference in the lives of the people of Darla.",
Principal.
The school was started with 72 children in the present administrative block. Then, with
the increase in the student strength in the late 1970’s, two more academic blocks came
up on either side of the administrative block. With the starting of WFP in the school, the
community built the present girls hostel. Later, in the year 1995-'96, with the
dzongkhag's initiative, the present boys’ hostel and an academic block was built in front
of the administrative block. In the year 1997, when the school was upgraded to the lower
secondary level, there was a need of science laboratory and the head teacher's quarters.
The Dzongkhag Administration took the need of the school seriously to facilitate and
enhance effective learning. The student strength in the meanwhile rose tremendously
due to the establishment of BBPL and the Tala Hydro Electric Project.
The Dzongkhag Administration built the Science Lab and library block and also the head
teacher’s quarters in 2000. As the student strength increased further and the old
buildings got old, the Dzongkhag Administration built a six-unit classroom block in
2003, which is used to accommodate Classes VIII, IX and X. The school was upgraded
to lower secondary level in 1997 and to middle secondary level in 2002.
How the school has benefited the community
The school has made the education of the children in the community easy. If you
happen to pass by any of small houses in the village, you would smell sweet and holy
fragrance of books lingering in the air and children sitting outside on a bamboo mat
singing rhymes like twinkle, twinkle little star in full-throated voice and chanting
multiplication of Two and Three. All these are the influence of education given by this
school.
Since its establishment the school has not only admitted the children of the natives, but
also the children of employees in and around the town. Therefore, the school has played
a vital role in imparting education to everyone in the area.
Teachers are the makers of society and the soul of society.
"Our youth does not form 100% of the population but they definitely form 100% of the
future of the society."
In the past, the school sent out as many as 40 students per year from Class VIII and last
year the first batch of Class X passed out. 37.5% of them qualified for college. Today,
there are many alumni of this school who hold high positions. The school through the
core curriculum and various other learning activities teaches students not only the
bookish facts but also the values. Still the school is in the process of producing efficient
and productive citizens.
Students and teachers details of the school from 1961-2004
Year
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Total Enrolment
Boys Girls
Total
201
107
308
298
176
474
289
190
479
300
193
493
301
197
498
307
213
520
326
256
582
366
286
652
469
367
836
586
430
1016
581
453
1034
553
407
960
587
446
1033
669
511
1180
555
628
1283
715
553
1268
Teachers
Bhutanese
Non-Bhutanese
16
21
2
3
Total
16
18
24
9
9
9
14
16
15
17
14
18
24
20
5
4
1
3
6
6
7
5
8
8
6
14
13
10
17
22
21
24
19
26
32
26
Vision of the School
The vision of the school is to give quality education to prepare the students to be good
citizens and to be future professionals. The growth is expected with the above said aims.
Distinctive features of the School.
One distinctive feature of the school is its misty and foggy weather that greets every
visitor. In spite of bad whether, there are, though, more than a thousand reasons for one
to want to live here.
In spite of inadequate facilities, Darla School is producing productive citizens. In the
year 2003, the school has successfully produced 100% results in LSSCE examinations.
A Class VIII student, who secured whole Bhutan second place, strengthened the name
and the pride of the school. Our Girls Volleyball Team reached the national level. Cooperation, unity and understanding among the teachers are the qualities, which every
alumnus and teacher values about this school.
Gedu Middle Secondary School
The previous location of the Gedu Primary School was behind the present Tala Hydro
Project Authority (THPA) office at Gedu. The Gedu Wood Manufacturing Corporation
(GWMC) established it in 1983. The company had recruited two teachers from
Darjeeling, India. There were 47 students studying from kindergarten to Class three. The
school was established particularly for the children of the employees of GWMC and the
government employees. The school also benefits the children of Gedu community. By
1985, there were six teachers and about 200 children going to school.
The RGOB took over the school from the GWMC in 1987 in order to provide free
education like any other schools around the country. Ms Pema Chhoden took over as the
first head teacher of Gedu Primary School (GPS) from 1987 till the end of 1988. Mr
Kezang Dawa succeeded her from 1988 to 1990. The chronological order of the head
teachers of the school is as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Ms Pema Choden
Late Kezang Dawa
Mr Penla Tshering
Late Leki Dorji
Mr Tshering Womling
Ms Deki Tshering Tiala
Mr Norbu Wangchuk
Mr Karma Sonam Chophel
1987-1988
1988-1990
1990-1993
1994-1995
1996-2000
2000-2001 (principal)
2001-July 2002(principal)
2002 (principal)
With the increasing population of Gedu town with the commencement of the Tala Hydro
Project, there was a need for a larger school. The RGOB recommended the THPA for the
construction of the school in 1997-'98 with an objective to start a secondary school. The
construction was completed in December 2000 at an approximate cost of Nu.38.20
million.
The school was handed over to the Education Division by the THPA on December 16,
2000. In March 2000, the Gedu Primary School was shifted to the new building at the
present location. The school was upgraded to middle secondary level the same year. Mr
Tshering Womling took office as the first head of the school.
Iron poles and wire mesh fence the school complex. Roads connect it from two directions
and a concrete path from another. The school building constitutes two administrative
blocks i.e, primary and secondary classes, three laboratory blocks and a multipurpose
hall with a stage and indoor Badminton court. The hall has an approximate capacity of
500 people. The school has a newly constructed basketball court and a football field with
pavilions for the audience. A VIP gallery overlooking the field has also been built
recently. The school also has its own archery range within the school complex.
The new school with a capacity of over 1000 students immensely benefits the children of
the employees of the THPA, government servants and the local community. Gedu
constitutes about hundred households of Beri, Meretsemo, Chaagtshul Lhakhang, and
Bongo.
Today, the school has a total student population of 1400 and 42 teachers with 11
support staff. In March 2004, the school has been internally segregated for
administrative and academic matters. The third batch of Class X students graduated
from the school in December 2003. Since the graduation of the first batch of Class X in
2001, there has been a gradual improvement in the pass percentage in the BCSE. THPA
has been providing technical and infrastructural support to the school ever since its
establishment in 2000.
We would like to acknowledge Mr Kado (Junior Engineer) for providing relevant technical
information and Mr Bishnulal Mishra for providing the background history of the
primary school.
Wangchu Middle Secondary School
Wangchu Middle Secondary School is located in Jabcho gewog under Chukha
Dzongkhag. It was started as a primary school in 1976 to provide education mainly to
the children of the people involved in the construction of the 336-MW Chukha Hydroelectric Project. Since the school is situated on the right bank of river Wangchu, the
school was re-named as Wangchu Primary School in 1992.
To meet the educational needs of the growing community, the school was upgraded to a
lower secondary school in 1992 and to its present status in 2001. The school has classes
ranging from pre-primary to X in 26 sections. At present, the school has an enrolment of
1062 students (528 boys and 534 girls). The school not only benefits the employees of
Chukha Hydro Power Corporation Limited (CHPCL) and an operating power station at
Chukha, but also the people of Jabcho gewog, the armed force personnel, other
government employees stationed at Chukha and the employees of Tala Hydro-Electric
Project stationed at Hongkha.
The enrolment figures, staff strength and the performance of the students in the Class
VI, VIII and X examinations since 1992 are provided in figure l. While there has been a
steady increase in enrolment over the years, the school saw a huge increase in the
number upon its upgrading to a lower secondary school in 1998. The school continues
to witness an increasing enrolment every year. The first two batches of students who sat
for BCSE (10) examinations achieved 100% pass results and the 2003 batch brought
recognition to the school as the only school to achieve 100% pass results in the country
with 63% of the students qualifying for admission in Class XI.
Figure I
Year
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Teaching
Staff
12
14
11
12
12
11
17
19
19
30
30
33
38
Support
Staff
1
1
3
6
10
15
Total
Staff
12
14
11
12
12
11
17
20
20
33
36
43
53
Number of
Students
340
363
393
430
452
450
665
764
805
831
912
959
1062
Pass Percentage of Students
PCSE (6)
79
78
75
90
100
100
94
100
95
88
85
86
-
LSSCE (8)
BCSE (10)
91
95
97
85
96
98
-
100
100
-
Until October 2001, the school operated in a small building located within the
residential colony of CHPCL. As a result of its upgrading to a high school and the
increasing student enrolment, the CHPCL management invested a sum of
Nu.1,38,67,324.98/- (13.86 million) in the construction of the present three-storey
school building consisting of 24 classrooms excluding laboratories, library room,
staffroom, an administrative unit and a spacious multipurpose hall. The building has a
total floor area of 29, 320 square feet, providing enough space required for a high school.
The CHPCL has always been an active partner in delivering quality education to the
students of WMSS through moral and material support.
The school is committed to providing quality and wholesome education to its students,
to make them productive and dedicated citizens of the kingdom of Bhutan. Towards
achieving this goal, the school has a group of committed and dedicated teachers and
non-teaching staff.
The school has been administered over the years by the following head teachers as
shown in figure II. Records on early years of the school are not available in full.
Figure II
Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Name of the Heads
Mr Muhammad Hakeem
Mr S.L. Rai
Mr Neten Wangchuk
Mr M. B. Mukhia
Ms Kezang Deki
Mr Pasang Dorji
Mr Dorji Pasang
Period
1976 (?)
Not Known
Till 1988(?)
1989 to 1991
1992 to 2000
2001 to July, 2003
Sept., 2003 to date
The non-formal education (NFE) center was also introduced in April 2000 for the
community of Chukha. As of December 2003, the school has assisted more than 100
persons to obtain basic literacy and numeracy courses through this programme. This in
turn has helped improve the quality of their lives.
School Vision, Mission and Strategy
The school has its own humble vision and mission to achieve as reflected below.
Vision
To produce productive and dedicated citizens for the country
What we value:












Positive attitude
Patriotism
Honesty
Loyalty
Obedience and respect
Dignity of labour
Tolerance
Thadamtse and Ley Jumdrey
Perseverance
Compassion
Self-discipline
Work ethic
We hope to fulfill the vision through:



Proper and continuous guidance
Proper planning and introspection
Commitment
Management Practices
As mentioned earlier on, the school has classes ranging from PP to grade X in 26
sections. The management of the school has become quite complex because of the fact
that the secondary and primary classes are on the same campus. The overall
management of the school is done by the Principal while the primary classes are looked
after by the assistant principal. The morning assembly is also conducted separately for
secondary and primary classes. In order to have a sense of oneness, a joint assembly is
conducted once in a week, on Mondays. The teacher-on-duty (TOD) system is practised
to carry out a routine work of the day. Staff meetings are conducted as and when
required.
School Culture
The culture of the school has tremendous contribution to the success of the school. The
school has the system of conducting the following events:






Annual Fete Day
Annual Rimdro
Farewell to teachers going on transfer or resigning
Farewell to out-going Class X students
Ex-gratia contribution (semso) system
Annual Prize Award Day
Extra-curricular Activities
In line with the government’s policy of imparting wholesome education to our youths,
the following extra-curricular activities are carried out. All these activities are carried
out on competition basis.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Games and sports events (both indoor and outdoor)
Literary activities
Cultural activities
Club activities
Annual Reading Week
Annual Sports, etc.
Challenges
We would consider that this school is fortunate to be located in the CHPCL colony
because the school administration gets good support from the management of the
CHPCL besides the usual support from the Dzongkhag administration. At present, the
school does not face major problems but there are some problems nevertheless.
(a) Lack of adequate toilets both for teachers and students to meet the increasing
enrolment pressure.
(b) Management problem due to both primary and secondary classes being on the same
campus.
(c) The existing classrooms are inadequate to meet the increasing annual enrolment
pressure.
(d) Lack of enough space for further expansion.
Chungkha Lower Secondary School
Chungkha Lower Secondary School is situated in Bongo gewog under Chukha
Dzongkhag. It is below the Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway. It falls under Gedu cluster
as it is only 18 km from Gedu. If one has the will to visit the school, one must stop at
Chungmirimgor and climb down the hill for 20 minutes to reach the school.
The establishment of Chungkha School was a long process. The inhabitants of
Chungkha, led by Mr Rinchen Gyeltshen submitted a petition to Dr. Sonam Tobgye and
Dasho Lam Penjor. They discussed the matter in detail and sent a document to Her
Royal Highness Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck in the beginning of 1972.
Unfortunately, Her Royal Highness sent an official letter which read that Chungkha and
nearby villages are near to Bongo and children of these villages could get education from
Bongo school. So the children were sent to Bongo school. But the difficulties of crossing
rivers and passes through deep forest terrified children. Again when Mr Rinzin
Gyeltshen was appointed a National Assembly member of Bongo gewog, he took up the
matter. Dasho Nado Rinchen, the then Education Director, said that the department had
no plan to construct a school in Chungkha in the 6th Five-Year plan and if we really
wanted one, we may approach His Majesty the King.
As suggested by Dasho Nado Rinchen, the issue was discussed in the Royal Banquet
Hall during the National Assembly. His Majesty commanded his subordinates to find out
the number of households and children in the villages. It was found viable. So the
construction works began in the year 1984. The school started functioning in 1985.
The school was inaugurated by Mr Mingboo Drukpa, the then ZEO residing in Thimphu.
The first head teacher of this school was Mr Mon Bahadur Rai who served from 19851989. He was replaced by Mr Karma K. who joined in 1990 and was transferred in the
year 1996. The 3rd head teacher was Mr Sha Bahadur Rasaily who served from 1997 to
2001 March.
The present head teacher is Mr Namgyel Dorji who joined in the year 2001.
The school faced a lot of problems over the years. In the months of March and April
1987, seasonal wind blew from the South and damaged the roof of the school building.
Then the school was shifted to Tsimalakha temporarily. In the next academic year, the
school was shifted to Lower Chungkha in a shed. The construction at the present
location resumed in 1990 and was completed in the next academic year. In the year
1997, again the roofs of the buildings were completely destroyed by the wind. It was
repaired and till now it has been in a good condition. The rainy season in the area starts
from the month of April and continues till September with hardly a day without rain.
Almost all the year round, weather remains foggy. The sun is hardly seen except in
winter.
The school gives admission to the children of the catchment area like Chungkha,
Pakshuigar, Totokha and Tshesilakha and others if they produce a document from
Dzongkhag authorities. The school remained as a primary school till 2002. In 2003, it
was upgraded to lower secondary level. But owing lack of space, the higher authorities
did not approve it. The present school was to remain a primary school and an offshoot of
it was to be set up and made a lower secondary school.
The student strength is increasing year after year and so is the number of teachers.
From the year 2003, the school even got 3 support staff. The first alumnus who
completed a university degree course is Mr Nim Tshering of the same village. He is
currently working as an Assistant Information Officer in Tashichhodzong. Mr Kinzang
Wangdi, a PTC pass-out, works in Bongo School. There are two other alumni who are
undergoing engineering courses in India.
Kamji Lower Secondary School
"Where do the students come from?" A visitor to this school once asked. "You have quite
a good number of students and there aren’t any houses around." Pointing to a distant
range, I said, "That’s where they come from sir; most of their parents are with cattle."
It is true that Kamji Lower Secondary School has a good number of students, but hardly
any houses can be seen around the school. Kamji is under Geling Gewog and most
Gelips are known to be good herdsmen. Most households rear animals and depend
largely on animal products. There were times when Punaps, Wangdueps and many
people from the west came to buy cows (usually Jatshams) and oxen (Jatshas ) from
Gelips. Kamji hardly has any arable land. Some vegetable gardens are maintained by
the school and some residents who stay near the school. Kamji, which is the corrupt
form of kamzhing literally means dry land: kam- dry and zhing- land.
Kamji Lower Secondary School is located on a small hillock surrounded by alpine
forests. It lies below the Phuntsholing-Thimphu highway, at about 25 km from
Phuntsholing. Kamji has sub-tropical vegetation and moderate climatic conditions. The
place is well known for its fogginess and heavy downpour. Thus, many travelers often
miss the sight of the school. But Kamji is a beautiful place to live in. Above the school
is a green hillock overlooking the school and on it stands a serene and sanctifying Kamji
Lhakhang. It was in 1987, when our great grand Queen Mother, Her Majesty Ashi
Phuntsho Choden Wangchuck, constructed the lhakhang to preserve our rich cultural
values and strengthen religious institution for the community and welfare of all sentient
beings. As a tribute to our late beloved Queen Mother, the Nature Club members
adopted Kamji Lhakhang. To preserve its sanctity and lifelong beauty is what they
promised (a solemn oath).
This school was initially established at a place called Ganglakha, which is some 20
minutes drive to north-east from the present location, on 9th May, 1991. It was named
Peljorling Community School. Due to space constraints, the school had to be shifted to
the present location in 1992 and it was named Kamji Community School.
Mr Kezang Wangdi, the then head teacher, took great pains to start the school.
Beginning, as usual, was tedious and challenging. The school lacked many basic
facilities. It was school only in name, and physically no infrastructure existed. Gup
Dorji, the then Gup of Geling, played a vital role in strengthening the school. It was due
to his wisdom that the school came into being. He understood the needs of his people
and cared for the generations to come. Many small meetings were held to sensitize the
people to the modern trends and the value of education. It was a success! People
understood his message! They contributed a sum of Nu 700 each. Ap Lethro, then a
young and energetic man, volunteered to handle the money and constructed a few
houses which were later used as classrooms. Students wholeheartedly faced the
challenges together. They lived in the huts they constructed on their own, and thus the
education in Geling Gewog began to take shape and form.
Later in the year 1994, many small huts came up through active participation from
parents. The school was then upgraded to a primary school with WFP food assistance to
150 students. Everybody was happy, but their happiness did not last long. In the year
2000, an outrageous strong and forceful storm blew away almost all the huts. Students
and teachers were made homeless and deprived of classrooms. Head Teacher Nidup
Dorji was a great source of hope and inspiration during that time. He went around to
see if his little ones were injured. He praised and thanked Kencho sum for everybody was
well! He sought immediate help from the Dzongkhag officials and it took a few weeks for
the school to regain its life and momentum. Following this incident, two concrete
classrooms were constructed through government funding. Since then, the school has
seen many notable changes.
In 2001, a new double-storey (modern) administrative block came up with the assistance
of the World Bank. The old plastic-roofed and congested bamboo house office was then
abandoned. It boosted the morale of the teachers; at least they got a comfortable room,
free from intruders (flying, crawling, creeping and buzzing creatures).
In 2003, the school was upgraded to lower secondary level with a total strength of 312
students, and in the same year, a double-storey girls’ dormitory was constructed
through WFP assistance.
It was a remarkable event when the school, for the first time in its history, grandly
observed UN Day on October 24, 2003, which was graced by the Country Director, Mr
Gerald Dali. Mr Dali inaugurated the girls’ dormitory and was as pleased as the girls, to
find something worth the investment which will touch the hearts of thousands who will
graduate in the years to come.
Kamji LSS now serves as the nerve centre for the students of Logchina, Dungan,
Chimuna and Metakha Schools to pursue their higher education. The year 2004 greeted
the school with more hopes and aspirations. The boys are waiting to be accommodated
and their hardships would end, when in June, six units of teachers’ quarters come up.
What is development? And what is change? We are seeing it, feeling it, touching it,
tasting it and our experiences tell it all.
Within a short period of its existence, the school has shown tremendous effort in
educating the children, standing as hope and an exemplary institute for the community.
It has produced some commendable students who are shining in colleges. We hope that
they will prove themselves worthy of the great dream of the nation.
It is due to the dedicated service of the following head teachers that the school is able to
come to the present position. For this we salute the following individuals.
Mr Kezang Wangdi – (1991-1993).
Presently, the assistant
head teacher of Darla MSS
Mr Sonam Tobgay – (1993-1994)
Now working in the Dept. of
Revenue and Customs.
Mr Needup Dorji – (1994-2000)
currently the head teacher of
Tshimasham CS
Mr Ganesh Bdr. Chhetri (2000-2002) Now the head teacher of
Wang Sisina CS
Mr Kezang D. Dukpa (2003 –till date)
The first batch of Class VIII students will sit LSSCE in 2005. They are 27 in number and
it is hoped that they will bring good results. Today the school has 11 hardworking and
dedicated teachers, 8 ever supportive support staff and 403 enthusiastic, keen and
active learners from Class PP-VIII. We have a very strong team and we hope that we will
be able to help fulfill the wishes of His Majesty, our beloved King in our own little ways.
Our school is developing and we keep hoping for the best. Our hope is our vision. We
keep dreaming the best. Our Dream is our Vision. And in dreams we see our school, an
ideal centre for Learning, the name of which reads: Kamji Higher Learning Institute.
Phuntsholing Lower Secondary School
Introduction
Phuntsholing Lower Secondary School is the largest school in the country with 2552
students, 83 regular teachers and 8 non-teaching and support staff. The school is
spread over three locations: Location I near the Druk Petroleum Complex, Location II
between the Bhutan Telecom and the Bhutan Post premises and Location III at the
school football ground.
Location I has a total area of 7500 sq. m. and Location II has 7350 sq. m.
The school management is based on the three pillars of good governance: efficiency,
accountability and transparency. The school endeavours to promote professionalism and
integrity among its teachers and support staff. Teachers adhere to the codes of conduct
at all times. Proper records are maintained and our programmes and policies are
critically reviewed from time to time. The head is open to suggestions and
recommendations. The staff meetings are an open ground for suggestions for the
betterment of the school. Decisions are taken on consensus. Programmes are designed
to make the colleagues more productive, dynamic, accountable and professionally
competent. The school complies with all the government directives, circulars, and
orders. The school’s priority is to provide quality, wholesome education to our
Bhutanese children.
Being a large school with three different campuses and practice of shift system, the
school administration is fully decentralized. Authority is delegated to the Location
Heads, different in-charges and coordinators. They shall be held accountable for any
lapses on their part.
With the grace of the Kenchosum and the fullest co-operation and support from the
colleagues, the school has been functioning very smoothly.
1. A brief historical background
Phuntsholing Primary School was established in the 1960s. It was then located on the
present Revenue and Customs office premises. Mr K.D. Tshering was the first head
teacher.
The school was shifted to the present location in the 1999 academic session. This
campus was earlier used by Department of Revenue and Customs. The compound and
the buildings were exchanged as an interim measure. It was, however, done with the
approval of the local authorities as well as the central government.
The primary reason for the exchange of the locations was the proximity of the school’s
previous location to the Indian border. In view of the political unrest in southern Bhutan
at the time, the location was perceived as unsafe for both the students and the teachers.
Hence, the exchange of the locations became a permanent arrangement.
Mrs Kinley Pem took over as the new head teacher of the school in 1991. She was
transferred from NIE, Samtse.
In 1992, as the school faced an acute shortage of classrooms owing to mounting
admission pressure, the Royal Bhutan Army handed over a two-storey building along
with a football ground to the Ministry of Social Services. This generous offer came as a
blessing in disguise to the residents of Phuntsholing. The double-storey building enabled
the school to accommodate more children. This is where Location III of the school is.
The school still faced severe admission pressure and acute shortage of infrastructure.
Therefore, the old Dungkhag office area and the buildings which were used by the Bank
of Bhutan were handed over to the school. This has now become Location II.
Phuntsholing Lower Secondary School caters to the educational needs of the residents of
the city, armed forces personnel, and children from the nearby villages. It provides
wholesome education from PP to Class VIII.
Admission pressure in the school increased further even after running it at three
locations. To provide education to all Bhutanese children who sought admission in the
school, the school resorted to Shift System (an interim measure) in consultation with
parents and the Dzongkhag Authorities.
The sift system will soon be abolished in 2006 after the bifurcation of the school.
2. Milestones in the history of the school
I. Established as Phuntsholing Primary School in1960s (no record of the exact year).
II. Upgrading of the school into a lower secondary school with classes from PP-VIII.
III. Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck visited the school and addressed both
students and teachers.
IV. The school conducted many programmes in different disciplines very successfully in
2004-2005 winter vacation as part of Winter Youth Programme coordinated and funded
by Department of Youth, Culture and Sports.
V. His Excellency Lyonpo Thinley Jamtsho, the Minister of Education, visited the school
on 1st March, 2005. His Excellency addressed both students and teachers and
familiarized them with the education policies, plans and vital youth issues. His
Excellency also informed the gathering about the bifurcation of the school in the 2006
academic year into two different schools.
VI. His Excellency Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, Minister of Labour and Human Resources
Ministry, visited the school on 4th May 2005. His Excellency talked to the students on
job-related issues, future prospects, the government’s concern over unemployment
situation, blue-collar jobs and the Bhutanese attitude and the present and the future
plans related either directly or indirectly to career.
3. Short-term and long-term plans of the school
Vision
The vision of the school is to produce productive citizens through the provision of quality
education.
Mission
The mission of the school is to provide wholesome education to every student.
Our strategy
The school will realize its mission through commitment.
What we value
Patriotism, honesty, family, self-discipline, perseverance, respect for self and others,
work ethics, dignity of labour and creativity, sincerity and nationalism.
Our goals
Academic
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Make optimum use of available resources to enhance teaching-learning
Activities.
Instill positive attitude in teachers
Provide optimum learning time
Ensure variety in teaching strategies
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Frequent assessment and feedback by the teachers
Ensure every child reaches the highest academic achievement.
Non-academic
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Acquire social skills through non-academic activities
Inculcate values in every child
Students acquire and practise life skills
Develop physical and mental fitness
Develop leadership qualities in every child
Student support services
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To create conducive atmosphere for healthy learning
Install statues and religious items on the altar
Build the bridge between parents and teachers
Nurture the hidden talents of every child
Develop adequate infrastructure to provide student support
Ensure maximum student, teacher and community participation
Development of physical infrastructure
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Build adequate classrooms with proper ventilation for better learning
Build science laboratory and a rich library for expanding the horizons of Science
and Arts.
Construct students’ toilets for proper sanitation, health and hygiene.
Construct basketball court for physical and social skills development
Acquire equipment to enhance productive learning
Entrance gate and fencing to be mended for the safety of students
Procure computer to ease and hasten official work
Acquire adequate furniture for the school
Develop footpath and assembly ground
Improvement of safe drinking water facilities
Ensure proper maintenance of service facilities in classrooms
4. Some of the school programmes
School Management Board
The Parents-Teachers meetings are held twice a year, chaired by the Chairperson of the
Board. All the major decisions and resolutions taken during the meetings form the
school policies along with those guidelines and policies received from the Education
Ministry.
Mr Samten Penjor, Executive Engineer, CHPC, was the former Chairperson of the SMB.
Staff development programme
With the objective to help the teachers in their professional growth, become more
efficient and competent in teaching, the school carries out the following programmes.
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School-based in-service programmes are conducted on various topics/ subjects
on a regular basis.
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Monthly general staff meetings are held to review the programmes, make
suggestions and recommendations for improvement, share information, convey
directives, circulars and policies received, help teachers update themselves. This
provides a forum for the teachers to voice their problems, grievances, make
suggestions, and strengthen our commitment to provide quality wholesome
education to our children. This is the only time when all the 83 teachers meet
together and make collective decisions.
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Subject faculty meetings take place twice a month with focus on
sharing ideas, experiences, making recommendations to bring improvement in
teaching. Any materials required by the teachers are conveyed to the head
teacher who procures them. This subject core groups have been instrumental in
raising the standard of education in their respective subject in the school.
School Parents Education Awareness (SPEA)
SPEAs are organized by the SPEA coordinator with the parents. The meetings are
conducted on Saturdays to facilitate maximum parents attendance. Parents and
teachers share their concerns and experiences about their children. These meetings
facilitate better understanding between the teachers and parents regarding students,
their own roles and responsibilities towards their children. It helps parents understand
their own children better and the children are the ultimate beneficiaries.
School level monitoring programmes
Since the school has 83 teachers, the school level monitoring is decentralized. Some
senior teachers are selected as monitors and 1-3 teachers are placed under them for
monitoring. As directed, they go through the lesson plans, students’ notebooks, observe
classroom teaching as per the schedule for the year.
The monitors are in turn monitored by the Location Heads. The Location Heads are in
turn monitored by the Head Teacher.
Two copies of descriptive feedbacks are prepared by the monitors. One is given out to the
teachers and the other is retained by the monitor for compilation and future reference.
The observation of the previous month is compared with the current months’
observation. The teacher and the monitor sit together to see the improvement, lapses,
recommendations made earlier are followed or not.
This programme particularly helps the teachers finish the syllabus on time. It also helps
keep a tab on syllabus coverage in both the shifts. Above all, it helps the teacher grow
professionally and serves as a checklist to fulfill one’s responsibilities.
Enhancing academic development
The school has a very competent academic committee to enhance the academic
development of the children. They prepare the academic calendar and slot all the
academic activities accordingly. Debates, quizzes, essay writing competitions, extempore
speeches, story telling, inter-class wall magazines in both Dzongkha and English are
conducted. The children are awarded certificates for wins as well as for participation.
These activities form part and parcel of wholesome education.
Promotion of Bhutanese culture
Ghos and kiras are checked during the Assembly. Speeches are delivered both in
Dzongkha and English to promote Dzongkha speaking. lozeys, tsangmos and Dzongkha
dances like rigsar, boedra, zhungdras are taught to the children. The cultural
programmes are organized from time to time to preserve and promote our culture.
School rimdro
School rimdro is an annual feature of the school. This is performed for the peace,
prosperity and well-being of the school, students, the Tsawasum, and all the sentient
beings. The school has been reciting Baza Guru every day a thousand times by each
student and teacher. The school has been asked to recite the prayer 100 billion times by
His Holiness the Je Khenpo for the well-being of the school and the Tsawasum.
Pastoral care
The school also accords high priority to providing pastoral care to our children. Values
education classes are taken seriously. The head teacher takes values classes by himself
to impart the right values to the children. Teachers also impart values either through
their lessons or through talks during the Morning Assembly. The children are wellinformed about the latest news and information.
During the Parents-Teachers meetings, parents are urged to drop their children to
school in the morning and fetch them in the evening. This is done particularly for
younger children because the school is located next to the highway and Phuntsholing
happens to be a border town. Children are vulnerable to unpleasant incidents.
Student support services programme
Phuntsholing Lower Secondary School is making every possible effort to make the school
a caring school. In this regard, the school has been carrying out several activities to
provide student support services. Listed hereunder are a few of them:
Guidance and counseling programme
The school has trained teacher counselors. Regular counseling is provided to students of
different levels. It is provided both in the school and at the Youth Centre.
Peer counseling is provided by trained student counselors. The programme has been
able to help many students with problems.
Awareness campaigns
The school organizes many awareness campaigns, mostly within the school. There have
been campaigns on environmental issues, STD/AIDS, hazards of smoking, drinking, and
other forms of substance abuse.
Posters are displayed and talks are given on the topics. We want our students to be
aware of the risks involved, the unpleasant consequences they will face if they do not
keep themselves away from them.
School health programme
The school health in-charges administer first aid for injuries and medicines are given
under supervision to treat minor health problems like headaches and fever. If cases are
serious, parents are called and the child is sent to hospital.
Daily records are maintained of those visiting hospital. Medicines are collected from the
hospital and the in-charges are also responsible for the promotion of the school hygiene
and sanitation. The in-charges are also responsible for duly doling out iron tablets to
class teachers on Thursdays. They keep a proper record of the children’s doses in their
register.
Traffic safety
The school has children right from classes PP to VIII, and it is located right next to road.
As traffic is always heavy, there is a grave danger for the children.
To make the children aware of traffic rules, traffic policemen are invited to the school to
talk to the children. RSTA officials too were invited to give talks to the children on the
same matter.
Through Parents-Teachers meetings, it was decided that each child will carry a STOP
sign which she/he will raise while crossing the road. The passing vehicles have to let the
children pass if they display the STOP sign.
The use of STOP sign makes it much safer for the children to cross the road.
Scouting/cub programme
Cub/scouting programme is carried out in the school with the following objectives:
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To promote positive values such as good work ethics, diligence, honesty etc. in
the children
To inculcate a sense of responsibility and initiative in students
To develop in students a sense of honour and confidence
To help them be resourceful and fulfill commitments
To provide opportunities to explore their interest, abilities and innate talents
To provide leadership skills for serving the society
To inculcate a sense of service, patriotism, love, and loyalty to the King, country
and the people
The school presently has 291 cubs and scouts. They are divided into four separate
groups with different scout masters. The scouts’ motto is Be Prepared. Their training is
given by their respective scout masters.
The school hopes to have larger number of cubs and scouts as two new teachers have
been trained as new scout masters.
Tsimalakha Lower Secondary School
There is nothing that has no history of its own. Like a brook beginning from the
mountains; like a bean stalk taking its growth from a bean seed, our school took its
growth in the earlier history of our country.
With the establishment of the CHPC as a monumental symbol of friendship between
India and Bhutan, a new Indo-Bhutan central school was born in Tsimalakha on 20th
July 1997 with classes from PP to VII. As time passed by, the school could no longer
contain the admission pressure as student enrolment increased. This gave birth to a
new school in March 1990 with classes from PP to VI. This new school then came to be
known as Tsimalakha Primary School.
Built in the Bhutanese architectural style, Tsimalakha Lower Secondary School today
stands with pride on the gentle ridge overlooking the hospital, market, residential
colonies, and the higher secondary school below. The school has a total area of about
11.5 acres, and is situated in the heart of Jabchho gewog, under Chukha Dzongkhag.
When the school was first started, the first head teacher, Mr Binay Gurung (1990-1991),
gave a sound footing to the school in spite of its lack of infrastructure. Mr Kezang
Chhogyel became the second head teacher of the school in 1991. During his seven years
tenure, the school saw a tremendous increase in student enrolment. By 1996, the school
had a total strength of 861 students and 23 teachers. However, due to the dilapidated
condition of the classrooms and the buildings at the old site, the school was shifted to
Toebjikha (commonly called Alubari) in two blocks of buildings taken over from CHPS.
There too, the school faced a lot of problems related to toilets, assembly ground, play
field, and risk of accidents for the children of lower grades.
In the new academic year of 1997, Mr Sangla, a true academician, took charge of the
school as the third head teacher. Soon after taking over the school, Mr Sangla brought
many changes both in terms of academic enhancement and infrastructure development.
The school saw the highest number of student enrolment in the year 2000 with over
1058 students. In order to meet the ever-increasing number of students and their
needs, the school had to recruit temporary teachers in the years 1998, 1999 and 2000.
It was during Mr Sangla’s tenure that the school was upgraded to a junior high school in
the year 1999. The school saw its first batch of Class VIII students sit the BBE-LSSCE
examination in December 2000.
In the new academic session of 2001, due to the large number of students, Tsimalakha
LSS got segregated and two new community primary schools were established at
Tsimasham and Tashigatshel Police Training Centre by the names Tsimasham Primary
School with classes from PP to VI and Mebesa Community Primary School with classes
ranging from PP to V. In the meantime, the Department of Education and the
Dzongkhag Administration started the construction of two new blocks of building in the
old campus. In the year 2002, when the new construction was over, the school was
again shifted to its original site (the present location). The former Dorji Lopon,
Venerable Ngawang Tenzin, assisted by the Lam Neten and the monks of Chukha
Rabdey presided over the consecration ceremony of the two new blocks of buildings in
the new school (present location). Dasho Dzongda, Dasho Drangpon, Dasho Dzongrab,
and the sector heads of the Chukha Dzongkhag Administration, were all present to mark
the occasion, making it very significant and dignified.
With unceasing support from the Dzongkhag administration and kind approval from the
department of education, a new building for library and laboratory has come up very
recently. But the school is still facing dearth of classrooms, staffroom, play field, multipurpose hall, and a proper fence around its campus. “Although the school suffers from
infrastructure constraints, yet I am confident of the school’s responsibility of catering to
the needs of our children to provide quality wholesome education,” says Mr Sangla. True
to this, the school can proudly boast of its close to hundred percent results in the
LSSCE Class VIII common examinations every year since 2001. In December 2004,
Class VIII common examinations, Chencho Gyelmo took the flag of the school higher
into wider horizons of intellectual territory by standing whole Bhutan third. “I feel proud
and happy to have been a student of this school, and had it not been for the teachers of
this school, I wouldn’t have achieved that in my life,” says Chencho Gyelmo with a bright
smile on her face.
Besides the changes and achievements seen within the school, the school participated
and still participates every year in the education talent week competition organized for
all the schools within the Dzongkhag. In the past two years, the school has brought
home trophies for the best basketball and table tennis team in the LSS category, for both
girls and boys. Today, the school is also very proud to have physical education as part of
the curriculum taught by a qualified JOCV PE instructor, Ms Yuko Otani, who joined
the school in August 2003. “In the preliminary stage, students do not understand the
value of physical education and so they feel funny and confused, but now they have
become more confident and they understand physical education better,” says Yuko. She
further adds that students have now become more responsible, co-operative and have a
friendly approach to Physical Education. She feels happy about the constructive
changes she has seen in her students.
In the eyes of the public, Tsimalakha Lower Secondary School has earned much respect
and dignity. Besides working for itself, the school also maintains good bridges between
the communities to encourage community participation, to look forward to parental
support and guidance, and to strengthen a sense of belonging. In view of promoting all
of the above, the school organizes workshops and meetings to help parents and the
community know about the progress of the school, the achievements of our children,
and the difficulties faced by the school. Parenting workshops on health issues like drug
abuse, teenage pregnancy, childcare and diseases are held in the school besides reviews
of students’ achievements to come up with solutions or methods to overcome the
problems.
What the future holds is uncertain, but surely, the school is growing qualitatively and
quantitatively, as well as externally and internally. There are still infrastructure
constraints faced by the school, but still the school aspires to be the finest abode of
teaching and learning. In 2005 academic session, the school has a total strength of 696
students and 29 teachers with 6 support staff including two non-formal education
instructors. This place is a heaven in the clouds, where a temple, which is the
storehouse of knowledge, awaits the arrival of anybody aspiring to become somebody.
Through cooperative teamwork, Tsimalakha Lower Secondary School strives hard and
works towards producing productive citizens through quality wholesome education.
This is the vision and the mission of the school.
Wanakha Lower Secondary School
In the past, the present-day Wanakha village did not have a proper name. The people of
this village were the subjects of Chapcha Penlop at that time. The people proved very
sincere, loyal and dedicated to the Penlop.
Therefore, the Penlop and his officers praised the people of the village by saying, 'wona
khagi miser tshu' which means, the people from that place. Thus the place came to be
known as Wonakha, which later became Wanakha.
The school is located just above the Thimphu-Haa highway, which is 30 km drive from
Chuzom. It is near the ruins of a big fort constructed by Lam Nyeningpa sometime in
16th century. The school directly faces Chapcha Middle Secondary School. Wangchu
river runs down the gorge between the two schools.
Before the establishment the school, this very spot was a recreation place for His
Majesty the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, according to the people of this locality. His
Majesty used to visit this place quite often and halt for a night or two. The very place
where His Majesty's tent used to be pitched was made into the spot for the national flag
of the school. For the teachers and the students of the school, who sing the national
anthem every morning in front of the national flag, and for the general public, the place
is sacred.
With the proposal for the school submitted to His Majesty the King, the school came into
existence in 1991 with 40 students headed by Mr Nima Tshering alone. He was later
joined by Lopon Jigme Samdrup with 30 more students. The school at present provides
education to two gewogs of Chukha Dzongkhag and a village of Naja Gewog under Paro
Dzongkhag.
Mr Kezang Dorji Drukpa became the next head teacher of the school from 1991-1994.
Although there were many problems like classroom shortage, lack of staff quarters and
even water supply, through his diplomacy and determination, he was able to inspire the
public into coming forward to build additional classrooms, staff quarters and initiate
water supply. During his tenure, His Majesty the King and Their Majesties the Queens
visited the school, met with students and teachers in the open air. His Majesty shared
his dream of education for all by the year 2000. The school is so honoured to have been
able to receive His Majesty the King and Their Majesties the Queens to the school.
After three years of hardship, Mr Kezang Dorji Drukpa was replaced by Mr Sangay Dorji.
Mr Sangay took the entire responsibilities of the school. He managed the school from
early 1995 to 5th April, 2002. During his tenure as the head teacher of the school, the
school was upgraded to a fully-fledged community primary school. Six batches of Class
VI students were sent to Chapcha Middle Secondary School. It is interesting to note that
before the establishment of this school, there were only a few civil servants from the
village. Now, there are many alumni of this school who have already taken up different
jobs in different organizations while some of them are pursuing their higher education.
The credit for this change goes to the hard work and dedication of Mr Sangay Dorji and
all the previous head teachers.
In mid April 2002, the present head teacher, Mr Sangay Choedra, took over the charge of
the school. As a person who had worked in remote community schools for ten years, for
him the running of the school was not a big problem. But he did not rest with
complacency. He started his work for the school by re-roofing the staff quarters with CGI
sheets. Not surprisingly, the community gave him full hand and support and within a
week, 4 quarters including an office were re-roofed. In the next academic session, the
school was upgraded to lower secondary level because of its proper location and public
support. Upon the upgrading of the school, the community once again decided to
construct a 3-unit classroom to house Classes VII and VIII. In 2004, a double-storied
six-unit academic block was constructed. In the same year, 12 of the 13 of the first
batch of Class VIII students, who sat the BBE examinations, came up with successful
results. Besides this achievement, we have also won many prizes in Dzongkhag sports
meets as well as in regional sports meets, which would have been impossible without the
unfailing support from worthy colleagues of this school and the community.
Arekha Primary School
About 90 years ago, Arekha had been a forested area. The people of Meretsemo village
came and turned the forest into paddy fields. Therefore, the name of the place came to
be known as Arekha which means paddy fields. As the land is fertile, more people began
to come to the place that led to the formation of the two villages of Sinchikha and
Arekha.
Today, these villages are turned into housing colony of THPA and the face of the place is
completely changed. Today, some of the people who inhabited the two villages cannot
locate the exact spot where their houses had been.
The school is located at an elevation of about 1010 m above sea level within the area of
about 0.60 acre. The school, which falls under Bongo Gewog, is 24 km easy drive from
Gedu on the way to Tala Hydro Electric Project Power House.
As the Tala Hydro Electric Project started, the need for a school was felt for the
employees of the project as well as for the ones who were involved in it. So the
construction of a double storey building started towards the end of 2002 and was
completed in the beginning of 2004.
After the inauguration of the school by Chukha Dzongda, it admitted 218 children from
Class PP to VI in March 2004. There were 6 regular and 3 apprentice teachers for the
2004 academic session.
The school developed a written policy document and all the planned activities have been
successfully implemented. However there are some unavoidable problems related to the
school's lack of facilities. Nevertheless, the school shows positive work attitude and
parents and the general public show positive attitudes towards the school.
The weather is quite pleasant with hot and wet summer and cool and dry winter.
Landslides are quite common during the monsoon season.
Besides the children of THPA employees and associate companies, the school caters to
the educational needs of the children of 4 villages of Darla Geog and 2 villages of Bongo
Gewog.
Bongo Primary School
Bongo Primary School is located on a gentle slope, surrounded by forest and fields. It is
under Bongo Gewog under Chukha Dzongkhag. According to some elderly villagers, the
school was established in 1963 in a local leader's house with about 20 students and a
teacher, Mr Jangchuk. It was found difficult to house the children in a hut. So it was
temporarily shifted to Bongo Lhakhang. After two months of the inception the school
was taken over by an Indian Head Teacher, Mr P.T. Tamang, with a budget of Nu.
2088/- from Bhutan government. The school was shifted in a shed above the village and
was called Gadentsholing Primary School.
The new location was found unsuitable due to its long distance from the village.
Moreover, there was lack of drinking water. In addition to that, the community felt that
the place is too spiritual for the location of a school. So it was again shifted to Bongo
Lhakhang. It was in the same year that the government started the construction of the
new school. In 1964, the school was shifted to the present location and renamed as
Bongo Primary School. Then the school had 78 students and 2 teachers including the
head teacher.
According to a case study done, it was Mr Jangchuk (later Gup) who was solely
responsible for the establishment of the school. During our open conversation with him,
he has the following story to tell: 'I was working as a clerk under Chapcha Penlop.
During my stay there, I went to Paro Education Headquarters for a meeting. In the
meeting the establishment of schools across the country was discussed. I took the
opportunity to propose the establishment of a school in my village. From where to get
teachers was the big question to the authority. So I volunteered to go as a teacher. The
government found my idea worthwhile and immediately approved the proposal.'
The first head teacher, Mr P.T. Tamang, played a vital role for 22 years in shaping the
school to what it is today. In 1982 the school got assistance from WFP. This greatly
helped the children from far away places like Baikunza Rotokha, Getena, etc. By then
the school gradually grew in strength and performance.
Now, the school is 41 years old. Through this time, the following head teachers served
the school.
1963
1984
1987
1989
1990
1992
1996
1997
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
1984
1986
1988
1990
1991
1995
1997
2000
Mr P.T. Tamang
Mr K. P. Tshering
Mr Lagay Tshering
Mr Mohan Rai
Mr Pema Wangchuk
Mr S. Phuntsho
Mr S. B. Biswa
Mr Tshering Drukpa
Since the school is one of the oldest schools in the Dzongkhag, it has produced a large
number of educated youths who are currently holding high position in the government
as well as in corporations and the private sectors. Most of the community leaders,
including the present Bongo Gup, are products of the school.
It was only in the year 1991 that the school was upgraded to Class VI. The first batch of
Class VI students sat the common examinations in the same year. At present, the school
serves four villages viz. Bongo Zones Jungley and Phasuna.
Boarding facilities have highly encouraged the parents to send their children to the
school. A large number of teachers coming to this corner of the country has made the
community realize the importance of education. Now every parent sends his or her
children to the school. This has resulted in better literacy in the community. At present,
the school has 115 students (a reasonable number in comparison to the size of the
population) and 5 teachers. The school has a total area of eight acres of land mostly
covered with early planted trees and flower gardens which beautify the campus.
Consequently, the school has a major role to play for the community to mould the
citizens of tomorrow. Therefore, the school has set for itself the following vision.
Vision
The vision of the school is to make the school a most caring place where every schoolgoing child in the community has equal opportunity to learn and equip himself or herself
with good knowledge so that he or she can lead a most productive life and serve the Tsawa-sum with loyalty and dedication.
Keeping its vision in mind the school takes necessary steps to study the literacy rate in
the community and encourages the parents to send their children to the school.
Teacher-Parent meetings and observance of important occasions are same of the ways to
communicate with the community the importance of education. We also include the
public in decision making, especially in terms of school management and Driglam
Namzha.
Chapcha Primary School
Chapcha Primary School is geographically located on a gentle slope about 15 minutes
climb from the Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway at the Chapcha Dzong site. It caters to
about 150 households and the staff of Chapcha Primary School, Chapcha High School,
BHU and GREF. The school was established in 1960 under the headship of Mr Babu.
The medium of instruction at that time was Hindi and Choekey, according to alumni
who are currently working in various capacities in the country. The school came into
existence after the people of Chapcha proposed for a school in their village.
Prior to establishment of the school, Chapchaps had to send their children to distant
places to study. In 1989, the first Head Teacher of the school was Mr Joy Sharma, an
Indian. He was succeeded by Mr Ratan Gurung in 1990, Mr Tshering Drukpa in 1992,
Mr Jimba Dorji in 1993. Mr Tshering Gyeltshen, the present Head Teacher joined the
school in 2001. In 2001, with the upgradation of the school into a Middle Secondary
School, the primary section of the school was separated and a new primary school was
opened at the Chapcha Dzong site on 10th October. During the transitional period of the
school, the school underwent lots of hardships due to the dire need of infrastructures
and other educational facilities. However, the school team, under the dynamic
leadership of the present head, took these unpleasant experiences as a challenge and
transformed the crude condition of the school into a pleasant learning environment.
Now the school has proper infrastructures and good environment. It also has electricity
and telephone connections. The school has achieved about 70% of its long-term plan
and is unwaveringly working towards fulfilling the rest of the planned activities.
The school is also proud that it has published three issues of its newsletter. At present,
the school has 193 students of which 96 are boys and 97 girls. The school provides
education from the pre-primary level of Class VI run by 11 teachers including the head
and one non-teaching staff.
Our Vision
The vision of the school is to achieve hundred percent literary rate in Chapcha village,
provide quality wholesome education, produce responsible, and dedicated and
productive citizens of Drukyul.
Our motto
Sincerity, punctuality, commitment and excellence in education.
Dungna Primary School
Dungna Primary School, which is four days walk from Phuntsholing lies above Dungna
village. As per the official record, Dungna Primary School was established in the year
1965 with 40 students and two teachers. The students were from Metakha, Mondokha,
Dungna, Yulshi and Chimuna. Not many years back this school was under Paro
Dzongkhag. Now it is under Chukha Dzongkhag. Today, the school benefits 4 chiwogs of
Logchina and 4 chiwogs of Dungna.
The school is a WFP beneficiary and provides boarding facilities for students from far off
places. The school has solar lighting and telephone facilities.
The school has an area of one acre but during the cadastral survey held in 1999, the
school area increased to around nine acres. The school has a playground for volleyball
and football.
Although the school is a remote school, student enrolment increases every year. The
school currently has 195 students: 125 boys and 70 girls with seven teachers.
The vision of the school is “to be a model school in the provision of primary education
and in producing productive citizens.”
The mission of the school is “to provide value-oriented wholesome education through
best teaching-learning process in a well-equipped and conducive environment so that
our children are prepared with the best knowledge and skills to face the needs of the
country.”
Phajoding Primary School
Background
As the present stress of the education ministry is on the need for education for all, there
has been a great pressure for admission of children in school. The single government
school could no longer absorb the influx of children seeking admission.
Some parents started admitting their children elsewhere, away from home, outside our
country but that was also out of question for the children of poorer parents, who
themselves were deprived of formal education. The Bhutanese students studying
outside the country do not have the opportunity to learn about their own culture and
tradition that forms an integral part of education in Bhutan.
It was against this backdrop that the present proprietor of the school, Mr Phurba
Tshering and Ms Dechen Wangmo (the Principal of the school) initiated the
establishment of this school. Since then, the school has been on the firm track rolling
towards a newer horizon.
Introduction
Mr Phurba Tshering and Ms Dechen Wangmo are permanent residents of Phuntsholing.
They are private entrepreneurs who, apart from being involved in other business
interests, successfully established Phajoding Primary School. This school was
previously located in PWD colony. It was relocated to the present location near Norgay
Cinema Hall in1989. Within 2 acres of its area, the school has a spacious playground
and a little park for smaller children, and flower gardens. Relocation of the school is
proposed. With the permission from the Ministry of Education, it will soon be relocated
to a better location. The school also hopes to upgrade itself to a lower secondary school
after its relocation.
The student intake of the school is restricted to not more than five hundred. The classes
range from Nursery to VI. With some classes divided into sections, there are altogether
thirteen class sections. The number of students in each class is kept between 30-40 for
better teacher-pupil interaction. The school provides employment to a total of twenty-
three Bhutanese teachers and 6 non-teaching staff. They have worked in the school for
the last 7-8 years. But some of them have been working in the school for more than a
decade while others have worked since the establishment of the school. The school has,
therefore, a smooth teaching-learning environment.
General Descriptions
Emblem: The emblem of Phajoding Primary School depicts mountains flanked by two
dragons with the year of establishment of the school in the centre. While the
mountains represent the physical landscape of our country, the two dragons symbolise
the country Drukyul. The year of the establishment of the school is guarded by the
dragons to symbolise the school's role to safeguard the country's sovereignty.
Mission: The mission of the school is to provide wholesome education to every student
by instilling in them high standard of Bhutanese values.
Vision: Our vision is to produce productive citizens through the provision of quality
education
We Value: We value patriotism, honesty, self-discipline, family spirit, work ethic,
dignity of labour, creativity, self-respect and respect for others.
Functioning of the school
The school is run by a set of trained teachers who include the principal, vice principal
and head teacher. The school follows the curriculum set by the Ministry of Education.
Even the length of periods that the school follows is in line with the national standard.
The co-operation of the government schools in the locality has been a great support
in the functioning of the school. The timely issuing of books, manuals and other
stationeries are a great help from Education Central Stores.
Sinchula Primary School
About 21 km from Darla is located the village of Deorali. From there, about 40 minutes
walk downhill will lead one to the school. Although the place is very remote, once you
are there, it is a beautiful one with fascinating view of river and hills. The weather
though is gloomy with blood-sucking leeches all around.
Sinchula is a historical place in Bhutan. It is the place where the historic Treaty of
Sinchula was signed between the Government of Bhutan and British India in the year
1910. The school is one of the oldest schools under Chukha Dzongkhag. Initiated by the
then gup, Lt. Jang Bir Rai and village elder, Lt. Kharka Singh Rai, the school was
established in the year 1960 with 27 students headed by Mr Damber Bahadur Chhetri.
At present, the school has 318 students, of which 193 are boys and 125 girls. Although
the school has shortage of teachers (5 teachers) and infrastructure, the education of the
children gets better and better. It is a day school providing education to seven villages
under Darla geog.
The school has enrolled about 1461 students since its inception. 13 of them are
currently holding responsible positions in the civil service as under.
1. Mr Naphey
Engineer
City Corporation, Phuntsholing
2. Mr Phurba
Engineer
NEC, Thimphu.
3. Mr Nima
Engineer
PWD, Phuntsholing
4. Mr Gorab
Engineer
THPA
5. Dr Mindu
Ministry of Health.
6. Dr Pasang Wangmo
- do –
7. Ms Lham Bidha
Lecturer
Vocational Training Institute.
8. Mr Naphey
Deputy Ranger
Lhuntse
9. Mr Wangdi
Teacher
Dorokha LSS
10. Mr Wangdi
Teacher
Darla MSS
11. Mr Pema Dorji
Teacher
Sinchula PS
12. Mr Ran Bir Chhetri, undergoing engineering course in Bhopal, India
13. Mr Lhaba
- do The head teachers in chronological order are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Mr Damber Bahadur Chhetri
Mr B.B. Gurung
Mr N.K.Sharma
Mr Gupta
Mr Yeshi Tsendu
Mr Rinzin Phuntsho
Mr Tshewang Nidup (present head)
The school has about 3.5 acres of land divided into academic block, teachers quarters,
football ground, volleyball court, badminton court, students hut and nature club site.
The school does not have proper sanitation facilities and safe drinking water. Thank
God, the school has not known any sanitation-related illnesses like typhoid, cholera and
scabies.
The school gives due importance to academic excellence besides games and sports and
literary activities like quiz competition, essay competition, poetry recitation, and reading
and spelling competition both in English and Dzongkha. The school also maintains a
news and article board. The mission of our school is to provide all children with
opportunities to take part in various programmes to enable them to fulfill their
individual needs, potentials and contribute to the development of oneself and
communities. Our vision is to produce productive, useful and dedicated citizens of the
country through wholesome education and values education.
Baikunza Community Primary School
Baikunza, a village on a small hillock in the southeastern part of Chukha Dzongkhag, is
a week’s journey from the feeder road at Jum Bja, Gedu. It is close to two of the
southern dzongkhags- Sarpang in the east and Dagana in the north.
People of this community remained isolated over the years concentrating only on their
farming activities. The way of living and earning was not better than that of the people of
ancient civilizations. This was chiefly because the village was cut off from other regions
of the country by river Raidak. There were no bridges built across the river.
The village remained in the same condition for many years until late 1980s. It was at
that time that the people realized the need of education to rid themselves of ignorance.
In 1992, with the grace of our beloved king Jigme Singye Wangchuk and His Excellency
Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, a non-formal education centre was opened in the village which
gave birth to the present school in the year 1993. Mr Serchung Dukpa (ZLT) was the first
incharge of the school.
Despite all difficulties, Mr Serchung was a diligent and dedicated teacher until 1995. He
taught and moulded 38 boys and 21 girls (59 in total) with utmost sincerity and zeal.
Thus he was able to give to the students not only the knowledge of books but also
character. It is therefore that the success of the past students of this school is due to the
first teacher-in-charge of the school.
Mr Bumpa took over the school as the second teacher-incharge in 1995. He took the
quality of education in the school to a higher plane since he was joined by two other
teachers. He served the school until 1999.
Mr Bumpa was replaced by the 3rd teacher incharge, Mr Ugyen Tshering. He too worked
hard for the betterment of the school and the children. It was due to his effort that the
school was upgraded to Class VI in 2001. The enrollment increased to 174 in 2001. The
present head, Mr N. P. Chamlagai, took over the charge of the school in the beginning of
2003. The school now has 5 teaching staff including a B.Ed teacher on apprenticeship.
It has 122 students in total (boys-girls ratio is 78:44)
The scouting programme in the school has now become very vibrant and active. It plays
an important role in the community development according to the plans set in the
beginning. Besides, it also provides some ad hoc services to the community in times of
dire need and accidents. The scouts also do cleaning of the campus and the nearby
village and collect fuel wood for the disabled.
Above all, our school has always vigorously sought to preserve the culture and the
tradition of our country. The people in the community and beyond have always been
thrilled by our children performing traditional dances and songs, games and sports
during both local and national celebrations. Thus, the school has benefited the
immediate community, the society and the national as a whole in preservation of our
own values and traditional culture.
Camping, hiking, trekking and pilgrimage to nearby historical places are a prominent
feature of the school. Like other schools, our school has set for itself aims and
objectives, mission and vision. Producing quality and productive citizens is our vision.
However, the thrust of the school is academic excellence and character development
through the provision of wholesome education. The school has the following goals and
objectives:
Goals:
1. To produce100% results both in internal and external examinations.
2. To instill in the children national values through Driglam Namzha/values education.
3. Inculcate in the children other useful skills.
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Daily Lesson Planning
Conduct paper assessment and proper use of teaching aids.
Proper conduct of examinations, tests and active follow-up.
Conduct of co-curricular activities.
Values Education.
Chimuna Community Primary School
Chimuna Community Primary School was established in the year 1991. Although the
school is only 15 years old, it is considered one of the oldest schools under Chukha
Dzongkhag.
The school is officially 2 days journey from the road point in Phuntsholing. The school,
which is situated in the extreme corner of the dzongkhag, serves as a learning centre for
the children of Chimuna, Mazoa, Pachu, Tashidingkha, Lingaing, Dorolakha, Serina,
Tshotogang, Somlikha, and Bosokha.
The school does not have hostel facilities, but parents build huts around the school for
their own children to stay. While the school provides two WFP meals a day, breakfast
and lunch, the students have to manage dinner on their own. The school has only one
and half acres of land. Although the school is small, it is happy that it is able to provide
balanced education in line with the national curriculum. The school believes that
wholesome education is a must to bring out the best in each child. The school highly
regards the child’s rights.
The school also believes that the quality of relationship between teachers and parents is
crucial to its success in many areas. Therefore, the school promotes the community
participation in the school activities. The motto of the school is, "together we can make a
difference". The school attaches high importance to discipline and the attitude of the
teachers. The teachers, besides their primary duty of teaching, have a vital role to
inculcate positive values in our students. Therefore, teachers are required to maintain
good conduct as role models.
When the school was first opened with 73 children making up two sections of Class PP
with Mr Kezang Doti as the head teacher, it had only one small hut built by the
community. Due to teacher shortage, Mr Pem Tenzin, who is now the school caretaker,
taught Dzongkha.
Mr Kezang Doti was replaced by Mr Nima Tshering. He stayed for 14 years in this
school. Still there were two sections of Class PP. Slowly, the construction of the
additional classrooms was started. The number of teachers and students increased. By
the year 2004, there were four teachers including the head teacher. There were five
sections from PP to V.
Then, in the year 2005, a set of new energetic and dedicated teachers including the head
teacher, came to the school. In the year 2005, Mr Nima Tshering, the present head
teacher, joined the school.
At present, there are 148 students, 4 teaching staff including the head teacher, and 3
non teaching staff.
The school is fortunate enough to have WFP meals from 2003.
Due to classroom shortage, the school conducts multigrade classes.
After the present head teacher's joining the school, the following are some of the
achievements in the school.
Partition of the classrooms
It was decided during the Parents-teachers meeting that the classroom would be
partitioned with the labour contributed by the nearby villages. So it happened.
Paintings
Despite budget constraints, the painting of school doors, windows, veranda and as well
as roofs and walls was initiated by the teachers and senior students. The teachers and
students gave their precious time for this work and it was completed within a few days.
Here, the teachers shone as the role models for the children as well as for the
community.
Playground
In recognition of the importance of the physical activities for the children, the school
decided to make a proper playground for the school to conduct physical classes, sports,
and house competitions. This work was done by the people in the catchment area of the
school.
Kitchen Garden
The barren land of the school turned into the school kitchen garden where children
plant a variety of vegetables. The vegetable products are sold to the school mess for their
own consumption. The fund generated from the sale of the vegetables is used for their
own entertainment such as house picnics.
Piggery
In view of the waste of the children's leftover food, the school has decided to rear pigs.
While half of the pork is consumed by the school during celebrations, another half is
sold to raise funds for the School Development Fund.
The most important things that the school has is its mission and vision.
The mission of the school is to play a leading role to promote all the activities that are
conducive to the integrated development of the child and to uphold the image of our
school.
The vision of the school is to achieve harmonious development of the child's physical,
intellectual, moral, aesthetic, and social skills through active participation in all the
activities held in the school.
Chongaykha Community School
Establishment: 2002
Gewog: Phuntsholing
Dzongkhag: Chukha
Households
Kungkha
Dophulakha
Chongaykha ‘A’
Chongaykha ‘B’
Changkha
Dhap
Omchu
Chomchay
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
37
42
44
24
16
22
12
45
1. 6 units of classroom
2. 3 units of teacher quarters
School campus
10 acres 41 decimal
Teachers in the School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Mr Aita Gurung
Head Teacher
Mr Dhana Pati Sharma Apprentice
Mr Yonten Norbu
ZTC
Mr Nidup Gyeltshen
PTC
Ms Hemanta Chhetri
PTCV
Mr Shanti Kumar Sunuwar, apprentice
Ms Jamuna Tirwa
Apprentice
Kazi Man Rai
Caretaker
2002
2002
2003
2003
2004
2004
2004
2004
Student enrollment
1. 2002
2. 2003
3. 2004
-
137
174
220
Head teacher
1. Aita Gurung 2002 to till date
Furniture
Being a new school, we have limited furniture and students sit on the floor at present
Community
Southern Bhutanese and northern Bhutanese are mixed in the community. People are
all farmers in this community.
Language
Dzongkha and Lhotshamkha
40 %
60%
Getana Community School
Getana Community School is the only school in the gewog run by only three teachers
including the head teacher. It has 45 girls and 66 boys (111 in total) making up classes
ranging from PP to V. Sharing its border with the remote villages of Dagana, Getana
village is officially five days from Chukha Dzongkhag headquarters. It enjoys the WFP
supply like SSB and sugar. The entire edible items have to be carried from the nearest
shop at Meretsemo, which is officially three days journey. The community here mainly
grows rice and cardamom, which are hardly sufficient to meet their basic needs for a
season. The basic medical facility is provided by the BHU which is around 20 minutes
from the school. Getana Gewog comprises around 150 households distributed in the
villages of Phutsa, Bachu, Cheyul, Trashigang, Daga, Gangu etc. The school is located
separately above all the villages.
It is very difficult to write the profile of this school due to the scarcity of information.
What is put down underneath is gleaned from the village people and some of the alumni
of the school.
The Getana School was first opened in 1963 in Daga. Then, it had no modern education
system. The children were taught only Dzongkha. The first teacher to teach in the school
was Lopon Pema from Dawakha, Paro. He is still regarded as the light for Getabs by his
students who can read and write Dzongkha. “I can still remember his teaching in a Bago
[bamboo hut]", says Ap Khalay, who is 50 this year. Later, the school was shifted to
Tashigang where it was housed in one of the buildings of the Trashigang Drung. The
school probably remained there for more than a decade. The school was relocated for the
second time in the year 1973 to a place called Phutsa. The students still continued to
learn Dzongkha from the same teacher.
Years later, a southern Bhutanese teacher joined to teach English and Mathematics. His
name cannot be recollected by the people of Getana. Slates and chalk were used to write
instead of paper and pen. Unfortunately, the general teacher never returned from the
vacation after teaching in the school for a year. "We don’t know where he went then,"
says the present Gup Thali, who studied under him. After his leaving the school, an
Indian teacher joined the school. People cannot recall him by the name but they fondly
remember him as Lopon Bengali. He taught English and Mathematics for about two
years. Like the southern Bhutanese teacher, he also never returned from his vacation. In
due course of time, Lopon Pema also left Getana. This resulted in complete closure of the
school. Whether the above teachers were officially appointed cannot be confirmed as
there are no written documents.
The school was re-opened in the same place in around1986 by a formally appointed
teacher named Mr D.K. Sharma who is currently working as the Head Teacher in one of
the schools in Trashigang Dzongkhag. Again the school had to be closed down after a
few years due to the lack of student enrolment which was caused by their having to walk
a long distance to and from the school.
The school was re-opened in 2000 by Mr Dorji Tshering who is now in Autsho CPS in
Lhuntse. With the re-opening, the school was once again moved to Shari. The Head
Teacher alone taught until 2002.
The recent relocation was in 2002 to the present location, Gangu. In Shari the school
shares its boundary with the RNRC; so the learning atmosphere is not conducive. The
present Head Teacher of the school is Mr Chheku Dorji, who joined the school on 4th
March 2005. At present, the school has 2 good concrete buildings built by the public of
this gewog. The necessary materials are supplied by the RGOB. Now it has a large area
of about 8 acres.
The School Management Board and the public in general look forward to improving the
school structures. The first preference is to upgrade the school to Class six. The
proposal for the same is put up to the GYT. The school is expected to get the WFP aid
since almost all the children come from far off places.
Besides the many problems faced by the teachers, students and parents, the school is
run smoothly as per the directives of the Ministry of Education.
Ketokha Community Primary School
Vision: To achieve values-laden universal primary education for the children of the
catchment area through quality wholesome education.
Mission: To enhance the school infrastructure and to inculcate values through a
variety of activities for wholesome education with the provision of mass participation
and maximum utilization of available resources.
Ketokha Community Primary School is located in Ketokha village under Bongo Gewog,
Chukha. It is located on a spur with 1.02 acre of land, from where one can see the
panoramic view of Bongo village, Darla town, Meretsemo village, some parts of
Sinchula village and Chungkha.
The school was established in 1999 after His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, the
then minister of Health and Education recognised the need of a school for the village of
Ketokha. The school was started in a temporary shed in the ORC (Out Reach Clinic)
with 45 students and one general teacher.
In the year 2000, the school was shifted to the present location. Since then, it has seen
itself grow from one higher class to the next till V in 2004. In 2005, the first batch of
16 Class V students passed out of the school to attend class VI in Bongo Primary
School. The school could not introduce Class VI as there was an acute shortage of
infrastructure coupled with the shortage of teachers. The NFE was introduced at
Ketokha village in the year 2000 by the Head Teacher of the school. Later in 2002, it
was handed over to Mr Serchung. The first batch of learners completed post literacy on
March 28, 2005. The certificates were issued to the graduated learners by cluster focal
person, Mr Karma Phuntsho, the Principal of Darla MSS.
Mr Pem Tshering was the first head teacher, who organized the school on a sound
footing from March 25, 1999 to May 7, 2003. Mr Singye Dorji, was the second
head teacher of the school.
At present, Mr Dawa Phuntsho is the officiating head teacher of the school. Today,
the school has two re gular teachers and an apprentice teacher. The community
constructed two blocks of classrooms which accommodate around 160 students from
Demchain, Bamji, Patey and Ketokha villages. A two-unit block of staff quarters was
built in 2004.
For all the positive development that it has witnessed over the past many years, the
school at present is in a dilapidated condition. The roofs of the buildings were blown
off by storms several times. (The roof of the Office and Store was blown off on
01.05.2004 around 5.30 pm; again the same roof was blown off on 22.03.2005 at
3.30 pm, and around 11 pm on 09.04.2005; the roof of the whole classrooms was
blown off and almost all the CGI sheets were torn apart on 20.04.2005 at 4 pm.) Since
the same materials for the roof are used again and again, they are now completely
battered and there is a lot of water leakage in every classroom and office. It is the
major hurdle to the provision of quality education during monsoon season.
April 9, 2005 will be remembered as the historic moment in the history of Ketokha
Community School. It was on that auspicious day that Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden
Wangchuck visited the school and talked with the teachers and students. In
order to achieve our long-term mission and vision, the teachers have been
conducting a campaign every year to facilitate more enrolment in the school. This
syste m began in the year 2004. The community people too play a vital role in
the development of the school. For instance, they help the school transport its
supply and build buildings and help teachers in different circumstances.
In spite of all the problems that it faces at the moment, Ketokha Community School
is fully committed to work hard towards the achievement of its set mission and
vision. It also hopes to upgrade itself to a fully-fledged primary school so that it will
help the children learn more in their own village and the community understand
better about the value and importance of education.
Logchina Community Primary School
According to the elderly people of the community, one certain gomchen, who had just
come out of three years of meditation retreat, happened to pass by what is today known
as Logchina on his way to the southern part of the country. He found this place so
serene and quiet that he remained there for one year. Therefore, the place came to be
known as Lochina which literally means one year here. Later the pronunciation changed
and it became Logchina as it is called today.
On a Sunday in the year 1990, when the political unrest started in the southern
dzongkhags all of a sudden, the Royal Government of Bhutan was forced to close down
many affected schools. Some schools like Logchina school remained open. Logchina
Community Primary School was established in the year 1991 when the social unrest was
at its peak. But it survived through the unrest.
Logchina Community Primary School is one of the remote schools in Chukha
Dzongkhag. Officially, it is two days from Phuntsholing town. The school perches on a
tableland and it is in the heart of the village.
When the order for the construction of the school came as a surprise for the people, they
took up the challenge by building a four-unit one-storey school. It was a pure and fine
touch of tradition, except for the CGI sheet that the Dzongkhag provided. The school
started in 1991 with only Class PP. So far this school has changed four heads. The first
head of the school, Ms Amrita, played the role of the head, the teacher, and in fact,
everything. By the time she left the school, the first batch of the students had reached
Class III.
Ms Amrita was succeeded by Mr Rupak Tamang. After three years of his service to the
school, he was replaced by Mr Duba Tshering. He brought back the normal routine of
the school. During his tenure as the head, the school witnessed a lot of positive changes.
Some new classrooms were built. Since August 2004, the school in a position to house
Class II to VI in the new classrooms. Today, the school enjoys many modern facilities. It
has dustless chalks, green boards, magnetized dusters and all sorts of games and chairs
for the teachers. Year 2005 came and we bade farewell to our committed and
industrious head. Mr Nima Dorji succeeded the out going head. The new head is as
dynamic as the former.
As soon as Mr Nima Dorji took the chair as the officiating head, he came up with new
plans for the school. Various clubs were introduced. The last two periods of every
Wednesday is dedicated to club activities. Under his supervision, the school also came
up with its policy guideline books. The young and energetic scout master keeps himself
and the scouts busy by involving them in various scout activities. This is because, we
believe scouts are guides. Their daily efforts will give them more opportunities to learn
good things and further instill in them a strong sense of nationalism. Also, they become
the guides and their activities the guiding principle for the younger students.
The school is now looking for more avenues for development in the future. The school
also actively engages students in games and literary activities so as to promote
wholesome education. Every month we organize literary activities such as quiz, debate
and extempore speech.
The school's impact on the community
In the eighties, Logchina was virtually isolated, as the village had no access to medical
facilities and communication means. Therefore, the people had very little ideas outside
Logchina. Literacy rate among them remained low. Today, the first batch of students
from this school is in the service of the nation. The gewog clerk is her product. By and
large, at present about 40% of villagers are literate. She also prides herself over quite a
good number of prominent businesspersons. Unlike other remote places, Logchina is
linked by wireless facilities and come April, we will have telephone connection. These
facilities come only because of the presence of the school and the RNR and health
centres. From the first batch students from this school, there are many dropouts who
have rightly followed the main stream of lives as literate farmers. This is in line with the
government's aim to make everybody literate without promising everybody employment.
Everybody cannot be chair holders; we need chair makers too. This is what the
employment board believes, I think. Observing the success of other students villagers
are many steps ahead of this primitive stage. This is very clear at the time of admission.
We the teachers, especially the admission committee, face problem of admitting many
new children in Class PP, often being threatened by the villagers who cannot admit their
children. Parents do a lot of tricks to get their children enrolled. Some even come up
with fake health cards with their children’s age increased and decreased to meet the
criterion of age. They have become intelligent, cunning and very forward too. This is
because they live in the modern Logchina. Indirectly, the school taught the ways of our
country so as to become loyal, competent and Driglam Namza lovers to these villagers.
Beginning of everything is small. Today, we pride over the strength of 232 students and
6 teachers. We are also a WFP beneficiary. The teacher-pupil ratio is 1:38, which is of
course the national standard. “Education for all” is all what our government strives for.
We the teachers will fulfill this in pursuit of Gross National Happiness in our little ways.
The school is 14 years old in the service of the nation, and let's hope it continues its
voyage against storms to reach a safe shore for many years to come.
Lopnekha Community School
Lopnekha Community School was established in 1990. The need for the school arose out
of the problem the children of the village faced to go to schools in Chapcha and
Tsimasham.
With this problem in mind, the village elders proposed to Dasho Dzongda the
construction of a school. Individuals like Ap Rinzin, Gomchey Pasang, Ap Damchu and
Ap Cheda represented the village and took the initiative to establish the school.
The construction works began in 1990 and were completed in 1991. At the time,
Tshewang Tandin was the village tshokpa (village representative) in the school. He put in
a lot of effort to bring the school to this shape.
The first head teacher of the school was Mr Sonam Tobgay. He worked with two
teachers, Ms Suk Maya and Mr Singye Samdrup. There were 55 children making up
classes from PP-III. Mr Sonam Tobgay worked in the school from 1991-1993.
The next head teacher was Mr Ugyen Tshering. It was during his tenure that the student
enrolment increased to 73. During his seven-year tenure in the school from 1993-1999,
the school saw itself grow from one higher class to another- III- IV, V, VI. For this
remarkable job, people remain grateful to him.
The current head teacher is Mr Duba Dukpa with two teachers. One of them is a
Dzongkha teacher, Lopon Cheku Dremith and the other is Ms Gyem Bidha, a general
teacher who has served the school since 2000. At present, the school has a student
strength of 59. All of them come from Lopnekha village.
The coming of the school to the village has greatly helped the community. Unlike in the
past, parents now do not have to send their children to places far from their village. So it
has saved their time and resources. Above all, the children now do not have to walk a
long distance to school with heavy loads of books on their backs.
For all that the school seems promising, it would not grow beyond lower secondary level.
It is because the student enrolment is not encouraging. To top it all, most of the parents
move out of the village. They take their children with them which affects the enrolment
in the school.
Mebesa Community School
Mebesa Community School was established to cater to the educational needs of the
communities of Jabco, Mebesa, Mabe Ari and RBA training centre, Tashigatshel. The
original proposed site was at Mebesa village which is about three-four km from the road
point. The community, however, could not construct the school building at Mebesa. The
school was, therefore, temporarily started in 2001 in one of RBA’s barracks at
Tashigatshel. It was found most urgent as the children from these localities created
admission pressure in Wangchuk MSS and Tsimalakha LSS. Moreover, there were a lot
of problems with transportation.
There were 150 students in classes ranging from pre-primary to four. There were four
general teachers including the head teacher, Mr Tshering Dukpa, who is still working in
the same school.
In view of its catchment area, the Dzongkhag officials and heads of the communities
have identified a new location for the school. The construction is also under progress.
After the completion of the new school, it will greatly benefit the communities by
retaining Class VI students in the same school. In 2004, the school had 153 students
and six teachers.
The school aims to develop a co-operative spirit amongst students, staff members,
parents and communities. This would create a conducive environment for study. The
children are also encouraged to develop a lifelong love of learning to make wholesome
education a reality.
Meretsemo Community School
Meretsemo Community School is in Bongo gewog under Chukha Dzongkhag. It is 20 km
south of the Dzongkhag headquarters and 66 km from Gedu.
The school is connected by a feeder road. It is located in front of the Meretsemo village
on a small but beautiful green knoll on the way to Bongo. It has an area of 4.28 acres.
The school being the Resource Centre, it enjoys some of the modern facilities like
electricity, telephone and lots of modern office equipment like computer, OHP,
laminating machine etc.
Meretsemo School was established in March1997. Previously, there was an NFE centre.
The former chimi of the village, Mr Tsendra, says that prior to the establishment of the
school the people of the village had to face a lot of problems sending their children to
school to Bongo Primary School, which is a journey of 4-5 hours. It was therefore that
the people of the community jointly requested the then Secretary of Health and
Education, Dasho Sangay Ngedup, during his visit to Bongo Gewog, to consider
establishing a community school in the village. Dasho was kind enough to command the
DEO to look into the matter. Therefore, after doing the feasibility study of the school, the
school was established in March 1997 with Mr Kezang Wangdi as its first head teacher.
And according to another man from the village, the Head Teacher of the school did not
stay there but came to the school from Darla, but only sometimes. The school was in
fact run by the NFE instructor, Mr Sangay Thinley. Most of the time, the classes were
left in the hands of students themselves. In the meanwhile, the new head teacher, Mr
Nima, came to the school. Mr Nima ran the school all by himself for almost 3 years, each
year upgrading the classes.
In the year 2000, the school was run by two regular teachers, both general (one of them
joined only in September).
In the year 2003, Mr Nima was succeeded by Mr Sangay Dorji. After his arrival, the
school made many progressive developments in terms of infrastructure facilities.
He brought telephone to the school besides repairing the old buildings, paintings,
extending the grounds and building teachers quarters. The school also bought a Sound
System.
In the same year, the school organized a Scouts commitment ceremony and the cluster
Education Talent week in its compound. It was during that event that there was a lot of
exchange of knowledge and talents between the five schools.
In 2004, the school was upgraded to Class VI. The student enrolment increased to 101,
the highest since its establishment.
The first batch of students is now studying in Class VIII in Chungkha Lower Secondary
School, Chukha.
The school conducts scouting lessons every Friday and Saturday under the leadership of
the scout master, Mr Nima Dorji.
In 2004, lots of unexpected activities and developments were carried out successfully.
First, coinciding with the Social Forestry Day, the school formally instituted the NFE
centre. It was inaugurated by Mr Chencho Dorji, the Joint Director of Department of
Sports, Scouts and Culture.
It was during that time that the school got a new five-unit toilet constructed by the
public, Dzongkhag and the staff at large, thus bringing a change in the health and
sanitation of the school children and staff.
Next, the community constructed a new two-unit classroom to overcome the classroom
shortage. It was constructed at a cost of Nu. 115000/- (one lakh fifteen thousand),
which the dzongkhag also helped by issuing 100 bags of cement and the roof materials.
The school again got valuable help and support from the community with the
construction of a permanent platform for staging school co-curricular activities like
drama and literary activities.
Thereafter, the school staged its 3rd annual concert on the new stage with tickets to raise
the funds for itself.
The RC (Resource Centre) carried out RCBIPS on MGT, Monitoring tools, Dzongkha EVS
and Evaluation Techniques (blue print) besides developing the laminated sight words for
PP English and prayer books for the cluster schools. On top of it, the RC and staff give
full support to the staff of the host school and the cluster schools.
The NFE instructor, Mr Sonam Dorji, takes classes in the school of his own volition. He
teaches three subjects (Dzongkha PP, EVS-I and Dzongkha II) till the fifth period without
any payment.
Regarding the co-curricular activities, the school has various clubs like maintenance
club, literary club, home science, nature, music, driglam Namzha and health besides
scouting and agriculture.
For the first time in the history of the school, the ritual ceremony (rimdo) and blessing
(tshewang) were organized for the well-being of the children and the Tsa-wa-sum at
large. This was done with the amount collected from the Choethuen Tshokpa.
Besides, the school also organizes marathon for both boys and girls. The school scouts
organize a cleaning campaign in the community every year.
The National Day and the birthday of His Majesty the King are celebrated in the school
with much vigour and zeal.
Problems faced by the school
First, since the people of this community are economically more backward, the children
do not seem to get proper diet for their studies. We the teachers are trying to do all we
can in consultation with the higher authorities to address the problem.
The school does not have enough taps despite having a clean drinking water source.
The school at the moment does not have a proper playground and fence. It also does not
have enough teachers’ quarters.
The chronological list of the head teachers of the school
Sl.No.
1
2
Name
Mr Kezang Wangdi
Mr Nima
Tenure
1997 March-1998 December
1998 March-2002 December
3
4
Mr Sangay Dorji
Mr Nima Dorji,
Teacher
Offtg.
Head
2003 March-2004 December
1/8/00------
Vision of the school
The vision of the school is to make itself an ideal learning centre in the country with
excellence in basic primary education based on the strong culture and tradition of the
nation.
Mission of the school
The school will continuously strive to produce responsible, productive, competent and
dedicated individuals for Tsawasum through the best implementation of curriculum and
wholesome education.
Goals:
Academic:





To make optimum use of available resources.
To improve students' academic performance.
Ensure varieties in teaching-learning strategies.
Frequent assessment and feedback.
Implementation of a variety of literary activities.
Non-Academic:





Ensure effective leadership
Development of physical fitness and social maturity.
Promote and preserve tradition and culture for the nation’s identity.
Acquire life related skills.
Acquire high social skills.
Students Support Service:


Create child-friendly atmosphere for effective teaching/learning.
Develop parents’ community support.
School Administration:



Develop adequate materials support.
Ensure maximum student and teacher participation.
Conduct frequent SDP.
Infrastructure:






Fencing school premises.
School playground leveling.
Renovation and maintenance of old buildings.
Develop flower gardens.
Leveling the assembly ground.
Beautifying the school campus with greenery.
We value:
Responsibilities; punctuality; hard work; patriotism, self-discipline; dignity of labour;
sincerity; honesty and nationalism.
Metakha Community School
Location
It is located on the left side of the Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway which is officially four
days walk from any point i.e, from Phuntsholing Torsa river, Chukha Hydro Electric dam
site and Ganglakha feeder road. It is located opposite Dungna Primary School which
was established in mid 1960’s.
Community history
People say that their grandparents had originally migrated from Dawakha, Paro (near
Chuzom). In the past, people used to migrate from Paro to present-day Pasakha in
winter and go back in summer with their cattle. But one winter, one widow could not
catch up with her neighours and stayed back with her children in what is now called
Metakha. Drawing her inspiration from the work the people on the opposite side were
doing, she worked hard and cultivated the land. This warded off hunger. The following
winter, her village people came to know of her success while returning from Pasakha.
Some stayed back to work with her. Gradually, all the people of the village settled there
and named the place Neytakha, meaning new settlement. Later they named it as
Metakha.
At present, the people are concentrating on farming and cattle raising. The village has
people from all parts of the country who converged there through marriages. They are
illiterate but hardworking.
Establishment of the school
The present gup Trelu was the key figure who conceived and initiated the establishment
of the school. The issue was discussed in the Gewog Yargay Tshogchung and forwarded
for further consideration to the Dzongkhag. The proposal was approved. And the school
came into being in 1991 with 38 students headed by Lopon Tenzin (ZLT).
Name of the heads of the school
1) Lopon Tenzin
1991-1996
2) Aita Gurung 1996-2001
3) Tshering
2002…
The school’s benefits to the community
The people say that the establishment of the school has come as a big boon for them.
Earlier on, able and interested parents had to send their children to Dungna Primary
School, which is more than three hours walking distance from here. Others who could
not afford to go there had to remain in their village. But now everybody has the ability
and opportunity to send their children to school as this school is centrally located. At
present, the responsibilities of chipons, village health workers, runners etc. are being
taken up by school dropouts.
Student enrollment and teacher strength
Since the catchment area of the school covers only 80 households, the enrollment is
comparatively low. The total number of students has never risen beyond 65. At present,
the school has 3 teachers and 50 students.
Future Plans
The school in the near future plans to upgrade itself into a community primary school so
that enrolment will increase and the quality of education provided would be better.
Paga Community School
Paga Community School is located at 2360m above sea level and is just 2 km away from
a place called Churachu on the Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway. Churachu is 3 km
towards Chukha from Chuzom. Our school’s signboard is there. From here, one has to
take a pleasant uphill walk through a beautiful blue pine forest, apple orchards,
sparsely populated village with beautiful Bhutanese houses on the wayside, in the apple
orchards and chili fields. It was established in the year 1994 as an NFE centre. Later in
1999, it was upgraded to a community school for the benefit of about 50 households
under Chapcha gewog, Chukha Dzongkhag.
This school started its formal classes with 25 students (12 girls and 13 boys) under the
headship of Mr Singye Samdrup. Since then, a lot of children have joined the school.
Before the establishment of this school, people did not send their children to schools
anywhere.
At present, there are 53 students with two general teachers. We have multi-grade
classes from PP to V. The classes we have combined are PP and IV, V and I, II and III.
Multi-grade teaching is an interesting and challenging job every teacher would like to
experience.
Through various school activities and programmes our school has brought about a lot of
changes amongst students and community in terms of cleanliness, Driglam Namzha,
parents’ involvement in development of the school, importance of education, better
enrolment, lower dropout rate etc. We also provide wholesome education to our children.
We aspire to develop this school as one of the good multi-grade schools for which we
have already developed suitable infrastructure and other facilities. Class VI began in
2005.
Our school is a children-centred school. The children themselves carry out many
activities without fear and hesitation. The teachers just go around and give some
necessary guidance and help. More often than not, children come up with sports
competitions, cultural shows, debates and quizzes and invite the teachers as the
honoured guests and judges.
This school is run by the force of rules and regulations. There are student groups of
varying ability. Able and active students are appointed group leaders who follow
teachers’ instructions and monitor their friends.
Apart from keeping themselves fully engaged in various activities, children come to the
teachers for help and guidance in their lessons.
We would like our school to be remembered as a child-centred school, children as active
and wholesome, the teachers as hard working and committed, and the community as
helpful and cooperative.
Rinchenling Community School
Rinchenling Community School, under Chapcha gewog in Chukha Dzongkhag, was
established in the beginning of the year 1991. It is located approximately 5 ½ km from
Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway. The school is at the centre of the villages of Tshamdra,
Bashi-Jongshi, Metem and Paga as per the site selection done by Honourable Dasho
Dzongda B.B. Rana. The people of the above four villages were involved in constructing
the first two units of classrooms. Ms Champa Devi Sharma, the first Head Teacher of the
school, served the school until 19th September, 1992.
The names of the head teachers in chronological order
Sl.No. Names
Tenure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1991-1992
1992-1996
1996-1999
1999-2001
2001-…
Ms Champa Devi Sharma
Mr Chechu Dukpa
Mr Dhal Bahadur Gurung
Mr Karma Tshering
Mr Sonam
When the school was first opened, it had only 75 students. The school was upgraded
from Class III to IV in 1997. In the year 2001, again the school was upgraded from Class
IV to V. It was in the beginning of 2003 that the school was further upgraded to Class VI
under intense pressure from the public for the Class V pass students had to go to
Chungkha Lower Secondary School, which too is very far from their parents.
Details of the teachers and students of the school
Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Year
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Boys
45
28
32
38
Girls
30
20
21
20
Total
75
48
53
58
Teachers
2
2
2
2
38
44
49
46
37
34
35
43
43
29
21
23
32
34
34
35
40
53
45
35
59
67
81
80
71
69
75
96
88
62
1
2
2
2
3
4
3
3
3
4
Vision of the school:
The vision of the school is to be a model school in the region. It will strive to achieve the
National Goals. If the population in the catchment area increases, the school will grow
up to be a lower secondary school in the next few years so that it will be able to provide
higher education to the children.
Rinchenling was previously known as chog chog kha which means ever ready. The people
of the community are ever ready to do anything and tackle any problem that the village
came to be known as chog chog kha. The name was changed to Rinchenling by Hon’able
Dasho Dzongda B.B. Rana at the time of the establishment of the school.
Shemagangkha Community School
Shemagangkha Community School in Chukha Dzongkhag is under Chapa gewog.
Situated at an altitude of 2700 m above the sea level, it is 47 km from ThimphuPhuntsholing highway. It is connected by a feeder road which runs roughly 6.20 km
from the highway.
The school was established in 1991 with a total of 50 students in PP from three nearby
villages namely Gangkha, Sheyul and Shelgoen. Mr Bishnu Mishra was the founder of
the school. He worked in the school till mid 1995 when Mr Sonam Gyamtsho, the
present head teacher, joined the school.
While many students who do their primary education in this school usually drop out
from Class VII or VIII, quite a few students now continue their education in Class XII.
The yearwise enrollment of students and the number of teachers since its establishment
are as follows.
Student
Year
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Boys
Girls
31
30
43
42
24
40
37
45
46
51
54
57
59
29
38
38
34
24
32
27
37
32
40
42
44
40
Total
50
60
68
81
76
48
72
64
82
78
91
96
101
99
Teachers
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
5
Classes from
PP
PP-I
PP-II
PP-III
PP-III
PP-III
PP-IV
PP-IV
PP-V
PP-V
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
The people in the village have strong sense of belonging to the school and they render
every help and support for the betterment of the school. The community expects the
school to be upgraded to at least a lower secondary level but the enrollment of the
students would be hindrance to this.
The school has a few modern amenities like electricity. We expect the blessings of
television and telephone facilities very shortly.
The visitors to the school are very often impressed by the scenic beauty and ideal
location of the school.
Tsimakha Community School
Tsimakha Community School was established in March 2001. The main aim was to
educate the children from Tsimakha, Tsimasham and Bongo. Their children were
creating admission pressure on Tsimalakha Lower Secondary School.
The students from these places– Class I to IV and a few pre-primary repeaters were
segregated from Tsimalakha LSS to start this school. This enabled most of the children
from the locality to be enrolled into the school.
Dasho Zanglay Dukpa and Mr Jigme Thinley, the then Dzongda and the DEO
respectively, were the main figures responsible for the establishment of this school.
Mr Needup Dorji has been the head teacher of this school since the establishment.
Five regular teachers including the Head Teacher started this school. 3 temporary
teachers and 3 apprentice teachers also joined the school during the year 2001. The
school has received trainee teachers from NIE Paro for the last 3 years (i.e. until 2003).
In 2004, there were 10 regular teachers including the head teacher (2 males 7 females).
The school strength:
Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
Boys
109
107
122
132
Girls
88
84
112
111
Total
197
191
234
243
6 girls and 3 boys graduated with Class VI from this school in the year 2003 and are
enrolled in Tsimalakha LSS.
Academic excellence through wholesome education is the vision of this school and ‘learn
more and more’ the Motto of the school.
Presently the school is located beside Chukha Rabdey which is attached to the nearest
Chukha Dzongkhag Headquarters. The school was established in the residential
quarters of Chukha Hydro Power Corporation built approximately 28 years ago (197778.)
They were renovated and remodeled into classrooms by the Dzongkhag
Administration. However, the school would be shifted to the present Dzongkhag Office
when the construction of the new Dzong is completed. We pray for its early restart and
completion. This can enable the school to have properly demarcated and spacious
classrooms. This can also enhance the children’s learning environment.
DAGANA DZONGKHAG
Daga Middle Secondary School
Location
Daga Middle Secondary is located on a gentle slope between Pele Chhu in the northeast
and Dara Chhu in the south-west, at an altitude of 1200 m above sea level. It is in the
middle of Tseza gewog and very near to Daga Trashiyangtse Dzong.
History
It was when the modern education was first introduced in the country that our late king,
His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, established the school in 1962. It was one of the
first English medium schools in the country. Initially, it started as a primary school with
classes from kindergarten to grade IV.
The first Head Teacher of the school was Mr Samten Wangchuk. There were only two
teachers. The student strength was about 150.
The head teachers of the school in chronological order
1. Mr Samten Wangchuk
2. Mr T. N. Sharma
3. Mr Sonam
4. Mr L. R. Gurung
5. Mr Singye
6. Mr Tsheringla
7. Mr C. B. Pradhan
8. Mr Ugyen Dukpa
9. Mr Jamtsho
10. Mr Kinzang Lhendup
11. Mr Pasang Norbu
12. Mr Tashi Gyeltshen
13. Mr Kezang Wangdi
-
1962-1965
1965-1969
1969-1978
1978-1981
1982-1984
1984-1987
1987-1990
1990-1993
1993-1993
1994-1995
1995-2001
2001-2002
2003-
In 1984, when Mr Singye took over the school, it was upgraded to a lower secondary
school. At the time of upgradation, the student strength was about 400 with 15
teachers.
A healthy organization must grow and the school did grow. It grew particularly under the
leadership of its Principal Mr Pasang Norbu. During his tenure, the school was equipped
with concrete buildings.
With an increasing number of students from both within and outside the Dzongkhag,
the government felt that the earlier infrastructure meant for a junior high school was not
adequate. The location near the old academic building was separated and a primary
school started there in the year 1997. The construction had begun in the year 1994. The
construction was done in two phases. The first phase, which was constructed by NCC,
was completed in December 1995. The buildings include two academic blocks with four
classrooms each, one administrative block with staff room, principal’s office, stationery
store and two classrooms. Besides, five units of staff quarters, aqua-privy toilet,
basketball court and a football field with a magnificent gallery were also constructed.
The second phase of the construction was carried out by EMCC. The buildings
constructed during this phase were the boys’ and girls’ dormitories, science laboratorycum-library room, multipurpose hall, kitchen, and an academic block with four
classrooms. This phase also included the demarcation of the school boundary and
barbed wire fencing with a school gate.
The improvement in the infrastructure of the school in the seventh five-year plan was a
remarkable achievement. With the completion of the second phase of construction, the
school was equipped with adequate physical facilities.
As per the plan of the erstwhile education division, the school was upgraded to a middle
secondary school in the year 1998. With the upgradation of the school, physical facilities
such as a basketball court were built and additional laboratory equipment and library
books were procured.
Throughout its history, the school has been closely linked with the local community.
The school is proud of its good reputation. It is noted for its positive ethos, a friendly and
caring environment, high academic achievement, good discipline and commitment to
education outside the classroom.
The curriculum offered by the school is wide, varied and tailored to the individual needs
of our students. Outside the classroom, the list of school activities is impressive. There
is a regular programme of various co-curricular activities geared towards imparting
wholesome education for the wholesome development of our students.
Student and Teacher Statistics as of June 2004
Students
Boys Girls
233
215
Teachers
Male
Female
14
2
Total
448
Total
16
Teacher Experiences and Qualification
1-5
6-10
11-15
MA, B.Ed.
M.Sc.
B. Ed.
PGCE
MA
ZTC
8
7
1
2
2
6
2
1
3
Multiskilled
person
1
Support Staff Statistics as of June 2004
Office
Asst.
Asst.
Librarian
Lab.
Assistant
Messenger
Peon
Cook
2
2
3
1
1
4
Yearwise Student Enrollment: 1994-2004
Sl.No.
01
Year
1994
Total No. of Students
368
02
03
04
1995
1996
1997
430
473
435
Typist
Driver
1
1
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
417
293
322
326
404
438
448
4353
Drujeygang Middle Secondary School
Drujeygang Middle Secondary School is under Dagana Dzongkhag. It is located on a
small mound opposite Damphu town. It is closer to Tsirang than Dagana Dzongkhag
headquarters. The climate of the place is ideal with cool winter and warm summer.
The school was established in the year 1962 as a private school by the Drujeygang
community with due permission from the Dzongkhag authorities. It was built during the
tenure of Dasho Ten Dorji, the then Dzongda-cum-Drangpon. According to Mr Karma
Samdrup, 60, and Chimi of Drujeygang, the school came into existence due to sheer
initiative of some prominent village figures of the time. They were Mr Wangdi (gup and
chimi), Mr Pema Khandu (gomchen), and Mr Katem (former gup)- all from Pangna village.
Mr Samten Tashi, who is an alumnus and former teacher of this school, recalls that
choekey (classical Tibetan language) was the only medium of instruction. The school was
run in the monastic style. Venerable Lopon Tshampa Duba of Namling Choeling Goemba
and Dasho Sonam Dorji, former councilor, were among the few teachers of those days.
In 1967, the school was taken over by the government and western style of education
started. Since then, a number of Head Teachers served the school. Mr C Ghising (19661968) was the first head teacher followed by Mr A.B. Adhikari (1968-1977), Mr L P
Sharma (1977-1985), Mr Gopal Pradhan (1985-1990), Mr Tenzin Norbu (1990-1999) and
currently, Mr Ugyen Tshering.
Until 1997, the school remained a primary school. It was in the year 1998 that the
school was upgraded to lower secondary level. On April 18, 2004, the school was further
upgraded to higher secondary level. His Excellency Lyonpo Thinley Gyamtsho, Minister
for Education, inaugurated the school. The school will be a fully-fledged higher
secondary school by the year 2007.
Some of the alumni of this school have already begun to serve the government. Some of
the outstanding alumni of the school are Mr Tashi Penjor (WFP Manager), Mr Jurmi
Wangchuck (UNO, New York), Mr Kunzang Norbu (Assistant Engineer in PWD), Mr
Rinzin Dorji (Engineer with Geology and Mines), Mr Nima Tshering (Ranger), Mr Tshering
Gyeltshen and Mr Khandu (Head Teachers).
The total student enrolment this year is 509 out of which 255 are boys and 254 girls. It
is a boarding school and a beneficiary of WFP. Currently, the school is being guided
towards its vision- the centre of excellence- by 22 teachers who row with harmony and
unity.
Daga Primary School
Daga Primary School was the first school in Daga established in 1962 on a gentle slope
to the north of Pele chhu. The school was initially started as an LKG school with 100
students and 4 teachers headed by Mr Tshelthrim. Thereafter, 5 head teachers took the
school over in succession until it was upgraded to a junior high school in 1989 under
the headship of Mr Ugyen Dukpa. There were 250 students and 9 teachers. In 1997, the
school was upgraded to a middle secondary school with Mr Pasang Norbu as the
Principal. In the same year, the primary classes from PP-V were segregated from its
parent school with a separate head. Mr Namgay Dorji took over as the head of the
primary section, which comprised 4 teachers and 244 students. The first batch of class
VI students sat the BBE examinations in 1998 and achieved 90% pass results.
This year, before the start of the academic session, the school was shifted to the new site
which is below the dzong.
The school has three double storey buildings, which house 7 classrooms, Head Teacher's
office, a staff, a library room, a prayer room, resource centre room and a store.
Presently, the school has an enrolment of 310 students- 166 girls and 144 boys. There
are 12 teaching staff out of which 10 are trained teachers. The classes range from PP-VI.
The school is going to be upgraded to a lower secondary school in 2006.
The school caters to the educational needs of the people of two villages under Tseza
gewog and the children of RBP personnel, civil servants and the business community.
Being relocated to a new site lately, the school lacks proper physical infrastructure like
playground. It also lacks other facilities like a library and a science laboratory. But the
problems are likely to be overcome in the near future.
The school provides learning opportunities to ensure that each student realizes his or
her full potential.
Dagapela Primary School
Location and Establishment
Out of the fifteen schools in Dagana Dzongkhag, Dagapela Primary School is located in
the centre. The school is four kilometres from the main feeder road to Dagana. The
school was established in the late eighties but due to the problems in 1990s and some
other unfavourable circumstances the school had to close down for three years from
1990-1993.
The school was initially named Goshi Junior High School since it was located in the
Goshi Gewog. Initially, there were 352 students and more than 13 teachers. Most of the
teachers were non-Bhutanese.
As mentioned, due to the problems the school was shifted to the Dungkhag Complex
(near the present town area) in the year 1994.
Things were to change radically when His Majesty visited the place in 1993. His Majesty
had planned that the school should be immediately occupied by the armed forces. With
breathtaking shrewdness, His Majesty pursued to consolidate peace and security for the
people of the Dagapela Dungkhag.
The school benefited the children of five gewogs since most of the school remained closed
due to the problems in the south. During the course of time everything has changed,
indeed a change for the better. With the changes in the curricula over the years, the
children knew the importance of wholesome education.
The school got its name as Dagapela Community Primary School after it was shifted to
the Dungkhag Complex in 1994. There were about 180 students from PP-VI with two
regular teachers.
In 1997, there were 378 students with only the regular teachers (two zhungkha language
teachers and one general teacher. In 2000, the number of students rose to 420. Since
this was the only school in Dagapela, there was a lot of admission pressure. The main
constraints were accommodation and shortage of teachers. The teachers faced many
problems to impart quality and wholesome education.
In 2000, the school was lucky enough to get two teachers on field attachment. The two
teachers faced a difficult time because they had to cover all the subjects besides
Dzongkha. At present, the two teachers mentioned above are back to the same school as
fully-fledged teachers. Every year, the student enrolment increases by 10-15%.
At present, there are 382 students and 8 teachers. The Resource Centre for other cluster
schools is based in Dagapela Primary School and Ms Chimi Wangmo is the RC Coordinator.
Heads of the school (1994-2005)
1. Lopon Pema Sangay (1994-1996)
2. Mr Sangay Dorji (1997-1999)
3. Ms Damchoe
(2000)
Vision and mission of the school


The school will develop into a homely and effective learning centre with adequate
teaching and learning resources.
The school will develop a family spirit whereby love, care and support will exist
between the members of the school and the community.
Goals of the school:
Effective development of the curriculum.
Providing varieties of co-curricular activities.
Professional development of the teachers through research on various teaching
and learning methods.
Provision of student support services:








Achieving academic excellence.
Producing competitive and productive students
Promoting school health programme.
Using the available resources effectively.
Promoting our cultural and traditional values.
Samay Primary School
Samay Primary School was started on July 1, 1987 with 30 students by Mr K D Nepal at
a place called Aekuna. But the school took its name from the village it was in, not the
particular place it was located in. Mr Draw Dorji, an ex-gup, was the main player in the
establishment of the school.
In the year 1993, the school was shifted to a place just below the present location of the
school. In the same year the school started receiving WFP facilities. The school was once
again relocated- this time at its present location- in 1996. It is 5 km from the Dzongkhag
headquarters, Dagana.
At present, the school has 176 students, 5 teaching staff and 3 non-teaching staff. It has
facilities like a football ground, electricity, MPH, two academic blocks and a teacher
quarters.
During the Dzongkhag level competitions between the schools, Samay Primary School
bagged many prizes in competitions like culture, storytelling, and extempore speech
(between 1998-2001).
Some of the first batch students of this school are in B.Ed. course II year in NIE Paro
and final year degree in Sherubtse College.
The chronological list of the head teachers of the school
1. K D Nepal
2. Ugyen Norbu
3. Dendup Tshering
1987-1989
1990-1997
1998…
Daleythang Community Primary School
According to Ap Dophu, an eighty-year old villager, once Daga penlop who went to meet
Paro penlop at Wangdi was asked to go back to Dagana as some problem might erupt in
Dagana in his absence. So the penlop set on his return journey to Dagana from Daley
Gonpa in Punakha. However, the penlop and the attendant settled on the way for a few
years during which time the attendant died. The place was, therefore, named Daleythang
in memory of the deceased attendant.
Daleythang Community Primary School is centrally located with Baleythang on the left
and Pungsi on the right. It is about 30 minutes uphill walk from the roadhead. The
school was established in the year 2004 with 50 students and a teacher in-charge. The
school was established for the community of Khagchen because Lhaling Community
School is very far away for the children of this community.
The school was inaugurated by the DEO of Dagana, Mr Kinga Dakpa, on March 15,
2004. Unlike in the past, the children of this community can now partake of wholesome
education without any problems.
In the future the school is expected to be one of the most conducive places learning in
the community. Imparting wholesome education, ensuring a healthy working
atmosphere, banning corporal punishment, making the school free from tobacco and
acquisition of knowledge, skills and values, purity of thoughts and patriotism are some
of the thrust areas of the school.
Since all the people around the school are helpful and cooperative, the school is
expected to grow from strength to strength in the near future. The school enjoys all the
modern facilities like road, electricity, telephone and BHU. The vision of our school is
that it will try to be a social animator that benefits all the people of the immediate
community and the nation at large.
Dogak Community Primary School
Dogak Community Primary School is located in Dogak village under Goshi Gewog,
Dagana. It is not accessible by motor road. It takes 2 ½ hours uphill walk to the school
from the Daga-Sunkosh highway.
It is located on the southern foothills at about 1645 m above sea level. The highest
temperature recorded in the year is 26Oc in summer and 130c in winter.
The school was established in 1981. The school area previously belonged to Mr
Birkhasur Chuwan who was compensated with an amount contributed by the public.
The school area measures 2 ½ acres. The school lies between the two gewogs of Kana
and Goshi. It caters to the educational needs of several villages including Balakgang,
Khagochen, Punzhi, Bjurugang, Dedigang, Kashithang and Dalithang.
The school was established during the reign of Honourable Dasho Dzongda Karma Dorji
Sherpa. Mr Dungchen, chimi from Khagochen was appointed as the first lajab
(supervisor) to look after the construction of the school. He was followed by Mr Harka
Bahadur Powdyel who was also from Khagochen. The people had great difficulty
transporting the construction materials. Since there was no road, all the materials had
to be carried all the way from Kalikhola, which took them 3 days.
Mr Jabardan Barari, considered the richest man in the village, was unanimously
nominated as the co-ordinator of the construction. His main responsibility was to collect
money, foodstuffs, vegetables and construction materials for issue and supply to the
labourers. There was no problem regarding resources. When the community flattered
their richest man, he just used his own money when he could not collect it from all.
Eventually, however, he sank into a huge debt as he could not recover the money he
spent from many of the people.
The construction of the seven-unit academic block, four-unit teachers quarters, five-unit
students' toilet and WFP store-cum-kitchen were completed in the same year.
The school was formally inaugurated by Dasho Dzongda Karma Dorji Sherpa. Then the
school came to be known as Dokap (white stone) in testimony of the white stone which is
seen a minute’s walk from the school. The extraordinarily enormous stone broken by
lightening into two halves is now remembered as the distinctive feature of the school. It
is to be remembered all the time by the public, teachers and students that slaughtering
of animals at the spot brings sudden natural calamities like soil erosion in the school
compound, school children fall ill and the teachers and the students fall on unhappy
times.
In 1981, Mr Chakman Tamang was the first head teacher. He ran the school from 1981
to 1983 with 363 students and one teacher. Mr Gopal Gurung was his supporting
teacher.
After 3 years, Mr Sangay Wangdi took over the headship from Mr Chakman Tamang.
During his tenure, the school had seven teachers and 665 students. He served from1983
to 1988. It was during his tenure that the first batch of 49 students passed out in 1987.
After that, Mr Kezang Chophel took over the school in 1988. The enrolment was very
high although there was limited number of classrooms. It was at that time that all the
teachers and students had to quit the school on account of political unrest in the south.
So the school remained closed for 9 years due to the unrest.
In April 4, 1999, the school was reopened to enable resettlers to admit their children
who were brought together with their parents from their previous school.
The people from east and west, north and south converged on the place. The reopened
Dokap school was renamed as Dogak Community Primary School. Mr Pema Thinley, the
present head, was the person to reopen the school. The school buildings were found to
be in dilapidated state. Therefore, the government immediately took to repairing the
school infrastructure. It was a relief to the government and the public that the old
buildings were used again with no other additional constructions. However, it cost a
huge amount for the repair works.
Since the school remained closed for many years, many children in the village were
deprived of the education facilities. Later, when the school reopened, many of them aged
6-10 were considered for admission. A non-formal education programme was started in
the school to help those who did not get the chance to study in school.
The head teachers, through the School Management Board, called for the active
participation of the community. The construction of office-cum-staff room was solely
carried out by SMB with no help from the government or contribution from the people.
Mr Ganesh Kumar Gurung and Mr Mon Bahadur Powdyel played a key role in
completing the construction within two weeks. With the completion of this construction
within the stipulated time, the school had adequate classrooms.
At present, there are 4 teachers and 237 students in PP-VI. Shortage of teachers has
been a long-felt problem of the school. It is very troublesome for the school children to
reach school in time as they have to walk up and down 14 km a day. The school feels
that such a long distance walk would put the lives of students in jeopardy.
Because of the political unrest, many of the students dropped out of school. A few
students who could continue their studies are still continuing their higher studies. A few
of them have been employed. Mr Prem Moktan, the bank manager, Phuntsholing, is the
first university graduate among the alumni of this school.
Our Vision
The vision of this school is to produce patriotic citizens. The school has its own plans
and policies in line with those of the government's.
The school’s long-term plans are to ensure quality education, build an additional
academic block, teacher’s quarters, head teacher’s quarters and upgrade the school to
lower secondary level.
Gesarling Community Primary School
Gesarling Community Primary School is located about 16.860 km from Dagapela town
under Dagana Dzongkhag. The place is linked by a feeder road. The school caters to two
gewogs, namely Gesarling and Dorona which consist of twenty villages.
The school was established in the year 1999 with an enrolment of 12 students and a
teacher. Mr Jigme was the first teacher-in-charge of the school. The school was named
Emery Community School. The foundation day of the school is observed on 18th March.
Mr Rinchen Dorji took over the charge of the school from 2001 and served till February,
2005. The name of the school then changed to Pemaling Community School. It was
during the visit of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuck’s visit to the school that the name of the school was changed to Gesarling
Community School. The school started Class VI with eight students in 2002.
The school has three buildings. It has two classroom blocks consisting of four rooms and
a two-storey building with six classrooms and a two-unit staff quarters. The school has
solar light facility. The total area of the school is 35 acres.
Two general teachers ran the school till 2002. In 2003, three apprentice teachers joined
the school. However, the school did not have Dzongkha teachers till 2004.
Mr Tashi Wangdi is the present teacher-in-charge. Currently the school has 244
students making up classes PP to VI (134 boys and 110 girls). There are six regular
teachers (five general teachers and a Dzongkha teacher) and one apprentice teacher.
Like other schools in the kingdom, this school stresses imparting wholesome education.
The school is going to be upgraded to lower secondary level in future.
Lhaling Community Primary School
Lhaling Community School was started on 25th May 1999 after the construction of the
first semi-permanent building by the community in 1998. The CGI sheets for the roof
were supplied by the Royal Government. Mr Ngawang Thinley, who is still running the
school, is the first head teacher of the school. The school was started with 30 students,
18 boys and 12 girls in class PP. Those students are presently in class VI. They were the
first batch of the students who sat Class VI examinations in December 2005. The first
non-formal education programme was started in this school on 18th September 1999
with 89 learners, 47 male and 42 female learners. Today, the place where the school is
located is called Tanabji, though the school is named as Lhaling Community School. It
is because, before 1990’s, the only named school was Lhaling. During the social uprising
in the south that school was closed down. Later, a school with the same name was
opened but not in the same place. It was opened in Tanabji. It takes 25-30 minutes to
reach the school from the road point. The school is under Kana Gewog, Dagana
Dzongkhag.
The school is in the southern belt of the country. It experiences sub-tropical climatic
conditions throughout the year. The place is at an altitude of 1010 meters above the sea
level.
The school was constructed on the request of communities of the gewog. Since it was
established, the school has been a very important learning centre for the whole of the
communities and beyond although the students have to walk for more than 3-4 km
every morning. Since the community is a mixed one, the people have a good co-operation
among themselves especially when they have to do work for the benefit of the school.
The school always works for the achievement of its various Vision, Mission, Aims,
Objectives and Goals, which in turn will fulfill all the great hopes and expectations of the
Royal Government. We asked the community people and the others why they needed a
school in the region? There were more than a thousand answers, but we have put down
the few of the answers below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Our small children (both able and disabled) can go to the nearest school.
Less expenditure for us (in buying uniform, school fees…etc.).
We can give proper care and guidance to our children apart from teachers.
All the family members can eat, enjoy, share and be together both in the good
and bad times.
5. Our grown-up children can help us in manual work, especially in summer.
There are three semi-permanent school buildings. They are built of stone, mud,
bamboos and timber. There is also one semi-permanent staff quarters, which was built
by the community in the1990’s. The three school buildings are not constructed at the
same time. The first building were constructed in 1998. To construct this building the
whole community had to work without wage. They nearly took a year to complete the
school. The second school building was constructed in 2003. To build this building each
household contributed Nu: 2500. With the collected amount Nu: 2,25,000, it was
constructed by one of the local contractors named Mr Ganga Ram Chawan of the same
gewog. It took nearly 5 months to complete the building. The third building was built in
2004. To build this building too, the community had to contribute Nu: 2,14,000. The
building was completed within 4 months. For constructing the above two buildings,
nothing was supplied by the Royal Government.
The school is a day school. Most of the students have to walk more then 3-4 km every
morning to reach the school. The distance from the respective villages to the school is
as follows
1. Nindukha- 3 km
2. Kanakha- 3 km
3. Tanabji- 1 km
4. Jachima- 4 km
5. G. Gang- 4 km
6. Khamey- 4 km
7. Lhaling- 5 km
8. C. Thangs- 5 km
9. K. Chins- 15 km
10.Pungsi- 15 km
11.D. Thangs- 17 km
Many students stay near the school, either in rented apartments or with their cousins
and relatives. A few students have built temporary huts in the school compound itself.
Coming to the year 2005, the school had classes ranging from PP-VI. Four regular
general teachers and one NFE Instructor take the classes. We have 245 students, 125
boys and 120 girls. There are 14 male and 16 female NFE learners. The school has
formed a committee to discuss admission, coordinate teacher-parents meeting etc. The
committee comprises:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Gup- (Chairman)
Headmaster- member (co-coordinator)
Teacher Representative (member, helper)
Tshokpas- (members)
Village elderly men (members)
Our school begins at 8.30 a.m. with morning National Anthem and ends at 3.30 p.m.
with evening prayers. After that, we have many other co-curricular activities till 5.00
p,m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, we mainly have mass works like SUPW,
gardening, agricultural works etc. The activities include1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Scouts (Cub Pack).
Games (football, volleyball, badminton, khuru, chess etc.)
Sports (Hit events, Track events, Field events etc.)
Cultural Practices (Dancing and Singing).
Quiz, Debates, Speech, Reading.
Today the teacher-student ratio is 1:60 in our school. In 2005, the enrolment in the
school was as follows:
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Boys
25
24
23
13
22
10
8
Girs
22
23
23
13
19
12
8
Total
47
47
46
26
41
22
16
The students are divided into four different houses:
Sl. No.
1
2
3
4
Name of the houses
Khorlo House
Bumpa House
Sernya House
Dungkar House
Boys
31
32
32
31
Girls
30
30
30
30
Total
61
62
62
61
Headmasters of the school
01.
02.
Ms. Yeshi Choden- 2000-2001
Mr Karma Dorji Sherpa- 2002-2005
The school facilities
The school has two volleyball courts (one for girls and the other for boys).
It has a football ground (length-75m; breadth-30m). It was made in 2004 at the cost of
Nu 84,000(?). The money was contributed by the community. For that, each household
paid Nu. 650.
The school has very few library facilities.
We have a lot of needs which should be met by the government. The school is in the
great need of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers (General and ZLTS).
Office Assistant and Librarian
Lab. facilities and equipment (Science equipment).
Boarding facilities.
5. Regular electricity and water supply.
6. New road (4-5 km).
7. Writing boards
8. Furniture
9. Agricultural tools
10. Table tennis board and bats
11. School’s name should be changed from Lhaling Community School
to Lhaling Primary School
12. In-country and ex-country training for the members of the staff to expand their
knowledge according to changing times.
We the staff are in great hope that, after going through our history, your good office will
do an immediate favor upon us by supplying the various commodities, goods, human
resources, equipment, knowledge etc. We long to see and receive the above goods with
open hands.
Lungtengang Community Primary School
Lungtengang Community Primary School is located below a small village, Bjurugang,
under Kana Gewog, Dagana Dzongkhag. It is about six hours walk from DagapelaThimphu highway.
The newly established community school was constructed by the local people while the
corrugated galvanized iron (CGI) sheets were supplied by the Dzongkhag.
The school was proposed during the early eighth five-year plan. The present location of
the school was not the actual seat of the school. While proposing for a school, the
public unanimously decided to construct the school at Lungtengang, about half an hour
walk down from Bjurugang.
When the proposal was finally approved, the people on the other side of the stream
(Chang thang chu) wanted the school to be constructed at Tshochu Thang- another two
hours walk from Bjurugang via Lungtengang. This site would have more comfortably
catered to the people of Batsa, Namshigang, Aetosi, Tshochuthang and Tanju- a corner
of another gewog.
The construction work started in 1998 at Tshochuthang. Every individual household
worked for more than a month collecting stones, timber and so forth. In the meanwhile,
the former Dzongda, Dasho Mingboo Drukpa, visited the construction area and objected
to it. According to Mr Karma Dorji (Labour supervisor), Dasho Dzongda felt that the site
of a learning centre was not at all suitable at Tshochuthang. Therefore, the public had
to decide another place for the school.
So, the people gathered and discussed as to where the school should be constructed.
They gathered several times, but could not finalize a place. Meanwhile, Dasho Chachu
and Gup Sonam Drukpa (Eastern Coal Company) came to know the dilemma of the
people. They suggested that the school should be located near a health centre.
Therefore, the school was to be constructed somewhere at Lungtengang where there is a
Basic Health Unit (BHU). Gup Sonam Drukpa promised the public that he would
stretch the motor feeder road till Bjurugang- the nearest village to the BHU.
“We are eagerly waiting for the motor feeder road to come to Bjurugang,” said Aum
Pasang Gyem. “The playground is another expectation we have been promised.” The
public decided to construct the school at Bjurugang with these expectations.
The second construction works began in 2001 at Bjurugang. It took more than two years
to complete the construction. In 2003, it finally started to serve about more than seven
villages.
In addition to the above-mentioned villages, another four villages of Kashithang,
Lungtengang (Didigang), Bjurugang and Panglogang are also benefited. Before the
school came into being, the people had to admit their children in schools in other gewog.
The schools, viz. Dogag PS, Daga PS, Samay PS, Phekoma PS, Lhaling CPS, Dagapela
CPS, and Gaserling CPS catered to these people prior to the establishment of
Lungtengang CS. From the farthest village, Batsa, the people had 4 days back and forth
journey to reach some of these schools.
Lungtengang Community Primary School was opened in April 2003 with a total of 50
students (24 boys and 26 girls) and one teacher. As of April 2004, the school has 30
boys and 41 girls making 80 students while the teacher strength remained the same.
In the history of Lungtengang Community Primary School, Mr Cheten Duba will remain
as the first Head Teacher or teacher in-charge (2003…) and will be followed by many
more.
The present location of the school is at Bjurugang while its name is Lungtengang CPS.
In the future, the school may have to change its location slightly so as to evolve
gradually and get upgraded to at least middle secondary level.
Vision: To be one of the most effective and lively learning centres in acquiring basic
knowledge, skills and values.
With this vision statement, I wish the school to grow ever higher in the succeeding years.
Namchela Community Primary School
Namchela Community Primary School is located on a gentle slope below Tashiding
Gewog at a distance of an hour’s walk from the road head and a couple of hours walk
from Dagapela Market. From the school, one can see Daga Dzong in the north and part
of Tsirang in the south.
The school was established in 1979, but it had to be closed down in the1990’s due to
political unrest in the south.
The school was reopened in 1999 with 20 students. Mr Jigme Wangchuk was the Head
Teacher.
A major renovation of the school was done in 2000, which made the environment more
beautiful and lively. The school has three academic buildings comprising eleven
classrooms. Different flowers for different seasons are grown in the campus.
By the time Mr Sangay Penjor took over the school in 2003, the school was fully
established with the classes ranging from PP to VI being taught by 2 regular teachers
and 2 apprentice teachers. However, it was difficult to manage 7 sections. The school
had to, therefore, adopt multigrade system.
Lopon Karma succeeded Mr Sangay Penjor. Though Lopon was a Dzongkha teacher, he
was equally good in English and Dzongkha. He was supported by 2 regular and 2
apprentice teachers. As the number of students increased to 210, it was difficult for the
school to manage classes properly. Therefore, it had to continue with multigrade system.
Despite this problem, the school managed to bring good academic results in almost all
the classes.
Currently, the school is headed by Mr Sonam Tshering with 3 regular general teachers
and one apprentice teacher. Presently, there are 238 students in the school. The school
is desperately in need of a Dzongkha lopon as it does not have one. Multigrade classes
are still in practice in order to reduce the teacher shortage problem.
Namchela Community Primary School is a day school. Its catchment area include the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Namchela
Tashiding
Shomdolay
Gopeni
Hatikharka
Lodumba
Staff
National Work Force
Pangna Community Primary School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name of school: Pangna
Status of the school: Community Primary School.
Classes: PP to III (segregated from Drujeygang MSS)
Number of sections: 6 (six)
Background history behind school name:
The actual location of the school is called Tabithang, but it falls under Pangna village.
Hence, the school is known as Pangna.
6. Location of the school:
a) Village – Pangna
b) Gewog – Drujeygang
c) Dzongkhag – Dagana.
The school is connected by motor road and is just one kilometer past Drujeygang Middle
Secondary School.
7. Strength of the School:
a) Teachers: 6 including the head teacher (3 males and 3 females)
b) Students: 224 students (126 boys and 98 girls) excluding 7 dropouts
c) Support staff. Caretaker – one (female)
8. Establishment:
The school was established in the year 2004 by the community with financial support of
Nu. 500,000 from the royal government of Bhutan. It was inaugurated on March 15,
2004.
9. Other Information:




The school has only one academic building with six rooms.
At present, the school has a small area, so there is no playground.
The school has a few young orange trees around the campus.
The locality speaks Khengkha
Phekoma Community Primary School
Phekoma Community Primary School is located on the steep slope of Akhochin village
with a lush green forest around it. From there, one can enjoy the scenic beauty of
Khaguchin village of Kana gewog apposite the school.
The school was established in 1983. Before 1980s, there were no developmental
activities in the gewog. There was a small one-teacher private school with thatch-roof
built by the people of Phekoma village. The teacher’s salary was paid through the public
contribution of Nu 5/- per child every month. The people, however, could not afford to
pay for the education of their children. In 1978, the public of Khebisa was fortunate
enough to be graced by the royal visit of Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck, His
Majesty’s representative in the Ministry of Development. During the royal visit, the
former gup of Khebisa, Sonam Dorji, was the main person to give warm welcome to Her
Royal Highness. He, on behalf of the people of the village, requested Her Royal Highness
for a school- a small candle in the darkness. Her Royal Highness was kind enough to
grant a kidu of a new school. For the construction of the new school, the public had to
select a suitable place. Since Phekoma village has limited space for the future growth
and expansion of the school, the site for the school was chosen in Akhochin village.
The construction works of the new school began in mid 1979 after the harvest of maize.
Even as the foundation for the buildings was being dug, the public of Gangkha refused
to contribute woolap (labour contribution) because they wanted the school to be
established in their village. However, since the site at Akhochin was chosen by general
consensus, the decision could not be overturned. While the government supplied the
material needs for the construction, the works were being done through labour
contribution by the community. The community also contributed some amount to pay
the wages of the carpenter and the cost of sawing timbers. Mr B. B. Gurung, the former
chimi, was the chief supervisor and carpenter in the whole work. Besides, Planning
Officer Dawa paid frequent visits to inspect the progress of the work. For all that the
carpenter tried his best, the buildings could not take the intended shape. As a result, a
huge quantity of timber was wasted. Mr B. B. Gurung subsequently sought the help of
the Dzongkhag authorities. Dasho Karma Dorji Sherpa, the then Dzongda, helped him to
get a few skilled carpenters. He was directed to the Gyeltshen Furniture Workshop in
Gelephu to ask the manager to spare some Indian carpenters from his workshop. Thus,
he came back with nine carpenters and continued the work. As soon as the Indian
carpenters began the work, they rejected the timbers used in the building by the
Bhutanese carpenters. Nearly a truckload of timbers was thus wasted. The halfcomplete walls were brought down and the work started from scratch.
By the end of 1982, the construction of the quarters of the Head Teacher and teachers
and academic building were completed. After the completion of the construction works,
the school was started by 1983 with a total of 57 students in LKG (lower kindergarten).
The school was named Phekoma Primary School based on its previous location in
Phekoma.
It is more than two decades since the school was established, but the school has to eke
out scarce resources for a mere survival with two or three teachers at a time teaching
the classes ranging from PP to VI. Because of its being remote, the teachers are
reluctant to come to this school. The stark reality against the above problem, though, is
admission pressure the school faces. Therefore, apart from the Dzongkhag’s deployment
of temporary teachers, the community makes its humble contribution to hire temporary
service of anyone willing to teach in the school. In 2000 there were only three teachers in
the school including the head teacher. In that year, the school could not enroll new
students in PP. The existing classes were taught through multi-grade system in the
multipurpose hall. Unable to see the things in their right perspective, the public lodged a
complaint against this with the education director.
However, starting 2000, the strength of teachers has gradually increased due to the
introduction of apprentice teachers. At one time, the school had eight teachers. But this
year we have six regular teachers. We hope that we would get a few apprentice teachers.
Now we are comfortable. The strength of students is increasing every year. The previous
year the school had 219. However, in 2004, the strength declined to 208 because the
students from the other gewog joined the school in their own gewog and some have
dropped out.
It was very unfortunate for the public of Khebisa gewog in 1992 because the school had
to be closed on the grounds of civil unrest in the south. Many students discontinued
their education after the closure of the school. Again after one year, the school was reopened. Mr Gembo Rinzin was sent from Drujeygang Primary School as the teacher in
charge.
The School has been a boon to the community in many ways. It has helped increase
literacy rate in the gewog. It also functions as one of the NFE centres of Khebisa gewog.
Some alumni of the school have completed degree courses and joined the noble
profession of teaching. Some finished their secondary education and took up blue-collar
jobs. In short, the school has helped the country produce productive citizens.
The future development of the school looks very beak. The school, in fact, is one of the
remotest schools in the whole of the country. Without motor road, there is little room for
development. During the National Day celebration in 1983 in Dagana Dzongkhag, His
Majesty the king had approved 10 km road from Dagana to Phekoma Community
School. However, when engineers came to survey the land, none of the village heads was
present. In fact, the community showed little hospitality to them. They, therefore,
concluded that the response of the public was negative.
In the school, the major problem at present is accommodation. There were two separate
hostels for boys and girls built by the parents of faraway villages. But, during the time of
the former Dzongda Dasho Mingboo Drukpa, it had to be dismantled because there was
a circular from the Education Department to ban the construction of any temporary
sheds on the school campus. Consequently, the children from the two farthest villages of
Gipsa and Gangkha had to suffer a lot. Everyday they had to walk four hours to and
from the school.
The students in this school show keen interest in games and sports despite poor
facilities for them. It is because of this that Phekoma Community School always bags
first prizes in games and cultural activities during the Dzongkhag level competition. But
in terms of study the case is the other way round. I have already mentioned about their
4 hours of tiresome walk. In the evening, by the time they get back home they become
very tired that they can hardly open their books to study. Moreover, most of the parents
are illiterate. The academic standards are below expectation. Nevertheless, after
institutionalizing the School Level Monitoring and Support Services System (SLMSS) the
teachers are trying their best to impart quality education. For improvement, the subject
wise homework schedule is prepared. A 30-minute reading session after the class hours
is also introduced.
Chronology of the heads of the school and some important events
1975: Private school in Phekoma Village
1978: Royal visit of Her Royal Highness Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck, the
representative of His Majesty in the erstwhile Ministry of Development.
1978
: Construction of new school began in Akhochin village.
1983-1985: Formal school system started with
teacher incharge, Mr Giri.
1986-1989: Head teacher, Mr M.B. Thapa.
57 students in
LKG by
the
1990-1991: Head teacher, Mr Ganesh Sharma
1993-2001: Head teacher, Mr Gembo Rinzin.
2002: Mr Karma Tshewang was appointed the new head teacher, but cancelled his
placement to Phekoma. So, Mr M.S. Tamang acted as the officiating Head
Teacher for one year.
2003: Head Teacher Mr Sonam Tobgay, to the present.
Phuensumgang Community Primary School
1. Name of the place
In olden days, the place was called Phenchugang. Later, the former Royal Advisory
Councillor, Dasho Sonam Dorji, introduced a weekend market in the place during his
tour to the place and renamed it Sonam Bazar. Sonam was derived from his name. In
2001, the people of Lajab thought that the name was not appropriate. They submitted a
proposal to Home Ministry for the change of name to Phuensumgang. The proposal
being approved, the place came to be known as Phuensumgang.
2. Establishment
The construction of the school began in 1997 and completed in 2000. Dasho Dzongda
Mingboo Dukpa formally inaugurated the school. The classes began from 25th May 2001.
3. Location
The school is located on a tableland, which extends over 9 acres. Some part of the
campus is used as agriculture land. From the school, one can see part Tsirang
Dzongkhag. The school is more than three hours walk from the nearest road point.
4. Head Teacher
Mr Pelden Dorji
5. Climate
The school is situated more than 1000 metres above sea level. The climate is neither hot
nor cold during winter.
6. Infrastructure
At present, the school has 3 classrooms. Two classrooms are under construction. The
school is planning to construct additional buildings to accommodate classes up to VI.
The Head Teacher’s office and store are attached to the two-unit staff quarters. The
school has received sufficient classroom furniture from UNICEF. But, we are still in
need of office furniture and equipment.
7. Activities
The school provides wholesome education. A variety of curricular and co-curricular
activities are being carried out. Indoor games such as chinese checker, chess and carom
are provided played. Separate football grounds for girls and boys and a volleyball court
are constructed. It is compulsory for all students to participate either in one game or
more irrespective of their classes. The school is also planning to introduce basketball in
the years to come.
Tashiding Community School
Tashiding Community School is located in Tashiding Gewog under Dagana Dzongkhag.
It is situated between Namchalla Community School and Dagachu. It is about 10
minutes walk from the road head.
The construction of the school was started in 2003 with the initiative and support from
the people of Tashiding Gewog. The people of this village were badly in need of a school
to educate their children like the people of other places. Though this village is very
small, yet it has many young children to be educated. Since the village is far away from
the places which has school facilities, the children were not able go to school.
The school was successfully completed in the year 2004. It started with 43 students (22
boys and 21 girls) and one teacher (Mr Tshering Wangchuk as the Head Teacher) and
one support staff (Mr Khaipo). Presently, the school has 81 students (43 boys and 38
girls) with three staff, Mr Dorji Dakpa, Head Teacher, Ms Namgay Dem, apprentice
teacher and Mr Khaipo, the Caretaker.
As the school was established to help the people of this place to educate their children, it
has a very bright future prospect. With its establishment, this locality, the one-third of
which is resettled people, will be greatly benefited.
གཙང་ཁ་མ ོབ་ །
གཙང་ཁ་མ ོབ་ ་ད དར་དཀར་ནང་ ོང་ཁག་ གཙང་ཁ་ ་འོག་ ་
འཁོར་ལམ་ལས་ ང་ཤོས་ར་ ས་ ན་ ་ཚ ་༤
ང་ཐང་འབད་འ ོ་དགོ་སའས་ཆ་ ཡར་གངས་ བ ོར་ མར་ག ས་ ན་པའ ག་ ་ ག་ན བ་ཉམས་དགའ་བའཐང་ན་ཆགས་ཏ ཡོད།
ག ས་ད གམ ་གཙང་ཁ་ཟ ་བའཐ་ ད་ དར་དགོ་མ དཡང་ ོན་ ལ་བཟང་ བསོད་ནམས་ཅན་ ཕམ་ ་ག ས་ བས་ ་ ང་ཆོས་ ན་ བོད་ ལ་ཁབ་ ག ས་
གཙང་ཟ ་ས་ལས་མཚགཅ ་འ ར་ཏ ད་ ོ་གཙང་ཁ་ཟ ་སའག ས་ད ནང་ བབས་ཏ ཡོད་པའ ་མཚན་ལས་ གས་ ངས་ཏ ག ས་ མ ་ཡང་ གཙང་ཁ་ཟ ་དར་ ག།
གཙང་ཁ་ ་འོག་ད ནང་ བ ོམས་ ་ག ས་ཚན་༡༡ དང་ མ ོབས་ བ ོམས་ ༡༥༢༧ དཅ ་ག ་འ ག། དནང་ག མས ་ ་ག འཚ ོང་གཙབོ་རང་
སོ་ནམ་དང་ ོ་ནོར་ ་ལས་བ ་ཟཝ་ཨ ་པས།
་འོག་ད ནང་
ད ་ལོ་༡༩༧༩
ཆགས་ཏ ཡོད་མ ོབ་ ་ ་ ཧམ་འབདན་ གཙང་ཁ་མ ོབ་ ་ཟ ་མ ་པར་ བ ་ཐང་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་ཟ ་ བ་ཨ ་པས། ོབ་ ་ད
་ ོབ་གོངམ་ ོ་བཟང་ ོ་ ག ་ ོ་ཐོབ་ ོབ་ ་འབད་ འགོ་བ གས་གནང་ ག།
དལས་ར ་པ་བཞ ་ ་ ོབ་གོངམ་བསམ་གཏན་བ ་ ོབ་གོངམ་ ོ་ སངས་ ས། ོབ་གོངམ་ ར་ཀ ད་ཏ་ ོབ་གོངམ་ ལ་མཚན་ ་ ོན་ ག། དལས་འབད་
ད ་ལོ་༡༩༧༩ ལས་ འགོ་བ གས་ཏ གཙང་ཁ་ ་འོག་ག མ ་ ཤ ་ཡོན་ ་བའམཐར་ ད ་ལོ་༡༩༩༠ ་ ོབ་དཔོན་གོངམ་ ་པ་
ོབ་དཔོན་ ལ་མཚན་ ངོ་བ ང་ ་ ་ འ ་འཛ ་ག ་འབད་ ད ་ལོ་༡༩༩༠ ལོའ ད ་ ་༡༠ ་ ཤ ་ར ་ལས་ ངས་ ོ་དམ་བཞག་ ག།
ཨ ་ ང་ ག ང་ཞབས་ ་ ་ལས་ སའ ་ ག་གནང་བའ ལ་
གཞགསར་པ་ ་ག ་བ་དང་ མས ་ དཀའ་ ག་ ་དགོངས་ཏ
ོབ་ ་ད ལོག་ད ་ལོ་༢༠༠༡ ་ མཡང་ ག ས་ལས་ གས་ ངས་ཏ གཙང་ཁ་ མ ོབ་ ་ཟ ་བཏགས་ཏ ལོག་ ་ོ གནང་ ག།
ོབ་ ་ད ལོག་འགོ་བ གས་པའ བས་ ོབ་དཔོན་གོངམ་ ོ་ གས་པ་དང་ བོ ་ ག་ཨ་ལོ་༣༣ འབད་འགོ་བ གས་ཏ ལོ་༤ འ ོ་བའ ལ་
ོབ་དཔོན་གོངམ་ད གནས་སོར་ཕོག་ཏ ད་ ོའ ོབ་དཔོན་གོངམ་ར ་ཆ ་ ོ་ དང་ བོ ་ ག་ཨ་ལོ་༡༦༧ ོབ་ར ་བཞཔ་ ན་འབད་ གཙང་ཁ་ ་འོག་ག མ ་
བ ་བའམ ་ཏོ་
བ མ་མའ ཤ ་ར ་ཡོན་ཏན་ ་བའ ོབ་ ་ཅ ་འབད་ ཆགས་ཏ ཡོད།
GASA DZONGKHAG
Gasa Lower Secondary School
Beginning is the most difficult thing to manage successfully. So was it for the only
school in the Dzongkhag when it was started as a primary school in 1961 with a single
main academic block used as classrooms at one end and hostel at the other. The school
was established at the time when the five-year plan was first launched. The school
which was born of the people’s request to the royal government started to function in
March 1961. The first head teacher, Mr P.K. Ball from Kalimpong along with three other
teachers, started the school with about 50 students most of whom were boys.
The school is located at an approximate height of 3600m above sea level. Mr Ball must
have certainly gone through a lot of trials and tribulations in the beginning since
virtually nothing was ready for the school except the main academic block, a few
temporary sheds for teachers and cooks to reside. In spite of all shortcomings and
difficulties, for the people of the Dzongkhag, the year was most significant. It marked
their tryst with light.
After a few years, Mr Ball was succeeded by the second head teacher, Namgay Dorji. The
student enrolment was still low for parents still remained reluctant to send their
children to school for fear of wild animals on the way. In the meanwhile, Mr Norgay
Drukpa came to the school as the third head teacher. He patiently worked in the school
in mid-seventies. It was during his tenure that the student enrolment began to increase
drastically and the figure reached hundred.
Then, during the tenure of Mr Hari Prasad Sharma, the school continued to advance
ahead with some additional infrastructure like separate hostels for boys and girls. This
resulted in the increase in the enrolment of girls in the school. The school, for the first
time, recorded the highest enrolment rate in years.
The fifth head teacher, Mr Tandin Gyeltshen joined the school in early eighties. With his
joining the school, the school saw further development in infrastructure like an
additional boys hostel, a kitchen and a dinning hall. Student enrolment also saw a
drastic increase during his tenure.
Mr K.B. Gurung who joined the school in 1989 as the 6th Head Teacher was followed by
Mr Phuntsho Dukpa in 1991. As the education system in the country grew up very fast
the enrolment also gained its momentum.
Mr Lhagay Tshering joined the school as the 8th Head Teacher in 1995. The student
enrolment reached a record 250 students. It was during his time that the proposal to
open Laya community school was put forward. The establishment of Damji community
school was endorsed in the DYT meeting.
Two years later Damji and Laya community schools were opened. The opening of the two
schools eased the burden of enrolment on the school. Mr Sonam Dorji joined the school
next in 1996 as the 9th head teacher. The school continued to grow with additional
facilities and for the first time the school was provided with solar lighting facilities both
in the hostels and teachers’ quarters. The 9th head teacher worked till 1998.
Then came the historic year for the school when it was upgraded to a lower secondary
school in 1999 after being in the service of the community for more than three decades.
The school started class VII in March the same year. Mr Nima Sherpa took over the
charge of the school. He was the first Head Teacher of the school with a B.Ed degree. He
served the school from 1999 to 2001. Today he works at Drukgyel LSS as the head
teacher.
After him I, Tshewang Dorji, took over the charge of the school in April 2002 as the 11th
head teacher. Today, there are 226 students with 10 teachers. The school has a main
academic block, separate hostels for boys and girls with a cubicle room attached for
warden and matron. The school also has a newly constructed science laboratory-cumlibrary room and a multi purpose hall with a kitchen adjoined.
The school has over several decades produced a good number of students some of whom
hold respectable positions in the civil service. Some notable alumni are Dasho Damcho
Dorji, the present Wangdue Drangpon; Dr. Phub Dorji, a gynaecologist in National
Referral Hospital in Thimphu; Dasho Zeko, Royal Advisory Councillor; Mr Damcho,
Department of Geology and Mines, Thimphu; Mr Sonam Phuntsho, Pol. Coordinator,
MTI, Thimphu; Mr Daw Tenzin, RAA, Thimphu. (The information is collected from a
reliable source).
Damji Primary School
Damji is located in the southern part of Gasa Dzongkhag. It falls under Khamey Gewog
that borders Khatoe Gewog to the north and Shari Geog, Punakha, to the south. The
village has an area of approximately 148.80 sq. km (LUPP 1995). Damji Primary School
lies at an altitude of 2270 meters above sea level.
The village of Damji has existed since the coming of Zhabdrung Rinpoche from Tibet to
Bhutan. The people of the village believe that the name of the village itself was given by
Zhabdrung. When Zhabdrung Rinpoche was travelling through Damji, a woman from
the village offered him a bottle of ara and a bowl of bjee (a wild fruit). It was based on her
offerings that the place was named Damji.
Damji Primary School was established in1997 as a community school. There was one
teacher to run the school of 36 students. Now, student enrolment has increased to 145,
70 boys and 75 girls. During the visit of His Excellency Education Minister to the
dzongkhag, the school was upgraded to a fully-fledged primary school with more
teachers. Many developmental activities are taking place around the school with the
construction of a motor road and the supply of electricity.
Currently, there are five teachers and 145 students: 92 boarders and 53 day-students.
Classes range from PP to VI. The number of boarders is more because the catchment
area of the school is very large and extends to 7 hours walk to the south and 4 hours
walk to the north.
The school has one academic building and a two-unit staff quarters. It has a very small
area with 1.5 acres of land. In view of lack of scope for expansion in the future, there is a
plan for the relocation of the school to Bjoshing. However, since the construction of a
higher secondary school s underway in that place, the school will be moved to the place
and merged with the new higher secondary school in 2008.
The school has a small playground and a volleyball court. It has a vegetable garden very
close to the playground and a flower garden around it. The school has many clubs, and
every teacher is a coordinator of a club. The nature club members have introduced an
annual environment sanitation campaign called Red Panda Festival. The school has
sufficient classroom furniture and stationeries. It has solar lighting facilities both in
classrooms and staff quarters. It takes a day to reach the head office from the school.
The main path to Gasa Dzongkhag passes below the school. The RNRC and Jigme Dorji
National Park head office are close to this school.
Laya Community School
Laya is a beautiful place under Gasa Dzongkhag with 800 people. It lies at an altitude of
3800 m above sea level. The nearest road point is about four days walk from Laya at
Kabesa. Laya has all the basic facilities like Basic Health Unit, Renewable Natural
Resources Centre, school and the office of the forestry department. Laya falls under
Jigme Dorji National Park.
Establishment of the school
Before 1997, there was only a livestock office in Laya. Laya Community School was
established in the year 1997 with Mr Karma Wangdi as the first Head Teacher. Before
the establishment of the school, the children of Laya were sent to schools in Gasa and
Punakha.
It was not until the arrival of Dr Pema Jamtsho in the year 1993 that the community of
Laya had a ray of hope. Dr Pema Jamtsho came to Laya to write a thesis. He indeed
played a vital role in arousing the interest in Layap people to send their children to
school. It was due to his making the people aware of education that some children in the
community were interested to learn English, Mathematics and Dzongkha. He voluntarily
taught them in his apartment. “He also provided books and pencils to children at his
own expense,” says Lhaba, gup’s clerk. Dr Pema Jamtsho not only taught the children,
but also encouraged Gup Lhaba Sithup to establish a school in Laya. He also solicited
the support of tourists who visited Laya for the establishment of a school in the
community. Fortunately, some tourists kindly agreed to fund the establishment of a
school. Gup Lhaba Sithup approached the Dzongda with a proposal, which Dzongda
Lham Dorji approved.
While the government provided CGI sheets, wages for labourers were met from the
funding of the tourists and Jigme Dorji National Park. The school was ready in April
1997.
After Dr Pema Jamtsho left in1995, Mr Lhaba Tshering, a class IX student of Punakha
High School (now gup’s clerk) took over the teaching of the few students. There were 810 students, and they had to be taught in a small hut for lack of a better classroom. Mr
Lhaba Tshering, however, did not lose hope. He was paid a salary of Nu 500 per month
by the community. Dr Pema Jamtsho added some amount from his own pocket to
further encourage him to work hard.
When the construction of the school was over, it was opened in April 1997 with 58
students. The establishment of the school was a dream come true for the people of Laya.
“The school was an eye opener for us,” says Chimi Tshering, a Layap. Chimi Tshering
played a big role in the establishment of the school. He was the person who instituted
the salary system for the teacher before the formal opening of the school.
Now the school has basic facilities like MP hall, WFP and a small playing ground. This
year, 2005, the school has five teachers including an apprentice teacher and Head
Teacher.
The table below shows the student enrolment and Head Teachers from 1997-2005
Year
1997
1998
1999
Boys
67
53
48
Girl
23
7
8
Total
90
60
56
Head Teacher’s name
Mr Karma Wangdi
Mr Karma Wangdi
Mr. Karma Wangdi
2000
60
10
70
Mr Jigme Dorji
2001
58
24
82
Mr Jigme Dorji
2002
61
39
110
Mr Kinley Wangdi
2003
74
40
114
Mr Pem Tshering
2004
75
55
130
Mr Pem Tshering
2005
64
31
95
Mr Pem Tshering
Teachers’ name
Mr Lhaba Tshering
Mr Lhaba Tshering
Mr Lhaba Tshering
Mr Kuenzang Dorji
Mr Tenzin Thinley
Mr Kinley Wangdi
Mr Tenzin Thinley
Mr Tshewang Dorji
Mr Kinley Wangdi
Mr Mindu Dorji
Mr Wangchuk
Mr Mindu Dorji
Mr Sigay (ZLT)
Mr Thinlay Dorji
Mr. Mindu Dorji
Mr Sigay (ZLT)
Mr Leki Bumpa
Mr Mindu Dorji
Mr Sigay
Mr Mindu Dorji
Mr Sigay
Mr Tandin Dorji
Mr Gembo Tshering
The table below shows the tenure of Head Teachers
Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
Name of the Head Teacher
Mr Karma Wangdi
Mr Jigme Dorji
Mr Kinlay Wangdi
Mr Pem Tshering
Years
1997-1999
2000-2001
2002
2003
The table below shows the tenure of teachers in the school
Sl.No.
1
2
3
Name of teacher
Mr Mindu Dorji
Mr Sigay (ZLT)
Mr Tandin Dorji
Years
200120022005
No. of Years
5 years
4 years
1 year
How the school contributed to the community
Since the establishment of the school in 1997, the community has benefited a lot. Till
now, about 807 students have been enrolled in the school. The school has also helped
the community people become aware of the environment and health.
In this school, the teachers not only impart bookish knowledge, but also values. We
teach them wholesome education so that they develop a well-rounded personality.
The school imparts wholesome education by means of plays, skits, and songs which are
thematically related to the environment, health and hygiene, and education. This helps
parents understand things which they were not even aware of before. The school also
tries to get across to the students and parents the government policies and His Majesty
the King’s expectations from the people.
For the parents who cannot afford to send their children to far away schools, this school
came as a blessing. Unlike in the past, parents are now more and more literate because
their children are literate. This is a great benefit for the community. Laya is no more an
isolated place.
Some of the problem the school faces:
a. Enrolment: Enrolment in the school is very low. People are reluctant to send
their children to school because they think that their future is more secure if
they followed yaks and horses.
b. High dropout rate: The dropout rate in the school is very high. Every year, there
are around 15-20 dropouts cases.
c. Teaching: Teaching in the school is very hard because parents do not play any
part to educate their children since they are mostly illiterate.
In order to teach effectively, we need to use a variety of materials. For example, we need
to show them actual fruits in order to teach them about fruits. The same goes with
lessons on transportation, traffic, markets etc.
Teaching second language (English) is another challenge for the teachers. The teachers
are the only source the students learn English from. The environment they live in does
not enable them to learn English.
d. Climatic condition: It is cold throughout the year. The school begins on March 25
and ends by November. Maximum temperature in the mid summer is 12 degree
Celsius and falls to as low as -4 degree Celsius by October. Due to lack of heating
system in the classrooms, it is hard for the teachers to carry out teaching due to
freezing cold.
Conclusion
We would like to hope that Laya Community School will not remain the same. It will
develop with time. For that dream to become reality, teachers need dedication and hard
work. At the moment, 3 children from Laya have made it to college. Some of the other
alumni of the Laya Community School include a health assistant, two teachers, and one
forest ranger. The school will certainly produce some more productive citizens of the
country.
Lunana Community Primary School
Before the establishment of this school, there was already a school in the Gasa
Dzongkhag. There were two teachers, an Indian teacher from Madras and a Dzongkha
teacher from this gewog. Mr Kencho, a village gomchen, was the Dzongkha teacher and
he was forced to resign after serving for 5 years because of lack of students. During the
time, there were around 15 students. The Indian teacher served for 2 years. Due to lack
of students, the school was closed down for a few years.
This school was constructed with the financial assistance from Jigme Dorji National
Park and has begun its academic session on 11th October 1997 with 40 students and a
teacher. Mr Pema Thinley was the first head teacher. He served for 2 years.
In 1999, there were 42 students and two teachers. Mr Sonam Tshering was the second
Head Teacher and Mr Dorji Phuntshok was the Dzongkha teacher. They served for 2
years.
In 2001, there were 26 students and two teachers. Mr Tenzin was the third Head
Teacher and Mr Phurba was the Dzongkha teacher. Mr Phurba served for 1 year. In
2002, an apprentice teacher, Mr Tashi Phuntshok, joined the school and served for 1
year. Then, Mr Tenzin Thinley, a PTC graduate from Paro NIE, started his service in
2003 and as of now, 2005, he has served the school for 3 years.
In mid 2004, Mr Ngawang Rabten, the fourth head teacher, took over the responsibility
of the school. He has served the school for 2 ½ years.
Details of staff and student enrolment as of 2005
Sl.No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Name
Year
Duration
No.
of
years
Enrolment
year
Year
Enrolment
1997
1998
1999
2000
-
per
Designatio
n
Remarks
40
35
42
54
-
Head
teacher
Head
teacher
Teacher
1st HT.
Head
Teacher
3rd HT.
Teacher
Teacher
Dz.Teacher
App.Teacher
From
To
Pema
Thinley
Sonam
Tshering
Dorji
Phuntsho
Tenzin
1997
1998
2 years
1999
2000
2 years
Phurba
Tashi
Phuntsho
Ngawang
Rabten
Tenzin
Thinley
Tshewang
Rinzin
Mindu
Dorji
2001
2002
-
1 year
1 year
2001
26
2002
31
2003
40
-
Mid
2005
2003
2005
1997
2005
2002
2005
2003
2 ½ yrs
3 years
2004
2005
50
H Teacher
Teacher
4 H.T
General
Teacher
9 years
4 years
-
-
Cook
Cook
-
1999
2000
2001
2003
Mid
2 years
2 ½ yrs
-
2nd HT.
Dz.Teacher
HAA DZONGKHAG
Ugyen Dorji Higher Secondary School
The true development of a great nation is always preceded by the education of its
masses. But for realization of this great goal it always takes a great visionary to pave the
way. One such visionary was the late Gongzim Ugyen Dorji. It was mostly due to his
untiring efforts, coupled with the efforts of his son Sonam Tobgay and his grandson,
Lyonchhen Jigme Pelden Dorji, the first Prime Minister of Bhutan, that Ugyen Dorji
School came into existence.
But the history of the school has deeper roots. An etymological investigation of the
school reveals that a number of relocations and renaming has taken place before the
school acquired its present name.
Haa School was one of the oldest schools in Bhutan. It was established in 1913 as a
Hindi medium school by the second King, His Majesty Jigme Wangchuck. Later on, the
third king, His Majesty late Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, used Haa as a model for the
English medium school, which began during his reign. The location of the school then
was near the Wangchuk Lo-Dzong, the present IMTRAT headquarters. The head teacher
was late Lopon Dago who served in the capacity for more than forty years. The present
head teacher of Katsho School, Mr Tshering Nidup, was one of his students.
Around 1954, the school shifted to Tsina under Katsho gewog, which at present is
occupied by RBA. The late Lopon Dago continued to head the school. At that time the
strength of the school was approximately 300.
Then again the location of the school was changed. In 1968, the school shifted to the
present location in Lhukha under Katsho Gewog just below the Haa town. Late Lopon
Dago was still the headmaster. The late Lopon Dago was awarded the Druk Thugsey
Tagma, the highest civilian award, by His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck for his
meritorious service.
The school was then a Junior High School with classes ranging from LKG to VIII. In
1990, the primary classes started to be phased out. In 1994 –1995, the school had only
classes VII and VIII. On December 1, 1995, during the 7th plan review meeting, His
Majesty the King upgraded the school to a high school and named it Ugyen Dorji High
School in memory of Gongzim Ugyen Dorji- a fitting tribute to the man whose efforts
made it possible for the school to come into existence. The first batch of ICSE students
appeared for the examination in March 1997. And the first batch of BBE-ISCE appeared
for the examinations in December 2003.
Many distinguished personalities have served as the headmasters of the school. Some of
the well-known names are Dasho Zanglay Drukpa, Vice Chancellor, Royal University of
Bhutan; Dr Phub Rinchen, Secretary of BBE; Mr Thubten Jamtsho, Director, NIE,
Samtse.
Besides them, many distinguished teachers have also left their mark on the school. One
of the outstanding long-serving Dzongkha lopon was Lopon Pagay from Langtha. Some
distinguished alumni of the school are Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji,
Lyonpo Chenkyap Dorji, the first woman Councillor, Aum Dao Dem and Aum Gagay,
former High Court judge.
After the school was upgraded to a high school, the school saw three principals taking
the helm of management and administration: Aum Nim Dem (1994-1999), Mr Phuntsho
Wangdi (2000-2002), and Mr Karma Thinley (2003…)
Since the upgradation, new infrastructure such as a new science block, a new
dormitory, a new auditorium and an administrative block have come up. Soon, the
school will have two basketball courts, and the construction of a few classrooms is
already in the school plan.
In 1998, the strength of the school was 695 with 17 sections. There were 373 boys and
322 girls. The year 1999 saw an increase in the strength of the school with 392 boys and
358 girls totaling 750. The total strength of the school in 2000 went up by 6% totaling
826 students. There were 421 boys and 405 girls. In 2003, the enrollment of the school
was 782, with 551 boarders and 231day-scholars.
Now, the school has 29 teachers, two library assistants, one matron, a mask dance
instructor and warden, an Office Assistant, a Laboratory Assistant, ten cooks, and a
driver.
The school will in the future be able to provide higher secondary education in various
disciplines after phasing out classes VII and VIII. The presence of class VII and VIII is
due to lack of boarding facilities in the primary and junior schools. The school is only
three hours drive from Thimphu and it is able to take part in any important curricular
and co-curricular activities and events that happen in the capital.
Damthang Lower Secondary School
The welfare, safety and quality of human life and society depend on the quality of
education. Thus, in order to meet the demand of the educational need of the children
from the RBA camp and nearby villages, Damthang Lower Secondary School was
established in 1979 with Mr Chumba Drukpa as its first head teacher.
Initially, the school had 100 students with 3 teachers. It was established within the RBA
colony as a primary school with half-finished infrastructure.
The demand for education kept on increasing year by year and as per the new policy of
Education Ministry, the construction of school infrastructure at the present site started
in 1994 and was handed over to the School Management Board by the end of 1995. The
school was inaugurated by His Excellency Shri Dilip Metha, the Indian Ambassador to
Bhutan, on April 29, 1996. In his inaugural speech, His Excellency reminded us that the
construction of the new school infrastructure was funded by the government of India. He
also assured to extend his help for the construction of head teacher and teacher’s
quarters, football ground etc., during the second phase of construction. His Excellency
presented to the school some library books during the ceremony.
Records reveal that the school has kept on progressing owing to the efforts put in by the
teachers and students. The school has won many prizes and trophies in inter-school
competitions.
Presently, the school covers an area of 10.25 acres which is well fenced by barbed wire.
As the demand of the society kept on increasing, it was found necessary to upgrade the
school to a lower secondary level. Therefore, it was upgraded in the year 2002.
Currently, the school is run by a dynamic head teacher, Mr Shambay Dawa. The school
has 17 teachers and four non-teaching staff. The school hosts the NFE programmes
(Literacy course and post literacy course).
The school has three academic blocks and a double-storied administrative block, a head
teacher's quarters, and four units of staff quarters. However, the school is yet to meet its
infrastructural demands.
As of 2004, the school has 494 students.
Till now, the school has changed ten head teachers. They have all been assets to the
school and the wider society.
Sl.No
Head teacher
1
2
3
4
5
Mr Chumba Drukpa
Mr Kaka Tshering
Mr Tshering Needup
Mr D. B. Sinchuri
Mr M. K. Chhetri
Duration
From
To
1979
1980
1981
1985
1985
1987
1987
1989
1989
1990
6
Mr Kunzang Drukpa
1991
1994
7.
Mr Pema Wangdi
1995
1997
8.
Mr Tenzin Norbu
1998
2001
8.
9.
Mr Tenzin Drukpa
Mr Shambay Dawa
2002
2003
2003
---
No. of
Tr
3
No. of
Sec.
Total
Std.
100
12
14
15
15
15
13
10
12
13
14
15
15
16
18
17
10
12
13
12
11
9
10
11
13
14
14
14
15
15
15
321
319
379
324
368
362
388
423
448
416
466
461
496
494
493
Common
Result
Exam
PSCE 82%
PSCE 82%
PSCE 94%
PSCE 84%
PSCE 100%
PSCE
54%
PSCE
97%
Home Exam
Home Exam
Home Exam
Home Exam
LSSCE 97%
Katsho Lower Secondary School
Katsho Lower Secondary School was built in 1976 as a primary school. This school is
almost in the centre of Haa valley and about 500 meters from Haa town. The location is
very ideal for teaching and learning as it is away from the hustle and bustle of town. The
main persons responsible for establishing the school were gups, chimis, village elders
and Lyonpo Wogma Dasho Nado Rinchen, who was then Director of Education. The
construction works were carried out by the people of Katsho Gewog free of wages.
Materials such as nails, CGI sheets and wages for carpenters and a mason were
provided by the department.
The first head teacher was Mr Kaka Tshering who presently works with PPD, Education
Ministry. The second head teacher was Mr Tashi Penjor who is presently the head
teacher of Tsirang Lower Secondary School. The third head teacher was Mr J. B.
Moktan. The fourth head teacher was Mr Sherab Gyeltshen who presently works with
BBE and the fifth head teacher is Tshering Nedup who is till continuing as the head of
the school.
The school was started with about 80 to 90 students. The student strength kept on
increasing year after year. The school kept on progressing over the years due to the
efforts of both teachers and students. Then, the school authorities and the public jointly
acquired additional land for the school. It was during the 8th Five-Year Plan review visit
by His Majesty the King that the school got the approval for upgradation. Finally, the
school was upgraded to a lower secondary school. The upgradation ceremony held on
March 20, 1998 was presided over by Dasho Dzongda Sherab Dorji. The classes started
from PP-VII. Then, in 1999 academic session, new buildings like six-unit classroom and
science laboratory-cum-library were constructed. The buildings were handed over to the
school in 2000. Another six-unit classroom was constructed in July 2000 and handed
over to the school in March 2001. By 2002, the school was in a position to house
classes IV-VIII in the new buildings. The school administrative block was constructed in
2002 and handed over to the school in 2003. However, there is still a lot to be done in
order to achieve the full status of a lower secondary school. The other necessary facilities
needed are:
1. Multipurpose hall
2. Boys toilet
3. Two blocks of six-unit classrooms
4. School gate
5. Wall fencing
6. Head Teacher's quarters
7. Class IV classroom
8. Teachers' quarters
9. Water supply
It might take a few years to acquire the above mentioned facilities. Presently, there are
20 Bhutanese teachers and 4 non-Bhutanese teachers including one Japanese volunteer
physical education instructor. The ratio of male and female teachers is 1:2. Ever since
the upgradation the school has done well both in academic and extra-curricular
activities. This is mainly because of the efforts put in by the staff. The school over the
years could build a better team of teachers who are always ready to cooperate in new
ventures. The teachers share a lot of ideas, skills, and experience through interaction
with one another. Today, Katsho Lower Secondary School is catering to the educational
needs of local community, government servants, business community of the area, RBA,
RBP and IMTRAT, Haa. There are about 361 boys and 351 girls. The school has so far
produced many teachers, army officers, capable business people and engineers.
Vision
Vision Statement of Katsho Lower Secondary School is "…be one of the leading schools
in Ha Dzongkhag where quality education and basic vocational skills are imparted; an
organization which will treat every child as an individual person and provide support
according to his or her needs. The school in collaboration with community aspires to
expand in strength and achieve quality standard".
Mission
The mission statement of Katsho Lower Secondary School is to "…produce maximum
number of students who can pursue higher studies through academic excellence and be
responsible in preserving and promoting national identity and sovereignty of the nation.
The school will continuously endeavour to review the policies, plans, programmes and
curriculum to meet challenges of this century through providing opportunities for every
child to equip himself/herself with necessary life supporting skills".
Goals
Endeavouring to train every child to be resourceful
Objectives


Provide opportunities to develop skills which are essential for life
Ensure smooth and effective implementation of curriculum in line with directives
of the ministry.
 Create student and staff support system
 Improve and update the assessment system
 Develop relevant teaching materials
 Organize staff development programmes
 Maintain proper records of achievements and shortcomings
Strategies to Implement Various Programmes
● NBIPs, DBIPs, SBIPs, and ITV
 Provide adequate and relevant resources
 Nominate the right person for the right job
 Implement awards and punishment system
 Plan all activities in detail
 Carry out need assessment
Implementation
 Forming teams
 Need assessment by different teams
 Action plan by teams
 Micro teaching/discussion in groups
 Lesson observation
 Pre and post-conferences/discussions
 Review and feedback on plans and programmes
 Reporting and recording
Monitoring Strategies






Regular and timely checking of lesson plans, classroom visits, support and
feedback
Filling up the monitoring tools to see the effectiveness of the teaching and
learning outcomes by teachers
Head, assistant head and team leaders are responsible to monitor school
activities
Review meetings and feedback based on the comments and suggestions made
during and after the lesson observation
Observing the performance of students in unit tests, examination, attitudes,
enrolment, attendance, and participation.
Feedbacks from students through group work, discussion, presentation, home
work and project work.
Use of various skills and techniques by the teacher

Review
The school as a team will continuously review the activities and programmes planned
and executed and analyze the impact through staff meetings, SBIPs and ITV. The focus
of the future plan of action would be based on the progress and failure of the past
programmes. Review meeting will be held once a month as a regular feature.
Recording and Reporting
The school will maintain detailed records of all the programmes initiated and make a
comprehensive report to the community and authorities concerned whenever need
arises.
Indicators



Good team spirit among staff
Conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning
Maximum participation of students in all activities



Good interaction between students, teachers and parents
Proper use of available resources
Protect the existing properties
Tshaphel Lower Secondary School
Tshaphel is a suburban settlement located at about 6 km down from Haa town. It has
about 56 households. The school in Tshaphel was established in the year 1976.
It was during Gup Dolay's time that the people of Issu gewog requested for a school to
be opened. The public contributed labour. Dasho Ramjam Dorji supervised the work.
Initially, it was supplied with WFP items.
The first head teacher of the school was Mr Kelzang. The school consisted of 4
classrooms and a small office room with about 40-50 students. The subsequent
headmasters were Mr Sherab Dukpa, Mr Harka Bahadur Bishwa, Mr K.B.Pradhan, Mr
Pema Wangdi, Mr Dezang Dorji, and the present head teacher, Mr Dawa Tshering.
The school was on the verge of closure with only an extended classroom due to very poor
enrolment during the late 1980's. The Dzongkhag Education Sector in consultation with
the people of Issu gewog decided to take in the admission of the children of RBA Demo
company and Wangchuk Lo-Dzong military school staff in this school. This decision
revived the dying school. During Mr Dezang Dorji's tenure the school made a good
progress.
During the 9th Five-Year Plan, the Haa Dzongkhag Education Sector identified this
school for upgradation to lower secondary level so that it could accommodate class-VII
and VIII students of Tshaphel and admit class-VII and VIII students of Jyankana and
other schools as boarders. Consequently, the school was upgraded in the year 2002.
The school at present has 219 boys and 205 girls. It has 16 regular teachers with an
Office Assistant, a Library Assistant and a caretaker. It has 13 sections from class-PP to
VIII.
The school produced very good academic results in the past few years with overall pass
percentage at 98%. The first batch of 34 students sat LSSCE in 2003 and produced 97%
results.
Tshaphel Lower Secondary School has motor road, electricity, drinking water supply,
and telephone facilities. The school will be reconstructed during the 9th Five-Year Plan.
The construction was planned for 2005.
The school has an area of approximately 7 acres with concrete fencing. With additional
classrooms constructed, the school can comfortably accommodate around 550 students.
The location of the school is ideal for learning. It has the potential to become an ideal
school with around 500-600 students from classes PP- VIII.
In 2002, the school became the host to 5 NFE learning centres with about 100 learners.
These learners have completed their courses in December, 2003.
Jyenkana Primary School
In the early eighties, the school system in the country spread rapidly. Every community
in the country longed to start a school. Knowing that the fruit of education is sweet, the
people of Samar Gewog too conducted several meetings to discuss the construction of a
school in their own community.
Jyenkana Primary School was established at the heart of Jyenkana village under Samar
Gewog on April 4th 1984 as a boarding school. From 1993, the school became a fee
paying boarding school. Dasho Nado Rinchen, the then Director of Education, was the
main player in the establishment of the school.
The school was established with 3 staff and 117 students. The first head teacher of this
school was Mr Rinchen Dorji, who is at present working in the NFE Division. In 1987,
Mr Dorji Wangchuk took over the duties. He worked in the school for four years. He is
now the EVS Co-ordinator in CAPSD.
Mr Tsheringla took over as the head in the year 1991. Now he is the head of the
Education Central Stores in Gelephu.
In 1992, Mr Tshering Tobgay assumed the charge of the school and served the longest
tenure of 13 years. In 2005, he left the school as a Dzongkha lopon in St. Joseph’s
College in Kalimpong.
During his 13 years stay in this school, he brought about a lot of changes. He also put
the school on the right track academically, renovated old buildings and constructed a lot
of new ones.
Some of the activities undertaken in the school over the years are as follows:
1997 – School area was fenced with barbed wire.
1999 – Head Teacher’s quarters constructed.
2001 – School bought 0.60 decimal of land with a dilapidated building on it, which was
later converted into girls’ hostel.
2001 – The school feeder road was black topped.
2002 – School greening programme was started in the school with the help of DANIDA.
2003 -A chorten was built in the school campus with support from the SMB, parents
and all the staff of Haa Dzongkhag. The chorten was constructed to inculcate a sense of
religious fervour in the children and for the peace and prosperity of the community.
Some of the special features of the school are as follows:
1994 – Was selected the second best primary school in the country.
- Average 98% overall pass results every year.
- Tshering Tobgay (class VI) scored the highest mark in Dzongkha in the country
in the PSCE examination.
1998 -Kado (class IV) received the silver medal in Shankar’s Art
competition.
- Inter-primary school champions in football during 1991, 1992, 1996, and 2000.
2001 - Second best school in Dzongkha EVS (CA)
2002 - Champions in the Athletic Meet held in Haa.
On 10th May this year, Mr Kuenzang Tenzin took over as the fifth head teacher of this
school with 12 staff (5 non-teaching) and 368 students. The new head of the school
along with experienced and young teachers are working towards achieving the school’s
vision of being one of the best primary schools in the country.
Gyensa Primary SchooL
Gyensa Primary School was established in 1975 as a lower primary school during the
tenure of the then Director of Education, Dasho Nado Rinchen. The construction was
undertaken by the community of Bji gewog free of wages. The materials such as CGI
sheets were supplied by the Education Division. The first head teacher was late Ms Phub
Dem who was once the DEO of Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag.
The school was started with 30 students. The number kept on increasing year after year.
Since its establishment, the school has progressed consistently and the students and
teachers have worked very hard to make their mark.
Initially, the school had only classes IV and below. It was during the 7th Five-Year Plan
that the school was upgraded to primary level. The school became a fully-fledged
primary school on March 15, 1997 with classes ranging from PP -VI.
The school is located 7 km from Ha Dzongkhag headquarters which is at the heart of Bji
gewog. The school needs to build the following infrastructure: academic buildings, play
fields, administration block, head teacher's quarters, staff quarters, multipurpose hall,
gate and fence. Therefore, the school needs a vast area.
The relocation of this school has been discussed several times in public meetings and
Gewog Yargay Tshogchung. At last, it was decided that the school should either acquire
some adjoining public land or relocate to Jangkakha which is opposite the present
school. This was then submitted to the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogchung for approval.
Presently, the school has a student strength of 237 with classes ranging from PP to VI.
There are 7 regular teachers. The school is doing well both in academic and in extracurricular activities.
Names of the head teachers who have served in the school
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Ms Phub Dem
Mr Puri
Mr Mohan Rai
Mr Pema Chophel
Mr K. B. Gurung
Ms Kalpana Giri
Mr Ugyen Nidup
Mr Sherab Dukpa
1st Head teacher
2nd
"
3rd
"
4th
"
5th
"
6th
"
th
7
"
8th
"
Sangbaykha Primary School
Thirteen years ago, there stood the ruins of a fortress on the majestic hill at the centre of
Sangbay village. The word sang means secret, hidden, or protected. Bay means holy,
blessed land. The hidden, holy blessed land of Guru Rinpoche is beside Amochu, which
is said to have originated from another blessed land in Tibet. Nobody knows when
Sangbay Dzong was built or by whom. It fell into ruins in the 1970’s.
When education spread all across the country, it did not miss the isolated land of Guru
Rinpoche. People of Sangbay gewog realized the importance and necessity of education
for their children. Dasho Dzongda Tshering Wangda saw the interest in people and
heard the voice of the former gup Norpon. The Dasho answered the people in 1991 with
the establishment of the school on the breezy hill where Sangbay Dzong once stood. Mr
Tenzin Drukpa was the first head teacher of the school.
Since the establishment of the school in 1991, the people here have been enjoying the
fruits of education. The school not only caters to the educational need of the people but
also provides WFP support to the children. The people of the following villages benefit
from the school both in terms of education and the WFP items: Shebji, Shaba,
Chonglina, Garikh, Sangbay Ama, Longjuna, Nabji, Nakhekha, Nakha, Tashigang,
Teema, and Mochu.
In the course of 13 years, the school has had three head teachers: Mr Tenzin Drukpa
(1991-1994), Mr Perna Chophel (1995-2000), and Mr Kunzang Tenzin (2001…)
Each one of them has put in their best efforts in making the school a suitable learning
place for children. In the year 2000, 17 students sat the BBE examinations for class VI
and brought 100% pass results.
At present, we have classes ranging from PP to VI with five regular teachers: four general
subject teachers and one Dzongkha lopon. The school, small as it is, has all the facilities
that a school should have. The support of the pupils makes the administration and
improvement of the school a fulfilling task.
In the future, Sangbaykha Primary School wishes to educate every child by providing
convenient services thereby making the national dream of a 100% literate Bhutan a
reality.
Mochu Community Primary School
Mochups, the people of Mochu, were very tired of traveling many days from their village
to the town to admit their children in school. After bearing the hard life for long time, the
gup, chimi and the elderly villagers decided to propose the construction of a school in
their own village. The proposal was approved by the Dzongkhag.
So the community school came into being at the foot of Tagola, on a small hillock
surrounded by a thick hardwood forest. The school was first started in Mochu Lhakhang
on September 2, 1999. It was named Mochu Community Primary School as the school is
located on the bank of Amochu.
The school was first opened by a ZLT graduate, Lopon Namgay Dorji with fourteen boys
and twelve girls. The school is considered to be one of the remotest schools under Haa
Dzongkhag. It takes five days of hard walk from the road head. The school lies
approximately 1550 metres above sea level.
On April 28, 2000, Lopon Tenzin was posted to this school as the head teacher. As the
years went by, the number of students rose. With the rise in the number of students,
there cropped up accommodation problem. This problem was subsequently discussed
between the head teacher and elderly villagers. It was decided that a school building
would be built in collaboration with the Dzongkhag at the cost of Nu.4.0 million. It was
proposed and the government approved the plan.
In the following year, the construction works started. It was completed on April 30,
2001. With a grand celebration, the school was shifted to the new school building with
two teachers and 43 students of two sections. The school was provided with enough
stationery, a few pieces of classroom furniture, a typewriter and a Sony radio.
In the year 2002, there were 56 students making up three sections. The saddest part in
the year was the departure of the head teacher. In the absence of a head teacher, the
school was run by the Dzongkha lopon. To address the problem of teacher shortage, two
B.Ed. apprentice teachers were posted to the school. Although the school did not have a
head teacher, it went on as smoothly as before.
In the year 2003, the classes grew to four sections. After the apprentice teachers left, a
PTC graduate, Mr Chencho Gyeltshen, was posted to this school. The school enrolled
children from three gewogs under Samtse Dzongkhag. The school has obtained WFP
facilities and students enjoy day meals. The first batch of nineteen students graduated
in 2003.
Today, the school has 42 students and two teachers. The second batch of 10 students
will be graduating this year. Lopon Namgay Dorji was transferred and the school was
handed over to Mr Chencho Gyeltshen. Now the school has enough library books and
stationery items to enrich our children. The school is organizing different activities like
games, agriculture, clubs and cultural activities.
Mochu Community Primary School is aspiring to produce confident, dedicated and loyal
citizens. The school is able to produce 100% pass results at the end of each year.
Moreover, it imparts values education and wholesome education.
According to its master plan, the school was due to be upgraded to class IV in the year
2005. The construction of head teacher’s quarters is due to begin. The school is
emphasizing more on educating each and every individual to fulfill the aims of
Education Ministry.
LHUNTSE DZONGKHAG
Phuyum Middle Secondary School (upgraded to HSS, 2006)
Phuyum Middle Secondary School was established with World Bank assistance in
December, 2003. It is located below Denkaling village and just a few hundred meters
above the District Hospital. The site is quite ideal for students to study.
The school was started in March 2004 with 9 teachers and a total enrollment of 282
students from class VII to IX. The school in the beginning did not even have a principal.
It was looked after by a teacher in-charge. It was on 19 April, 2004 that the new
principal joined the school. It is a boarding school with a capacity to accommodate 128
boys and 96 girls. This school will become a higher secondary school in another few
years' time because it has all the facilities and infrastructure to accommodate higher
classes with more students as day scholars.
Statistics as of September 2004
No. of teachers
Male
Female
10
01
Total
11
No. of support staff
Male
Female
Total
05
02
07
No. of students
Male
Female
164
115
Total
279
The school has the following infrastructure










Principal’s quarters
Teachers’ quarters
Warden/Matron’s quarters
Administration block
Academic block
Library/Lab block
Multipurpose hall
Kitchen/Store
Boys’ hostel
Girls' hostel
1
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
4
3
blocks (4 units each)
units (with sickroom attached)
(with 2 classrooms)
(with 6 classrooms each)
blocks (with 2 units each)
blocks (with 2 units each)
The school has the following recreational facilities




Football
Volleyball
Basketball
Badminton
Historical background to the name of the school
It is extremely difficult to trace the origin of the name of the village. Even the village
elders do not clearly know how and why the village came to be called by the name it is
known today.
Nevertheless, there are ruins of some houses in the village overlooking Gangzoor village.
In this light, the origin of the name is interpreted as 'Phayum'. 'Pha' means forefathers
and 'yum' means extinct. So, it is a village where forefathers were extinct.
However, there is another interpretation of the name. In Sharchop dialect, 'Phu' means
hill or mountain and 'yum' means the lower part of a hill or mountain. Because the
village lies at the lower part of the hill, it was called Phuyum.
Tangmachu Middle Secondary School
Tangmachu Middle Secondary School (as it is called today) is located at the heart of
Menbi Gewog on the knoll of Takila at an altitude of about 1700 m above sea level.
An oral account has it that, in the past, the place was frequented by a tiger and a
tigress. They came here to drink from the lake at Yambrang (it is now a marshy place).
One day, the tiger lost his mate. He roared for his mate. Upon hearing the tiger roar, the
place came to be called Takkayla. Tak means tiger, kay means sound, la means pass).
The settlement near Yambrang Tsho, which is below Takila later came to be known as
Tagmochu, the place where the tigress drank water. Gradually, owing to alteration in
pronunciation, the name became Tangmachu.
The year 1994 brought about a big transformation to the place. It was on 10 April, 1994
that a new school was established here. Constructed in the middle of dense forests, it
was named Tangmachu Junior High School. The school came into existence as a result
of the relocation of Tshompaling Junior High School, Lhuntse. Mr Jigme Thinley was the
first head teacher of the school. He came there with his students of classes V to VIII. In
the first year, the school had 266 students and 11 teachers. Out of 11 teachers, 7 of
them were non-Bhutanese. At the time the community did not have electricity. It was
only in 1995 that the school was lighted up by a 40 KV generator.
The changes were inevitable. The school was spacious in terms of classrooms and had
scope for extension. The enrolment increased every year. Thus, to meet the demand of
increasing enrolment, the school was upgraded to a high school in March 1997. The
total strength of students rose to 513 (389 male 124 female) and 13 teachers (10
Bhutanese, 3 non-Bhutanese). On March 1999, the first batch of 128 students sat the
ICSE examinations.
On Mr Jigme Thinley’s transfer to Chukha Dzongkhag, the new principal, Mr Kaka
Tshering, took over the charge in April 1998. His tenure was however not very long. The
change came in the year 2001 when Mr Kaka Tshering was transferred to Nima High
School in Thimphu. Mr Sonam Gyeltshen, the present principal, took over his post in
March 2001. By then the school was well-established.
Ever since 1997, the school has been the host for the students from other Dzongkhags
such as Samtse, Samdrupjongkhar and Trashiyangtse. Students from Martshala LSS
have been placed in this school since 2001. This year, a batch of class IX students from
Orong LSS joined the school. At present, the school has 418 students with 17 teachers
and 6 members of office staff. The school is now provided with 15 computers with which
computer literacy course is offered to interested students. The Resource Centre for the
middle Lhuntse cluster schools is based in the school.
Connected to modern communication facilities and Kurichu power supply, today the
school has become conducive for the pursuit of higher studies. Stretching over an area
of 27 acres, Tangmachu MSS is in the shadow of Rawabi Monastery facing the hamlet of
Minjey. Today the school is an ideal learning centre with sweet aroma of flowers, lying
calm and quiet buried under the tall pine trees. The school aspires to become a model
school in the Dzongkhag.
Khoma Lower Secondary School
More than a decade ago, a school was opened in gup Guyambo’s house. It was the first
school in Khoma gewog. It was on the19th March 1991. That school later came to be
known as Khoma Lower Secondary School.
The school was shifted to the present location after a year by gup Khando. It is located
about a few kilometres from Khoma proper.
In view of the need of a school in the gewog, the people of Khoma submitted a proposal
for the construction of a school to Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdue through Gewog Yargay
Tshogchung. Coincidently, His Majesty the King visited Lhuntse Dzongkhag for the sixth
Five-Year Plan meeting. The matter was put up to His Majesty who commanded Dasho
Sherab Gyeltshen and Dr. Sonam Tenzin to visit Khoma to study the feasibility and
choose a suitable site for a school. The present site was selected on account of its
proximity to the village and space for extension. The inauguration ceremony was
attended by the then DEO, Mr Tsheringla.
Lopon Tshering Phuntsho joined the school as the first teacher to take charge of fifty
enthusiastic and energetic children. He encountered many problems like inadequate
infrastructure, but he braved them all with all his heart. A year later in 1992, Mr Ram
Bhakta took over as the second head teacher. He was succeeded by Mr Kedar Sharma in
1995. He remained there for three years. In 2000, Mr Kuenzangla joined this school. He
is still serving the school to the best of his ability.
Till date, the school has assumed the following names:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Extended classroom-1991
Community school-1992-1994
Community primary school-1995-1997
Primary school-1998-2000
Lower secondary school-2001 onwards.
The building of infrastructure in the school was funded by UNICEF in 1995. The school
has four single-storey structures housing a classroom each, an administrative block, a
multipurpose hall, a kitchen-cum-store, a unit of head teacher’s quarters and one hostel
each for boys and girls. Hostels are furnished with iron bunk beds. The school has a
domestic size football field and a volleyball court. It has also electricity and good
drinking water facilities.
The school is also privileged to avail itself of WFP facilities which has a great impact on
children coming from humble families. The WFP facilities were given to the school in
1997 upon the proposal made by the Dzongkhag. It is still here for the benefit of poor
children. This year, the school has 284 students making up nine sections of classes
ranging from PP-VIII. There are12 teachers and 8 support staff.
The establishment of the school came as a great blessing for the community of Khoma.
Unlike in the past, the people can now send their children to school at the right age at a
small expense. The presence of the school in the gewog has impacted greatly on the
collective life of the community people. They have gained a considerable amount of
exposure. They can now think logically and communicate with people from other places.
All these benefits will go a long way in taking our nation a step further in the process of
development.
The school aspires to become a role model in terms of providing quality wholesome
education to children (educate for physical, mental and spiritual development), thus
producing responsible, dedicated and efficient citizens of the kingdom.
ན་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ།
ན་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་འདའགོ་དང་པ་ ལོ་༡༩༥༧ ལོ་ ་ ོབ་ འ ་དང་ ཅ་ཆས་ ་ ག་ན ཡང་མ ་པའཐོག་ལས་ ོང་ནང་ ་འབད་
འགོ་བ གས་གནང་ ག། ོབ་ ་ད འགོ་བ གས་འབད་ ང་ རང་ག ཁ་ ད་ ོང་ཁ་དང་ ད ་ ད་ ་མ་ ོན་པར་ ་གར་ཧ ་ད ཁ་ ད་དང་ཡ ་ ་
བ་ ོན་འབད་ ོད་ ག། ད ་ལོ་༡༩༦༡ དཅ ་ག བ་ལས་ གོས་ ན་ ེཔ་བཤགས་མ དག ་ ོང་ག ག་ལས་ འཆོམ་པ་ ་ཟ ་ས་ག
ས་དང་ ་གཉ ་ཆ་ར་ གས་ཏ ག ང་ག ོབ་ འདོན་ ་ ལཝ་ལས་ ོང་ནང་ལས་ ོབ་ ་ད ཁར་ ོ་ ག།
ལོ་གཉ ་དང་ག མ་ད ཅག ལ་ལས་ ག ང་ག ་ཁང་མ ་༡༠ འབད་མ ་ད ས་ར མ་ཅ ་ བ་གནང་ ག། དལས་ ར་ རང་ག ཁ་ ད་དང་ ད ་ ད་ ་
བ་ན གོ་ བས་ཐོབ་མ་ཚད་ ོབ་ ་འདལས་འཐོན་མ ན་གཞོན་ ་ གཡོག་དང་གོ་གནས་ ་ ོམ་བཞ ་ཡོད་པའ ལོ་ ས་ར ཡང་ བ་ ོལ་འ ག། དལས་
ར ་པ་བཞ ་ ་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་ལས་ འ ་མ་ ་ ཡར་ས ་ བ་ ལོ་ ་ད ཅ ་བཞག་ཡོད་ ང་ ད ་ལོ་༢༠༠༤ འ ་ར ་ ོབ་ ་ཆ བ་ ་
ས་གནས་གཞན་ཁར་ བ་ཞ མ་ལས་ ར་ ན་ ོབ་ ་འད ར་ག་ཨ མ་འབད་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བའམ ་འཛ ་ཏ ཡོད།
བོ ་ ་ཡོད་སའས་ཆའམ ་ འཆོམ་པ་ ་ཟ ་ བ་ ོལ་ཡོད་ ང་ ར་ ངས་གཏན་འཁ ་ཅ ་ ག་ག ་ཡང་ བ་ན མ པ་ལས་
ོན་གོང་ལས་རང་ ོང་ག མ ་དང་ཅོག་འཐདཔ་འབད་ ན་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་ཟ ་བཏགས་ ག།
ད་ ོ་ ོབ་ ་འདནང་ཡོད་པའ བོ ་དཔོན་དང་ ོབ་ ག་ཨ་ལོའ བ ོམས།
ོབ་དཔོན་
་བ ོམས་
མོ་བ ོམས་
༡༠
༡༧༥
ཡོངས་བ ོམས།
༡༦༩
༣༤༤
Dungkar Primary School
The name of the place originated from the physical shape of the land. The place bears
the exact shape of a conch shell. We can see the landform of the village from a place
called Tabanchang. The school is at an altitude of 2100 metres above sea level.
The school was formally inaugurated in mid August 1976 by Mr Kelzang Wangdi, the
first head teacher, and Mr Tashi Dendup. The chief guest during the inaugural
ceremony was Dasho Ngawang Gyeltshen, Dzongda of Lhuntse Dzongkhag. There were
27 children: 17 boys and 10 girls with two sections of LKG.
Initially, the school was housed in the third floor of the four-storied Nagtshang, the
ancestral house of Trongsa Ponlop Jigme Namgyel (father of Sir Ugyen Wangchuck, the
first king of Bhutan). There was no playgroundas the land was privately owned. One
meal a day was provided for the school by the Department in 1977 with the aim to
encourage parents to admit their children in school. The two meals were contributed by
the parents in kind. There were no proper hostel facilities. The boys and girls were
accommodated in the same building. The meals were prepared in the open air as there
was no kitchen.
In 1980, the school was upgraded to include classes I to III till 1987. In 1984, Mr DN
Uraon from Samtse took over the charge of the school as the next head teacher. As
commanded by His Majesty through the chair person of Special Commission for Cultural
Affairs, Dasho Zangley Dukpa, the then officiating Deputy Director of education asked
the school to be moved out of the Naktshang vide reference No: 28(64)-Edn/90/ dated
4th June 1986. Therefore, the Department explored the possibility of renting a building
which could house 70 children and 3 teachers.
The school was subsequently shifted to Ms Tshering Choeki’s house in Sukpi, Dungkar,
for monthly rent of Nu. 2000. The rent was paid by the Dzongkhag from 1 July, 1986.
In 1990, the third head teacher of the school, Mr S. B. Rai from Tsirang took over the
administrative charge of the school from Mr D. N. Uraon. In 1992, the people thought
that although they did not have to pay the rent, it was a great burden on the
government. So after completing the sixth year in the rented house, the school was
shifted back to the Nagtshang.
In 1995, the 4th head teacher, Mr Tobzang from Trashigang, took over the charge of the
school. In 1997, the construction of the school was funded by UNICEF.
In 1999, the 5th head teacher, Mr D. B. Chhetri from Tsirang, joined the school. The
construction of buildings was completed in August of the same year. The new school was
inaugurated by the Dzongkhag Administrative Officer, Mr Choki Dorji. The school was
subsequently shifted from the Nagtshang to the present location. The school has 16
buildings. The school is well equipped with classroom furniture, but it has not enough
dining hall and boys’ hostel furniture. The solar facilities were provided by UNICEF in
1999.
From the beginning of April, 2004, the school was provided with electricity. The school
has a small play ground. The school has acquired around 7 acres of land during
cadastral survey of the area in 2001. The school carries out School Agriculture
Programmes like kitchen gardening and piggery. At present, the school has 178 students
(83 boys and 95 girls) in the classes ranging from PP-VI.
Ladrong Primary School
Ladrong Primary School is situated in Ladrong village under Jarrey Gewog, Lhuntse
Dzongkhag. It is six hours walk from Autsho and twelve hours walk from Gorgan. The
school was established in 1991.
The name Ladrong originated from the location of the village. La means hill and drong
means village. This name was first given by Lama Terton Demilingpa when he first
established a temple in Ladrong which stands at a distance of a few minutes walk from
the school. There is no written evidence of this, but this is what most of the village elders
opine.
Although there was already one of the best known schools in Bhutan in the gewog with
boarding facilities at Zangkhar, Zangkhar Primary school benefited only the people of
Zangkhar community. Zangkhar is far from Ladrong separated by high mountains and
thick forests. So it was very difficult for small children to go and study there. Thus, most
of the children of Ladrong area were deprived of education. Therefore, there was an
urgent need of a school in Ladrong.
The then gup of the gewog, Mr Sonam Darjey, in consultation with the Chimi and elderly
people of the village submitted a proposal for the school to the DEO, Mr Tashi Penjor.
The DEO forwarded the proposal to Dasho Dzongda who kindly approved it. Thus, this
school came into existence.
Initially the school was opened on February 14, 1991 as an ECR (extended classroom) at
Sangay Choling Gonpa. It is an hour's uphill walk from the present location of the
school. The location was too small to accommodate the increasing infrastructure of the
school like play ground, library, kitchen and store. Moreover, children had to walk a long
distance to and from the school. So the people soon bemoaned their previous decision.
Hence, the school was shifted to its present location in 1994.
The construction of the school infrastructure was put out to tender. Mr Kibala was the
contractor who undertook the construction work. The present infrastructure of the
school comprise two academic blocks (double- storey with four rooms each), a W.F.P.
kitchen-cum-store constructed by the community. The head teacher's quarters is under
construction. There is another building which houses the library and furniture store.
The school provides WFP mid-day meal. At present, the school has an area of 4.95 acres.
The school was inaugurated by Dasho Sherab Gyeltshen, Dzongda, Lhuntse Dzongkhag
and Lam Rinpoche. Mr Tsheringla, the then DEO and Mr Sonam Darjey, the then gup
played a vital role in shifting and construction of Ladrong Primary School.
Mr Kadhernath Sharma was the first Head teacher of the school. He served from 14
February, 1991 to 22 August, 1991. Mr Tenzin Wangdi was the second head teacher. He
worked in the school from 23 August, 1991 to 18 December 1993. Mr Tshering
Phuntsho was the third head teacher. He served the school from 1 March, 1994 to 28
March, 2000. Mr Dwarnath Uraon was the fourth head teacher. He took over the charge
of the school on 29 March, 2000. The teachers who worked in the school were Mr J. B.
Gurung, Lopon Thinley, Mr Ugyen Tshering, Mr Yeshey Jamtsho and Lopon Ngawang
Namgyel. These teachers not only took great pains to develop the school in its early stage
but also contributed a lot in nourishing and nurturing the children. Mr J. B. Gurung,
Mr Ugyen Tshering and Mr Yeshey Jamtsho have been promoted as head teachers.
The school first held its class VI Common Examinations in 1999. The results of the
examinations till date are given below:
Year
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
No. of students who sat
24
17
14
16
17
Students passed
24
13
10
16
17
The academic results are definitely not comparable to urban schools. Nevertheless, they
are commendable. Most of the alumni of this school are in lower and middle secondary
schools and are performing well in studies.
The establishment of Ladrong Primary School has benefited the people of the village a
lot. Today, even the poorest parents can afford to send their children to school. Unlike in
the past, the parents no longer have to worry about the well-being of their children
because the children are right there with them in the village. So the school came as a
great relief for the people. The school has also helped the community understand the
importance of education and its significance for their children. This is evidenced by the
fact that children are increasingly enrolled in school. The enrolment of girl students has
risen over the years.
Presently, there are 165 students and seven teachers including the head teacher. Ever
since its inception, the school has maintained cordial atmosphere so that it functions
smoothly. The teachers are trying with all their heart and soul to impart wholesome
education to the children. They formulate balanced co-curricular activities in order that
a child develops mentally, physically, socially and spiritually. The management will
constantly endeavour to equip itself with all required infrastructure so that it faces no
problem to deliver quality education. Every year, students participate in sports
competition held in Lhuntse. The teachers participated in volleyball knock-out
tournaments and came first in 2000 in Lhuntse and in 2001 in Monggar respectively.
་ ས་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ།
ཧམར་ ཤ་པ་ཚ བཏན་དོན་ བ་ཟ ་མ དག ་ བ ་ཤ ་གཡང་བ ཆ་འོག་ ཤར་འ མ་ ལས་ མན་ཆ (བ་མན་) གཅ ་བཏོན་ཏ འོང་པའ བས་
ག ས་ཁ་ག མ ་ག ་བ ་ཤ ་པའགཡང་ག བ ་འ ་ བ ནའདག ་ ད་ར ་ནངས་པ་ཡང་ ག ས་ད གམ ་ ་ བ ་ཤ ་གཡང་ ཟ ་ དར་ བ་སོང་ ག།
དཁ་ལས་ བ་མན་ད ར་ ོད་ ོགས་ ་འོང་ན འབད་ གདོང་ལ་བ ད་ད འོང་པའ བས་ ལ་ད གཉའདབས་ ་ཡོད་པའ ར་ ོད་པའམ ་ག ་
ཇ་དང་ཆང་ག ལོངས་ ོད་ ་འབག་ གདོང་བ ་ཟ ་ལམ་ཁར་འ ོཝ་ལས་བ ་ ས་གནས་འདགམ ་ ་ ད་ར ་བར་ཡང་ གདོང་ལ་ཟ ་ བ་མས་།
དཚ ལ་འདཁ་ལས་མར་བབས་ཏ ག ས་ ཉའདབས་ ་ ད ང་ཞག་ བས་ཏ ོད་པའ བས་ ས ས་ཅན་ ག་ཅ ་ག ་ བ་མན་འད ་
སོ་བཏབ་ ་ ོམ་འབད་བཏོན་དཔ་ལས་ ག ས་ད ཁར་ ོད་པའམ ་ག ་ བ་མན་འད ག་ན ཐབས་ ་ ཚལ་མ་ནང་ག ོ་ ན་ ་ ོར་ཏ
ན་བཅོས་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ ག ས་ད གམ ་ ་ ཡང་ ན་ ོར་ ན་ ་ཟ ་དརཝ་ཨ ་ ང་ ད་ར ་ནངས་པ་ལོ་ལ ཤ་འ ོ་བའ ་ ་
ན་ ོར་དང་ ན་ ་ཟ ་བའ ་ཉམས་ཏ ག ས་ མ ་ ་ ་ ས་ཟ ་དར་ཡོདཔ་ཨ ་པས།
ག ས་ མ ་ད ལས་ ར ས་བ ་ཏ ོབ་ ་ད གམ ་ ་ཡང་ ་ ས་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་ཟ ་ བ་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨ །
ད ་ལོ་༡༩༩༡ གལོ་ ་ ོབ་དཔོན་གོངམ་ ་ཤ ན་ག ་ འགོ་འ ་ཐོག་ ་ ོབ་ ག་བ ོམས་༩༣ འབད་མ ཅ ་ གསར་བ གས་འབད་ ག།
བར་ བས་ཅ ་ལས་
ོབ་དཔོན་གོངམ་ ལ་ ས་བཟང་པོ་ག ་འགོ་འ ་འཐབ་ ོད་པའ བས་ ོབ་ ག་ག ཡོངས་བ ོམས་༡༥༠ དང་༡༨༠ གབར་ན་
ལོ་ར ་བཞ ་ ་ཡར་ས ་འ ོ་ ོད་ ག། གནམ་ལོ་༢༠༠༠ གལོ་ ངས་ལས་ ར་ ད་ར ་ བར་ན་ ོབ་ ག་ག བ ོམས་༢༠༠ ལས་༡༩ གབར་ན་
ཡར་ས ་མར་འབབ་འབད་ར་ ོད་ ག། ད་ར ་འབདཝ་ད་ ོབ་ ག་ག འཕར་ཚད་དང་བ ན་ཏ ག ང་ལས་ ོབ་ ་ད འ ་ར ་འོག་མ་ ་ཡར་ས ་དང་
་བ ་འབད་ན གའཆར་གཞ ་ཡོདཔ་ཨ ་ཟ ་ ་ན ཨ །
Tangmachu Primary School
Among blue pine trees with abundant lemon grass undergrowth and stretches of paddy
fields lies the pleasant village of Tangmachu. Till 1983, the nearest road was an hour's
walk from the village. The village benefited enormously from the farm road which came
in 1983. But, children of the village had to attend the school either in Lhuntse, one day
walk from the village or in Mongger. The people felt the need for a school in their own
village so that the cost of their children's education would be reduced and they would be
able to reinforce care for their children.
During mid 1984, the gup convened a meeting of the villagers to discuss a proposal for a
school. Subsequently, a proposal was submitted to the Dzongkhag. With the approval of
the Dzongkhag, the people of the village started the construction of the school.
The school was started with lower kindergarten class in 1965. Mr Dendup Tshering was
the first head teacher of the school. 155 children from 10 villages were admitted in the
school. There were 3 teachers. Since then the number of students increased year by
year. There are 301 of them at present. Many teachers and head teachers have been
transferred to and from this school. The names of head teachers since 1985 are listed
below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Mr Dendup Tshering (1985)
Mr D.C. Sanyasi
(1989)
Mr Tenzin Jamtsho (1990)
Mr Kezang Phuntsho (1992)
Mr Tenzin Wangdi
(1994)
Mr Tshering Norbu
(1995)
Mr Jigme Dukpa
(1999)
Mr Karma Phuntsho (2003 onwards)
As most of the children had to walk a long distance to and from the school, it was very
difficult for them to carry books and pack lunch. Later, the school put up an application
to the DEO requesting for day meal. It was really kind on the part of the DEO and the
concerned authorities to approve the school's request. Since 1990 the school has been
enjoying the WFP meals.
About 400 students have completed their primary education since the school was
established. Some of the students have even completed their degree courses and are
working in different organizations. Among them, Mr Yonten Phuntsho, a graduate from
Sherubtse College, is working in the Royal Audit Authority. Mr Sonam Dendup is
another graduate from Sherubtse and is now working with the BBS (Bhutan
Broadcasting Service). There are many other alumni of this school who are working as
teachers, health workers, and sanction officers.
The establishment of this school has brought about a lot of positive changes in the
village. The people's way of thinking has undergone a sea change.
At present, the school has a classroom, an office and a library room. There are three
staff quarters, one head teacher's quarters and a school kitchen. We have 9 permanent
teachers out of which 4 are ladies and 5 gents. We also have one apprentice teacher.
There are 139 boys and 182 girls which totals up to 391 children coming to school from
about 15 villages.
ཝམ་འ ར་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ།
ང་བཅས་ཝམ་ ར་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་འད བཙན་མཁར་ ་འོག་ནང་ ད ་ལོ་༡༩༧༨ ཧམར་ དོམ་མཁར་ག ས་མཚན་ ག་ ་ ཉ་ཉ་ ང་ཟ ་སར་
ཆགས་ཏ ཡོདཔ་ལས་ ོབ་ འ ་ ལ་ ་ ད་ ོ་བར་ན་ཡང་ མཐོང་སར་ཡོདཔ་ཨ །
ལོ་༡༩༧༨ ལས་ འམ་འ ར་ག ས་ཚན་ ོ་ལོགས་ཁར་ ོ་བ ད་འབད་ད ོབ་ ་འད མལོ་༢༦ དཅ ་ཡར་སོང་ ག།
ོབ་ ་དང་ག ས་ཚན་འདནང་གནམ་ ར་ད ན་མ ་པར་ ང་མ་གནམ་མ ་ས་མ ་འ ་དོ་ཡོད་མ ཁོང་ཝམ་ ར་མ ་ག ་ ཁ་ ན་ ར་ ་འབད་བ་ཅ ་
དང་ གས་ མ ་ག ་ ས་འདནང་ ང་མ་མ ་པར་གས ་ གང་ ་ཏ ཉོ་ཉོཝ་ཨ ་ཟ ་བའལོ་ ས་ཡང་ བཤད་ ོལ་འ ག།
ད་ར ་ནངས་པ་ ོབ་ ་དང་ ག ས་ཚན་འད ་ ཝམ་ ར་ཟ ་ བ་ ོལ་ཡོད་མ འད ག ས་འདནང་ག ཨཔ་ཤ ་རབ་ ་ བ་ ་ལན་འབདཝ་ད་ ཁོ་ག ་
བ་ཡོད་མ ཁ་ ན་ ར་འབད་བ་ཅ ་ ཧམ་ཝམ་ ར་འདཁར་ག ས་མ ་པར་ནགས་ཚལ་ ་ཆ ་འབད་ཨ མ་ལས་ དདང་ཐག་ཉ སའམ ་ག
ཤ་བདའ་སའས་ཁོངས་ ངོ་མ་ཅ ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨ ་ཟ ་ཨ ་མས། མ ་ ཤ་བདའ་བར་འོངམ་ད་ ས ས་ཅན་འ་དོམ་འ མས་ས་དང་ ོད་སའཚང་ ་ཡང་
འ ར་འ ར་འབད་ ག་ན བ་ལ ས་པ་ ་ ལ ས་ཤ་ཡོདཔ་མཐོངམ་ལས་ ས ས་ཅན་འད ོད་སའཚང་དང་ མ ་གཉ ་ གས་མ ནམ་འབད་
ག ས་མཚན་ད གམ ་ ་ འམ་འ ར་ ཟ ་ད ར་ཏ ཡོད་ ང་ ད་ར ་ནངས་པ་ ་ ར་ཉམས་ཏ འམ་ ར་ཟ ་ བ་པའཚབ་ ་ ཝམ་ ར་ཟ ་བའམ ་ག ཐ་ ད་ ་
དལས་དར་ཏ ོབ་ འམ ་ ་ཡང་ ཝམ་ ར་ ོབ་ ་ ང་བ་ཟ ་ བ་ཨ །
Zangkhar Primary School
Zangkhar Primary School’s name and fame is like the moon on a full moon night. The
glory of the school glitters like a twinkling star. It is right on the tip of every local
person’s tongue. There is not a person who does not know where Zangkhar is.
It is just two to three hours journey from the road head in Gorgan. Gorgan is 45 km
from Monggar. The school falls under Jarey Gewog of Lhuntse Dzongkhag. Located on
the foothills of Yabi village, the school has until now catered to more than a thousand
children and enriched them with social, historical and educational values.
The school is one of the oldest schools in Lhuntse Dzongkhag. The idea of establishing
this school was conceived as early as early 1960's when Bhutan was beginning to open
up to the outside world. The only school in Lhuntse, Tshongpaling Primary School, could
not take in all the children of the Dzongkhag. Hence, to ease the burden of admission on
one school, the people of Lhuntse stepped forth to construct a new school at Zangkhar.
The construction of the school began in 1960 and was completed in 1962. The village's
zhengo and the head teacher of the school were key players during the initial stage of the
school.
Initially, the school had five classrooms including the office and a three-room quarters
for the staff. Due to teacher shortage, the school could not start the English classes till
1965. The three consecutive years went by with only Dzongkha classes.
With much difficulty, the school could mobilize about 80 children of both the genders.
The Dzongkha teacher, Lt. Gembo from Bumthang, supported by the village zhelngo,
contributed a lot for the evolution of the school. The first English classes started only in
the year 1965 when Mr Galley Tshering from Trongsa Gaga came as the first general
teacher. Then, in the year 1968, the first non-Bhutanese teacher, Mr K.R. Yadav from
Delhi, and Mr Norzin from Haa joined the school.
Another teacher from Kerala joined the school in 1971. Later in 1973, Mr Lezangla
(general teacher) from Tangmachu joined the school as the next head teacher along with
two new Dzongkha teachers, one from Haa and the other from Trashiyangtse.
A very interesting aspect of the school then, according to some of the alumni of the
school, was singing of Sing, sing mother sing, Pat can sing. It was the favourite rhyme of
the children. They would sing it whenever they find free time. The children had to carry
their own ration and one of the elders would be there to look after them. The huts were
built around and nearby the school. Children used to make their own kitchen garden for
vegetables. During weekends, they would collect firewood for their own consumption.
Despite the hardship, children would flow in from different parts of the Dzongkhag.
The school shifted to its present location in the year 1978 and was made eligible to
stipend. In those days, the school was issued PT shoes, shorts, school dress, bunk beds,
mattresses, blankets, etc., all free of cost. Lt. Tshering Phuntsho, the then Regional
Stores Officer in Trashigang, was the first head teacher of the school from 1978-1981.
Next, Mr Kelzang Tobgyal from Bumthang Tang joined the school. He was full of
enthusiasm and work ethic. NAPE system was then begun throughout the country and
replaced rote learning. The school rose to the zenith with many toppers in class six
board examinations. Mr Kelzang was one of the outstanding head teachers. His tenure
in this school was from 1982-1990.
Then, Mr Sangay Dorji from Paro nurtured the school from 1991 to 1994 followed by
another Parop, Mr Kelzang Doti Dukpa, whose tenure was from 1994 to1995.
The current head teacher is Mr Ngawang Jigme from Khaling. He tries hard to keep alive
the school’s name and fame. There are three general teachers (Mr Karma Tshewang, Mr
Yeshe Needup and Mr Tashi Wangchuk) and a Zhungkha teacher (Mr Ngawang Thinley)
who conduct themselves in accordance with the three pillars of good governance:
transparency, accountability and efficiency. Being a WFP boarding school, the school
has helped many of the parents' dreams come true. Unfortunately, its up-gradation
plan failed due to it being far away from the road head.
Anyhow, with the arrival of electricity and road there are great chances for the school to
grow. The school does not have any distinctive features. But, there is no alumnus of the
school who does not hold a position in other schools.
Two of the mottos of the school are to produce hundred percent pass results and to
make children realize the value of education once they enter the upper NAPE standard.
The following are some of the outstanding alumni of the school presently working in the
civil service.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Mr Sangay Tenzin, son of the first Dzongkha and head teacher, Controller of
Examinations, BBE
Dr Gembo, DMO, Wangduephodrang hospital
Mr Dendup, office incharge, Sunkosh.
Mr Karma Tenzin, ADM Officer, Thimphu.
Mr K.D. Yeshi, lecturer, NIE Paro.
Mr Sherub Phuntsho, civil engineer, Thimphu.
Dr Tashi Gyeltshen, doctor, Riserboo Hospital.
Mr Tashi, civil engineer, Lhuntse.
Mr Tempa Gyeltshen, electrical engineer, Thimphu.
Mr Karmala, HA, Autsho BHU, Lhuntse.
Ms Pema Deki, teacher, Tangmachu Primary School.
Mr Tashi Dorji, ex-policeman and currently NFE instructor.
Mr Tshewang Dendup, Mang Ap.
Mr Pema Tshering, former soldier.
Mr Sangay Phuntsho, Planning Officer, Haa Dzongkhag.
Autsho Community Primary School
The school is located exactly 36 kilometers from Monggar and 42 kilometers from
Lhuntse on the Monggar-Lhuntse highway. Legend has it that, to people residing in the
mountains, the place looked like a lake due to its irrigated paddy fields. Therefore the
place was called Autsho.
But, according to Jangchub Dema, 60, the name of the place originated from the
presence of an evil lake at the place called Tshothang. The lake was later turned into a
holy spring (drupchu) by Guru Rinpoche.
Prior to the establishment of this school, the children had to be sent to schools in
Wambur, Zangkhar, Lhuntse or even Monggar. Access to education was extremely
difficult for the people of the village. Therefore, they proposed to the government that a
school be opened in the community. It was a long time before the proposal was
approved. However, it was one of the visions of Lyonpo Jigme Y Thinley, the then Zonal
Administrator of the erstwhile Zone IV, Yonphula, to open as many schools in the
eastern Dzongkhags as possible. It was because of his vision that the construction of a
school in Autsho became possible in1990.
The formal classes started from March 1991 with 17 boys, 15 girls and 1 teacher. Over
the years, the classes began to be upgraded and so also the number of students. As of
now, we have 86 boys and 76 girls from PP to class IV with 7 teachers.
The vision of our school is to provide wholesome education while our mission is to
provide values education and to impart Bhutanese values to the students so as to
produce responsible citizens.
Future Vision
As informed by the present Education Minister during one of his familiarization tours
last year, our school will be upgraded to a middle secondary or even higher secondary
school within the next 3 to 4 years with the assistance of JICA.
Head teachers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mr Kindly Dorji
Mr Tshewang Needup
Mr Yeshey Dorji
Lopon Choney Dorji
Mr Sangay Dorji
1991-1995
1996-2002
2003-2004 March
2004 March-2004 May
2004 May…
Student Enrolment
Year
Boys
Girls
Total
1991
1992
1993
1994
17
49
51
62
15
35
41
56
32
84
92
118
1995
56
48
104
1996
51
61
112
1997
63
72
135
1998
1999
2000
65
72
69
76
64
54
141
136
123
2001
78
58
136
2002
2003
2004
82
78
86
65
72
76
147
150
162
Dangling Community School
Establishment
The school was established in 2002. It was started by Mr Tshewang Norbu as the
teacher incharge with the enrollment of 56 students. The school currently has two
permanent teachers including the head teacher.
Location
The school is under Lhuntse Dzongkhag, Menbi Gewog. It is located in the middle of a
forest near the Dangling village. It is 2 ½ hours walk from the nearest road head at
Tangmachu Primary School.
Infrastructure
The school has one academic block comprising three classrooms and one two-unit
teachers' quarters. It is lighted by solar panels. The school has a small football field and
a volleyball court.
Co-curricular Activities
Although the school has classes up to II, it carries out a variety of extra-curricular
activities such as football, volleyball, throwball, khuru and dego. Besides, the school also
conducts literary activities like quiz competition and spelling competition in both English
and Dzongkha. The school also does SUPW every Saturday after lunch.
Vision
The school aims to provide wholesome education.
Mission
To provide quality education by using various teaching-learning strategies and also to
instill the Bhutanese values in the children to make them productive citizens.
Goals
The school has the following goals:
 To develop a standard-size football field and volleyball court
 To create a child-friendly environment through campus beautification
 To inculcate values and enrich Bhutanese tradition and culture
Domkhar Community Primary School
Domkhar Community Primary School was started in June 2003 with 25 students. It
was started by the present teacher in-charge of the school. The school is located next to
Domkhar Community Learning Centre, which is one hour’s walk from the road head.
The school does not have electricity and road, but it does have solar panels and there is
a plan for electricity and road to come.
The infrastructure of the school consists of three buildings with three rooms each and a
staff quarters with two units. This year, it has 51 students studying in classes PP, I and
II.
The origin of the name of the place goes back to the time of Bangtsho Gyap, an exile
Indian prince who settled in Kurtoe region. During the time there was a lake at the place
called Mantsang. One day, the bull of the lake (tsholang) and the bull of Bangtsho Gyap
locked horns in a fierce fight in which the bull of the lake was defeated.
Afer this incidence, the deity of the lake shifted its abode to the place called Gophula.
With the drying up of the lake with the flight of its deity, the people from different places
like Budur and Kupineysa came to this place to settle down.
Initially, there emerged a small settlement in the place. The few houses were built close
to one another. The people of the new village lived harmoniously together as one family.
Therefore, the village came to be known as Domkhar which roughly means house of the
joint family. Dom means together and khar means house. Today, there are forty -seven
households in the village.
Ganglakhema Community School
The school was established in March 2002. It is located at a beautiful place overlooking
Gangla village. The site for the school was selected by former DEO, Mr Tshongpon
Wangdi; head teacher of Khoma Lower Secondary School, Mr Kuenzangla, and the
present chimi of Khoma gewog, Mr Khamtula. The school is located at a remote place
five hours walk from the road point. The school has a large area for developing play field
as well as construction of buildings in the future. Its catchment area include Gangla,
Khema, Serphu, Taya and Lawa villages. As per the ex-Chimi, Mr Pema Wangchuk from
Khema, he requested for the school to former Dzongda, Dasho Nima Wangdi, during a
DYT meeting. With the approval from Dasho, the school was constructed by the
community under the supervision of the former chimi. The materials were provided by
the government.
The name of the school as Ganglakhema was given by our former DEO, Mr Pema
Wangchuk. It is the combination of the names of the two villages.
Once, a hunter shot a deer with his arrow. The injured deer fled. When the hunter
reached a village in pursuit of the deer, he found the bladder of the deer. The bladder is
called gangfu in Dzongkha. So, he named the village Gangla. The hunter pursued the
deer farther. When he reached another village, he came across a lever of the deer. The
liver is known as Khema in Kurtoep dialect. Therefore, he named the village Khema. This
is how the two villages got their names.
The school was started by two teachers: Ms Tshewang Gyelmo and the present head
teacher as the teacher incharge. At present, we are three including the only member of
non-teaching staff. When the school was started in 2002, it had only one section of class
PP. There were 27 boys and 24 girls with a total of 51 students. In 2003, the school had
two class sections. There were 8 boys and 5 girls in PP. In class I, there were 20 boys
and 20 girls. The total strength was 53. This year, there are 7 boys and 3 girls in PP, 10
boys and 7 girls in class I, and 15 boys and 16 girls in class II. The total student
strength is 58.
The school has benefited the community a lot. Before the establishment of this school,
many of children could not be sent to school because schools were few and far between.
They were kept at home to tend domestic animals and look after their younger siblings.
When the school was started, most of the children were between 8 and 13 years old,
which meant that they were late for school. If the school were not started, those children
would have remained illiterate in their villages. Now that the people have come to
understand the value of education, they are enthusiastic about admitting their children
to school.
As the people of the villages had shown an interest in NFE, an NFE centre was started in
the school last year. At present, there is no NFE instructor, but Lopon Tshewang Gyelmo
is taking the classes as per the DEO's orders.
This year, the school has formed a joint health committee with the community during
the parents-teachers meeting. The job of the committee is to check cleanliness in the
villages. The committee has developed a set of criteria for sanitation in the villages. For
example, every household is required to have a small rubbish pit and a chicken coop.
The villagers are not allowed to keep their cattle near their houses. The committee
carries out an inspection once a month. With the implementation of this programme,
villagers have become much cleaner.
The school is soon going to get clean drinking water supply. A team from the dzongkhag
has already surveyed the source of water.
Although the school is not connected by motor road and has a small catchment area, we
hope that it would grow up to class VI.
Gortshom Community Primary School
Gor literally means stone for the people of Bumthang, Zhemgang and Tangmachu.
Tshom means mortar for the people speaking Kurtoep and Khengkha. Thus, the name of
the village Gortshom was derived from stone mortars which are found at three different
places around this school. They are known to have existed since pre-historic times. It is
believed that the name was given by a renowned monk of Dratshang monastery at the
time of his visit to Bumthang via this area. As per our understanding, the name might
have been given sometime in the early 16th century.
The school was formally inaugurated in 1991 by Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen, the present
Thimphu Dzongda. The need for school was acutely felt because there was not any
school in the entire gewog of Matsho. The total number of students and names of heads
of this school are mentioned below in chronological order.
Year
Boys
Girls
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
32
42
87
83
57
27
24
50
49
23
Total
59
66
137
132
80
No. of teachers
02
02
04
04
04
Head Teacher Tenure
Mr M.K. Chhetri
1991
Mr Sangay Dorji
1992-1994
- do - do Mr Tika Sharma
July, 1994
Mr Rinzin Wangdi 1995-1998
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
43
38
46
50
51
62
78
80
78
26
31
34
43
43
55
65
74
88
69
69
80
93
94
117
143
154
166
04
04
04
03
04
05
05
06
07
- do - do - do Mr Pemba T. Gyeltshen 1999
Mr Jit Bdr. Gurung, 2000…
- do - do - do - do -
There was a drop in enrolment from 1995 to 2000. This was attributed to sending
students after class III to Zangkhar Primary School due to shortage of classrooms and
teachers in this school. The school has now discontinued this practice. Therefore, the
student strength has gone up since 2001. Currently, the school has classes ranging
from pre-primary to class VI.
For the first time in the history of the school, enrolment of girl students outnumbered
that of boys. It is a happy development. All of us are encouraged by this. The enrolment
in the school is expected to increase henceforth according to the census record
maintained by the gup. Besides, this school being located at the heart of the gewog
(Matsho), it caters to the the whole gewog with the exception of Onggar, which is located
at the far end of the gewog. This school is likely to be upgraded to a lower secondary
school within the 10th Five Year Plan.
Infrastructure Development
The infrastructure development of the school started from the year 2000. Till 2000 there
was only one academic building. In fact, there was no office and store room. An
additional academic block was constructed during the winter of 2000-2001. A separate
administrative block was also constructed under the students winter work programme
in 2003. We now have adequate classrooms, office, staff room, library room, and a small
WFP store to store CSB (Corn-Soya blend) which is being served as late morning snack
since 2003. The school also constructed a beautiful gate in traditional design in 2003.
The school has three semi-permanent staff quarters excluding a separate quarters for
the caretaker. A two-unit staff quarters will be constructed this winter. Hopefully,
accommodation will not be a major problem in the future. Besides, water supply,
construction of latrines and renovation of academic building are in the pipeline.
The very small playground has been extended. Currently, we have a basketball court, a
badminton court, a volleyball court and an archery range. We also have a locally made
table tennis board. Since this school has all major play fields, it is in a position to impart
wholesome education. The school has a total area of twelve acres of beautiful land. This
size is adequate to be a fully-fledged lower secondary school. Barbed-wire fencing was
done in 2002.
Academic and co-curricular activities
Ever since the school was upgraded, it has been able to maintain pass percentage of
95% for all class levels. We have a good team spirit and co-operation amongst us and
with the community. We conduct all curricular and extra-curricular activities to promote
learning. In fact, all these activities are guided by our school vision which reads, "…to be
a model institute in the Dzongkhag in student education and learning that will enhance
self-educational needs". This in turn will serve as a springboard to continued acquisition
of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. This will also further enhance the pursuit of
our mission "to produce comparatively productive citizen, dedicated to life-long learning,
highly motivated and sensitive to wisdom, and be able to make use of what has been
learnt".
The school will continuously research and review the teaching-learning processes
through close monitoring and recommendation and be fully aware of the curriculum
changes to meet the educational challenges and aspiration of the twenty-first century.
The school will also ensure that life-skills acquired are very dynamic as per needs. We
have goals, strategies and working policies. The school was the winner of 2004 interprimary school girls football tournament organized by the Dzongkhag Sports
Association, Lhuntse. It also was the winner in the inter-school khuru tournament in
1998.
Alumni
81% of the first batch of students has been enrolled in Sherubtse College (Degree Year I).
While some of them have joined the Institute for Language and Cultural Studies in
Simtokha, others have joined teaching profession. Still others have joined the armed
forces. Among the alumni of this school, there are some who have become farmers,
monks and businessmen. One of them is the current gewog accountant.
Kupinyelsa Community School
The school was established in 1992. It started as a community school at Kupidowa
(resting place for cuckoos). The location for the school was chosen by the village
headman and tshogpa. It is in the middle of two villages: Kupinyelsa and Budur.
Establishment of the school was the primary concern for those villages as their children
had to walk almost three hours a day. This school was inaugurated by late Dzongda
Dasho Ngawang La. At that time Mr Tsheringla was serving as the District Education
Officer (present Administrative Officer, Education Regional Stores, Gelephu). Mr
Tshewang Dendup (present officer incharge of police, Gyalpozhing, Monggar) who was a
temporary teacher, started the school with 35 students. In the next year, the next
temporary teacher was Mr Thinley. 54 little students made up the two classes of preprimary and I.
In 1994, the school was shifted to a place called Tsenka Dorom (sinking area). The
previous school was on a rocky cliff. Although students could get to the school in a few
minutes, the campus did not have enough space and probably the location itself was
precarious. This precipitated the relocation of the school. Then, the school had a
permanent teacher, Mr Tshewang Dendup, presently the head teacher of Autsho
Community School. He single-handedly managed the school of class PP to II.
When Mr Kinley Dorji succeeded Mr Tshewang as the teacher incharge, the school ran
short of classrooms to retain the class III students in the same school. They were,
therefore, admitted to Wambur Primary School which is one and a half hours journey on
foot. The school carried on thus for two and a half years.
Towards the mid of July 1998, the single classroom developed cracks. The routine
teaching-learning activity had to be discontinued. As per the order from the Dzongkhag
authorities, the teacher in-charge and his students joined Wambur Primary School. In
the meantime, the whole classroom sank by about one and a half feet. On informing the
Dzongkhag authorities about the problem, some officials visited the site. On learning
that the area was in an unstable sinking area, the authorities suggested that the gup,
tshogpa and the people find out a better site for the school. The school hence remained
closed for two and a half years.
The village headman and grey-haired men selected the present site known as Selingbi.
The former Dzongda, Dasho Nima Wangdi (present Director of Road Safety and
Transport Authority) and District Education Officer, Mr Tshongpon Wangdi (present
principal of National Institute for the Disabled, Khaling) visited and ordered the people to
build two units of classrooms. The people immediately started the work and towards the
end of September 2001, it was nearing completion. On 4th October in the same year, it
was inaugurated by Lam Loyang of Rawabi Gonpa (Lhuntse).
The school started with 33 children. The following year, the school had classes PP and I.
The school was managed by a single teacher. By 2003, the school had another three
classrooms built through community participation. With this, it had spacious
classrooms and one more regular teacher, besides an apprentice teacher.
This year, 2004, the school has 75 students with 2 regular teacher and one apprentice
teachers. It has classes from PP-III. Although the people have built four units of
classrooms, the school is still running short of classrooms. By next year, the school
hopes to retain upper primary classes in the same school as it would have enough
accommodation after the completion of the construction. This would be in line with the
school policy.
In due course of time, the school has been able to better the community. The people
have drastically changed their way of life in terms of cleanliness, dressing and manners.
Besides these things, they have even learned basic literacy skills, which is the key to
reading and writing. The learners will be encouraged to take post literacy course too.
Head teachers of the school in chronological order
1994-1996
1997-1998
1998-2001,October
2001, 4th October
Mr Tshewang Nidup (teacher in-charge)
Mr Kinley Dorji
‘’
The school remained closed
Mr Ugyen Tshering [teacher in-charge]
Student enrolment (2001-2004)
Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
Boys
13
28
34
41
Girls
20
24
29
34
Total
33
52
63
75
Vision
Students completing Community Primary School (grade VI) should be able to acquire
enough knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the various subjects to excel in grade
VII.
Mission
The school facilitates children and teachers to learn more meaningfully and effectively
through teamwork, sharing ideas, preparing teaching aids collectively, and through
NBIP, CBIP, and SBIP or inter-vision.
School Development Plan
Prioritized activities in a given year
Area
of
Developme
nt
1.Campus
Developme
nt
2.Land
acquisition
and
registration
School
Greening
Objectives
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
To make the
school territory
more defined.
Land
acquisitio
n
Land
registration &
fencing
Substitutio
n of fencing
poles
Reference the
school areas
Expansion
of
school
area
To
enable
students to live
in
a
more
pleasant
environment
To
instill in
children values
and wholesome
education
at
the
end
of
primary
education
Plantation
of Cypress
and
Bakina
Making flower
garden
and
orange
plantation
Additional
cypress
&
Banana
plantation
Bokaina
plantation
around school
fence
Additional
flower
garden
Constructi
on
3
classroom
s & two
units
of
teacher’s
quarters
Construction
such as play
ground, staff,
girls and boys
latrines
Constructio
n of store by
public
Stone
pavements
from school to
latrines
Students
support
service and
cocurricular
activities
To make the
students
academically
good, mentally
sound,
physically and
socially fit
Spelling
and
Reading
competitio
n in class
wise
(Dzongkha
& English)
Making
of
sign
board
and
digging
two garbage
pits
Degor
competition
Boys (House
wise)
Throw ball
competition
Girls
(house-wise)
Dzongkha
Dance
competition
Sport
competition
house- wise
Annual
maintenan
ce
programme
To repair parts
of buildings
Repair the
furniture
Repair floor
Replace
signboard &
Notice
board
Repair
furniture and
window
frames
Repair
cupboard
and shelves
School
developme
nt fund
To make money
available
for
school
development
activities.
Buy locks,
paints,
nails,
latches
and hasp
Buy
wall
clocks,
spades,
paints, nails,
prizes
and
table cloths
Buy
pickaxes
and spades
Buy
planks
for
making
black boards
and shelves
Buy
curtains,
plates and
mugs
Infrastruct
ure
developme
nt
Reconstruct
ion
of
latrines by
public
Ney Community Primary School
Ney literally means a holy place which was blessed by Guru Rinpoche in the eight
century. According to the village people, they consider this place a door to the holy place
of Khenpajong. It is also a place with rich tradition and culture.
Ney Primary School was established in 1991 in the middle of four famous temples:
Rinchen Dumpa in the north, Aja and Phuyom in the south, Khenpajong in the west and
Singye Dzong in the east.
It is also a place protected by two local deities,
Yawachabdown who wards off heavy rain and hailstone and Ney Aag Drakpa Gyelpo who
wards off strong wind. This school is situated in the north of Lhuntse Dzong. We have
to take a route from the left side of Kurichu, northwards. It takes five and a half hours to
reach the school from the road point.
The main players responsible for the school to come into being were village headman
(Tshogpa), Mr Kuenzang and teacher in-charge, Mr K. Dhan Sharma. So far, this school
has changed three head teachers. The names of the head teachers and teachers who
served and still serve the school are as follows:
1. Mr K. Dhan Sharma, teacher Incharge
1991-1995
2 Mr Phuntsho Rabten, temporary Dzongkha teacher 1991-2003
3. Mr R B. Sharma –
1996-2001
4. Mr Ugyen Drukpa, general teacher (PTC)
1999-2001
5. Mr Yeshey Dorji, temporary teacher
2000-2001
6. Mr Sangay Dorji
2002-2004
7. Mr Pema Wangdi, general teacher (PTC)
2003
8. Mr Sonam Norbu, general teacher (PTC)
2003
9. Ms Sonam Choden, apprentice teacher
2003
10.Ms Samten Wangmo, apprentice teacher
2004
11.Ms Tenzin Wangmo, apprentice teacher
2004
12.Ms Sonam Tshomo, apprentice teacher
2004
13.Mr Thukten,cook
2003
The names of some outstanding alumni and their current position:
1) Mr Jurmey Thinley, class XII (2004) Punakha Higher Secondary School
2) Mr Pema Dorji, class XII (2004) Gyalpozhing Higher Secondary School.
3) Mr Thinley Wangchuk, class XII (2004) Gyalpozhing Higher Secondary School.
The school was started with an enrollment of 40 students and one teacher in 1991.
At present, there are two regular teachers, three apprentice teachers, 72 students
and one cook. When the school was started, it had only one class. But now, it has
classes from PP-VI. Within 14 years, this school was acquired many facilities in each
and every area.
On top of that, the World Food Programme donated food
commodities from 2003 which benefited this community in many ways.
The cost to educate the children of this village has decreased and the village people
now know the value of education. This school has helped and is helping to increase
the literacy rate of the country and it also helped to know the education policy of
country. Through the school, the community has become aware of many pressing
issues like conservation of forest, maintaining cleanliness, Driglam Namzha.
Owing to good physical setting of the village, the school could be upgraded to a high
school, even to a college, if motor road is constructed.
Unggar Community Primary School
When Lam Ngagi Wangchuk travelled from Tibet to Bhutan, he saw a dragon flying over
his head towards the south (Lho Mon). The lam followed the dragon. He crossed
Rodungla Pass and at last arrived in a huge village. As soon as he arrived there, an old
man from the village asked the lam for a good name for their village. Looking around, the
lam saw many men and women fetching water from huge wells above their houses. At
the same time, he also saw Terton Pema Lingpa, who had come to Kurtoe to discover the
treasures hidden by Guru Rinpoche, making iron chains and swords. The lam,
therefore, named the place Umgarwa. In Kurtoep dialect, um means a huge well or a
pond and garwa means a blacksmith. Unggar is the corrupted form of Umgarwa.
Unggar Community School is located on the left side of Unggarchu at the heart of the
village, at an altitude of 1732 meters above sea level. It is officially two days walk from
the road head. At present, it has classes PP to III. The school has a few necessary
stationery and equipment supplied by the Royal Government of Bhutan. The school has
a good collection of reading materials supplied through Supplementary Reading
Programme. The school also has got some facilities like solar light, staff quarters and all
the community level games and sports facilities. The NFE centre of the community is
based within the school. All the NFE programmes are initiated by the school.
In 1992, the community of Unggar felt the need to educate their children. The
community collectively decided to propose for a school GYT and DYT. The community's
proposal was incorporated in the eighth Five-Year Plan in1991. The construction of the
school started with labour contribution from the community and material assistance
from the Royal Government of Bhutan. The construction of buildings (3 units) was
completed in March 1993.
On 6th April 1993, the first batch of 42 children was enrolled in the school. Mr
Tshewang was the first teacher in-charge of the school. He worked in this school for
three years. In 1996, he was replaced by Mr Phuntsho Norbu who worked till 1997. In
July 1997, the school ran short of children. Thereafter, the school remained closed for
four years from 1997 to 2001.
Again, in 1999, the community relocated the school and built it anew in the centre of the
village. The gup, tshogpa, and chipons were the main persons responsible for the
institute to come into being. The Dzongkhag Education Officer also helped us and
supported to begin the school.
In 2002, Mr Nima Dorji took full responsibilities of the new teacher in-charge of the
school. On 22nd June 2002, coinciding with the Coronation Day of His Majesty the King,
the school started its formal academic session with a total number of 31 students in
class PP.
The inauguration ceremony was held on 22nd June by the Dzongrab, Lhuentse, Mr
Ugyen D. Sar Tshog. Other officials from the Dzongkhag Administration also attended
the ceremony. The ceremony was a grand success. At the same time, NFE centre was
also established in this community with an enrollment of 30 basic literacy learners.
At present, the school has classes up to III. It has four units of classrooms each of
which can accommodate 25 children. It has few games and sports facilities since the
school has no way to improve the play ground. The total land of the school is around 2.5
acres. The school has two regular teaching staff, one NFE Instructor, and a care-taker.
Thimyul Community Primary School
Thimyul Community Primary School is in Gangzor Gewog under Lhuntse Dzongkhag.
Thimyul literally means sunken village. The community believes that once this village
sank under a heavy flood.
Thimyul Community Primary School was established in the year 2000. It is located on a
slope just 10 minutes walk from the road point at Lhuntse-Dungkhar feeder road. The
school was started with 112 students with Mr Karma Phuntsho as the head teacher.
There were two teaching staff. The school caters to three tshokpas, namely Nimshong,
Maggar and Somshing. Everyday, some children walk nearly two hours to school.
At present, the school has 170 students with 4 regular teachers and 3 apprentice
teachers. The class ranges from PP to IV. The school has three semi-permanent
buildings including one teachers’ quarters. Other additional buildings are temporary
sheds built by the community. There are three pit latrines for temporary use. The
school has a volleyball court, but no football ground. All the buildings are surrounded by
beautiful flower gardens with varieties of flowers.
From this academic year (2004), the school has received WFP meals. All people in the
community are very happy to receive WFP supply. They helped construct a temporary
kitchen, a WFP store and a dining hall within a short time.
Vision of the school: To make the school a unique learning centre which every child
enjoys coming to.
Mission of the school: our school will be upgraded to a fully-fledged lower secondary
school with all types of facilities and a conducive teaching-learning atmosphere to
enhance the moulding of patriotic, loyal and faithful citizens.
Motto of the school: Punctuality
Tshochen Community Primary School
Tshochen Community Primary School stands in the middle of Tsenkhar village. It is 4-5
hours uphill walk from the nearest road head at Phawan. The school was established in
April 1999. At the time, a single teacher ran the school without even stationery like
paper.
For the people of Tshenkhar, the visit of Dasho Dzongda Sherab Gyeltshen (present
Thimphu Dzongda) to Jaray gewog via Zangkhar in 1994 was a blessing. On the way, he
saw a village opposite Jarey, perched on a cliff and nestled in a thick forest. Dasho
immediately ordered DEO Tsheringla that a community school be established in the
village the following year. The following year, Dasho was on a pilgrimage to Phunyingla.
On his return journey, he dropped in Tsenkhar village. There, the people pleaded with
him to set up a school in their village. They found a willing ear in Dasho. On being asked
whether they could build a school without the Dzongkhag’s help, the people all replied in
the affirmative. Immediately, the community started the construction works and built an
academic building with two teachers’ quarters. On completion of the construction, the
gup of Tsenkhar gewog informed the DEO and the latter sent Mr Nima Lama as the first
teacher incharge of the school.
Mr Nima Lama ran the school with the help of temporary teachers till July 1991. When
I, Laxuman Gurung, joined the school on 23 August, he was alone. He managed to run
the school single-handedly even without a ZLT till 2002. We are lucky enough to have
such a school where students speak a mother tongue that is similar to Dzongkha.
In the initial years of its establishment, the school was inundated with a large number of
students who sought admission. The preference was given to bigger ones. But they soon
dropped out of school and became farmers. When the school became a fully-fledged
community school in 2003 there were only 15 students studying in class VI. The first
batch of students from this school is studying in Phuyum Middle Secondary School,
Lhuentse.
With a good engine (public of Tsenkhar village) and a good driver (head teacher), the
journey of the school towards development was smooth. In the first year, the school
could build a small play field and beautify the campus. In 1998, one unit of teachers’
quarters was built. In 1999, three units of classrooms were built. In 2000, the
community built a long dining hall with the hope that one day the school would get WFP
facilities. But later, it was turned into classrooms. All these were built by the community
without help from the government.
Although there was little financial help from the government, the people of the
community again built two units of teachers’ quarters in 2003. The Dzongkhag supplied
us barbed wire to replace the bamboo fence (churma) during winter vacation, 2003.
Community’s vision for the school is to upgrade it to a lower secondary school. The
school has been known as the best community school in Dzongkhag since 1999. The
school has won Dzongkhag Inter-Primary School Volleyball trophy for last two years and
came first in Dzongkhag cultural competition in the year 1999. The school has good
community contribution system. The problem that is facing the school at present is the
shortage of teachers. Till now the school has only three regular teachers. Every year the
school has to wait for apprentice teachers to start academic session.
Zham Community School
Zham Community School was built in 2001 by the people of Zham, Chengling, and
Aumdang villages. The materials were supplied by Education Department.
Since other schools are far from villages like Zham, Chengling and Aumdang, Zham
Community School is a very important school for them. It is only through this school
that the children of these villages see their way to higher studies. The scene of children
going to school has kindled hope in striving parents.
The school was formally started in 2002 with 29 children in PP class. The present head
teacher was the only teacher running the school of one section. In 2003, the school had
two sections with 12 children in class PP and 26 children promoted to class I. This year,
there are 15 children in class I and 26 children in class II. We could not admit a new
batch of class PP this year because all the children in the communities are underage. In
2003, the school received one apprentice teacher who shared the burden of the present
head teacher to a large extent. So far, this school has not received any regular teachers.
We are, therefore, trying to get one.
Ever since the start of the school, the present head teacher has done his best to keep the
school functioning well. The children too have played a major role to help develop the
school administration and rules. Most of the time, students have done much of their
part to bring parents/families closer to education policies. The children have always
proved to be the bridge between the government and the families in spreading education
policies and health related information.
Over the past two years, the school has seen an increasing number of parents who are
willing to send their children to school. The children have also encouraged their parents
to maintain good health and sanitation.
Origin of the name Zham
The origin of the name has two versions. Zham in Kurtoep dialect means cheat. The first
version of the name has it that the forefathers of the village folk used to gather on an
auspicious day to share with each other their precious assets. It was on that day that
they hoodwinked the people of other villages into giving their assets to them. Therefore,
the name Zham.
But some people say that the name originated from the physical feature of the village.
When viewed from Minjey and Tangmachu, the hillock on which the village is located
resembles a hat. Therefore, the village was known as Zham.
The school's physical feature
Zham Community School is located on the top of a hill at an altitude of 2224 m above
sea level overlooking villages like Minjey, Wambur, Sumpa, Tangmachu, Zhamling (on
the way to Dungkar) and Chengling. It is a good vantage point. It also provides an ideal
place for the pursuit of knowledge.
The school can be seen from many villages as a spectacular white speck on the top of
the hill against the background of evergreen broad leaved vegetation. The climate is
moderate round the year. It is normally breezy during the day and cool in the evening.
The place also receives timely monsoon and abundant sunshine allowing crops and
fruits to ripe well.
School Infrastructure
Zham Community School has two buildings: an academic building and a staff quarters.
The buildings are built in modern style with high ceiling and glass window planes. The
buildings are lighted by solar panels.
The school also has a playground and an agriculture plot. Still, the school lacks many
facilities because of transportation problems.
Progress
Academic Progress
Teaching in a remote place like Zham has always proved very difficult. First, children are
unexposed and parents illiterate. There is no one to guide them at home. Secondly, the
children are engaged in helping the parents in field works, tending cattle, fetching
firewood and water before or after school hours. Thirdly, the children have to walk a long
distance to school, braving heavy rains, swollen streams, muddy paths and scorching
sun. Even then, a considerable progress has been made through the effort and
commitment we have put in. Recent EESP has confirmed that Zham School had made
better progress than other schools of the same status in the academic field.
Educational Programmes
The school has made considerable progress in co-curricular and extra-curricular
activities. After school hours, the children are engaged in practising games and
conducting many competitions between the houses. The children have now emerged
much better in the field of games and sports.
The school also stages cultural shows like traditional songs including Tsangmo. The
children tell tales to the villagers. However, the children seem to prefer games and sports
to cultural activities. But the school never compromises our culture by being one-sided
in its activities.
Agriculture and Forestry
Zham has fertile land. The village receives timely and adequate monsoon and sunlight.
Therefore, despite its small agriculture land, the school has been highly successful in its
agriculture work. Last year, a handful of our children planted potatoes and chillies and
fetched a substantial amount for the school.
Besides, between last year and this year, the school has planted about 400 saplings.
About 50 of them withered away, but the rest are growing well.
Zhamling Community School
Location:
Status:
Year of establishment:
Teaching Staff:
Total student strength:
Class :
Zhamling, Lhuntse
Community School
1991
4 (3 apprentice teachers)
38 (14 boys and 24 girls)
PP to III
Zhamling Community School was established with 57 students by Mr Kencho Tshering
(temporary teacher) who was later joined by Mr M.P. Gurung as the teacher incharge.
The school was established to benefit the children of Shawa, Thrima and Zhamling. It is
located in the middle of a forest. It is about an hour’s walk from the villages. The school
never had more than one regular teacher though temporary or apprentice teachers have
joined the school from time to time.
In 1997, Mr M.P. Gurung was transferred. He was replaced by Mr Bago Tshering as the
head teacher of the school. At present, the school has 38 children from class PP-III with
Mr Dawa Penjor as the teacher incharge and three apprentice teachers. The school has a
very good multigrade system. The school has two latrines, two temporary staff quarters,
one academic block, three water taps and a small playground.
This year, the community of Zhamling and Khouchung has discussed with the gewog
the relocation of the school to Zhamling proper. The people of the gewog agreed to the
plan. The construction works are to begin after the monsoon ends. The relocation of the
school will benefit the children. They will no longer have to walk long distances. They
will no longer have to eat cold lunch. The school will be able to include class VI. The
school would be electrified. As the Dungkar feeder road is under construction, the school
would also have access to road. Thus, the children would be better exposed.
MONGAR DZONGKHAG
Gyelpozhing Higher Secondary School
Gyelpozhing Higher Secondary School is located 4 km away from Kurizam, which is
about 23 km from Monggar town.
The construction of the school was funded by the World Bank. The then Monggar
Dzongda, Dasho Lhakpa Dorji, was one of the main persons who initiated the
establishment of this school.
With the completion of the construction, the school started functioning from March 1997
as a junior high school with 336 boarder students.
Mr Sonam Tshering was the first head of this school. It was quite difficult in the
beginning for the 8 teachers and the head teacher to manage the school. They took extra
pains to beautify the school campus.
The following year, the school was upgraded to a high school and took in class IX
students from the regional junior high schools. In 2000, the school acquired the
adjacent land and the construction of Science Labs, Library, Classrooms and three units
of hostels were started under the GOI project.
In 2001, the new physical infrastructure was completed and the school started Science
and Commerce streams in class XI.
In 2002, Mr Karma Tenzin took over as the principal. The school now has 785 students
of which 725 are boarders as in March 2004.
The establishment of this boarding school has greatly helped this part of the community
where the majority of the rural population is economically backward.
About 80% of the school's students are from this population of Monggar Dzongkhag. So
the proximity of a higher secondary school with boarding facilities has enabled these
students to continue their studies.
This is the only higher secondary school in the country to have classes from VII to XII
and also to accommodate the highest number of boarder students. This school strives to
be a centre of higher learning and to continue to benefit the society and the nation as a
whole. Our ultimate aim is to produce productive citizens who are loyal and dedicated to
the king, country and the people. Towards this end, the school endeavours to provide
wholesome learning through a wide range of curricula.
The school has handled its rapid growth very smoothly with dedicated faculty members.
In the last two years, the school saw many of its alumni earning scholarship in
medicine, engineering etc.
The school would like to see the students grow into successful individuals.
Monggar Higher Secondary School
Location
Monggar Higher Secondary School is located above Monggar Dzong on the hill slope of
Kadam Gonpa commanding a bird's eye view of Monggar valley. It is a little away from
the commercial centre. It has a peaceful and serene atmosphere surrounded by beautiful
natural vegetation.
Main players responsible for the institute to come into being
The key person who was responsible for the establishment of the school was Mr Babu
Tashi, the then Dzongpon of Monggar. He laid the foundation stone for this school. The
people of this dzongkhag rendered their service in the form of zhabto lemi or Goongdrang
woola. The tribute for the establishment of this school also goes to those esteemed heads
of the school who made this school a school indeed.
Heads of the school in chronological order
Sl.No
Name
Place
Designation
01. Mr Bajay
Yurung
Head teacher
02. Mr Shiv Dasan
India
Head teacher
03. Mr P B Nair
India
Head teacher
04. Father William Mackey Canada
Head teacher
05. Mr John Simson
India
Head teacher
06. Mr Shaha
India
Head teacher
07. Mr Prem Sauldani
India
First Principal
08. Mr Girijan
India
Principal
09. Mr J Lukson
India
Head teacher
10. Mr G N Nair
India
Head teacher
11. Ms Namgay Om
Monggar
Headmistress
12. Mr Tshering Tenzin
Trashigang Head teacher
13. Mr Wangchuk Rabten Trashigang Principal
14. Mr Thubten Jamtsho Trashiyangtse Principal
15. Ms Pintsho Choden Gelephu
Principal
16. Mr Norbu Gyalpo
Monggar
Principal
Ms Yangki Dem
Trashigang Principal
Tenure
1959
1963
1964
1965
1967
1968
1973
1978
1983
1984
1986
1988
1991
1995
2000
2002
Some of the outstanding educators and teachers
1. Lopon Phuntsho, the present lam of Chaskhar Gomdey.
2. Lopon Gyem Tenzin form Bumthang.
3. Lopon Jamba Chogyel, Asst Principal, Sheruntse College.
Names of the outstanding alumni and their position
1. Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji, Minister, Ministry of Housing and Human Settlement.
2. Lyonpo Jigme Singay, Minister, Ministry of Health.
3. Dasho Jigme Zangpo, Secretary, National Assembly Secretariat.
4. Dasho Pema Thinley, Secretary, Ministry of Education.
5. Dasho Wangdi Tshering, former Chief of Police.
6. Dasho Sherub Tenzin.
7. Dasho Sherub Dendup, Colonel.
8. Dasho Rinchen Tshering.
9. Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen.
10. Dasho Dorji Wangchuk.
11. Dasho Sangay Wangdi, Councillor
12. Dasho Minjur Dorji, Monggar Dzongda.
13. Dasho Lham Dorji, Paro Dzongda.
14. Dr Ritulal Sharma, MS Monggar Referral Hospital.
How the school has evolved over the years
The founding of Monggar School dates back to the year 1959. Mr Babu Tashi from
Pemagatshel, the then Dzongpon of Monggar, was a key player in the establishment of
the school. Mr Najay from Yurung, Pemagatshel, was the first headmaster. He, along
with five teachers, started the infant class of 200 students. Hindi was the medium of
instruction.
In 1963, when Mr Shiv Dasan became the first Indian head teacher , there were 300
students from infant to class IV taught by 10 members of teaching faculty. English was
introduced as the medium of instruction to replace Hindi. In 1964, the school had
classes increased to fifth standard with Mr P.B. Nair as the in-charge.
With the arrival of Father William Mackey in 1965, the school was upgraded to class X.
Two years later in 1967, Mr John Simson took over the charge as the head teacher
followed by Mr Shaha (also from India) in 1968 and the same year the headship was
taken over by Mr Prem Sauldani.
Following the introduction of class XI in 1972, the school was affiliated to the Council of
Indian School Certificate Examination and Mr Prem Sauldani became the first principal
followed by Mr Girijan as the second principal from 1973 to 1977. It was during the
tenure of Mr Girijan that the school was demoted to a junior high school, and Mr J.
Luckson succeeded him as the head teacher of the school from 1978 to 1983, followed
by Mr G.N. Nair in 1983 and he served till 1984 as the last non-Bhutanese head of the
school.
In 1984, Ms Namgay Om became the first national lady head and she served till it was
taken over by Mr Tshering Tenzin in 1986 as the last head teacher of the school.
Thereafter in 1988 the school was upgraded to a high school for the second time with
segregation of primary section. Mr Wangchuk Rabten was appointed as the first
Bhutanese principal of the school. After him, Mr Thubten Gyamtsho took over the
charge in 1991, followed by Ms Pintsho Choden in 1995, Mr Norbu Gyalpo in 2000, and
currently the school is under the leadership of Mrs. Yanki Dem who took over the post
on 25th November 2002 and in the following year, 2003, the school came to be one of the
most important landmarks of being upgraded to higher secondary school with the
initiation of class XI course for all three streams.
How the school has benefited the community, society and the nation?
This school has been one of the oldest as well as the pioneering institutes of modern
education system in Bhutan. Since its establishment the school has been serving the
communities of Monggar Dzongkhag as the main centre of schooling with students
admitted from various parts of the dzongkhag. The rapid evolution of this school from
the primary level to the present status of higher secondary school has benefited largely
the poorer section of communities under this dzongkhag to educate their children in the
same school at the minimum cost.
The school is also commended for producing substantial number of elite within this
dzongkhag. This is very evident from the fact that one finds alumni of this school spread
across the length and breadth of the country serving the Tsawasum in different
capacities.
Dramitse Lower Secondary School
Dramitse Lower Secondary School is located in the easternmost side of Monggar
Dzongkhag. It is nearer to Trashigang Dzong than Monggar Dzongkhag although it is
under Monggar Dzongkhag. It roughly takes four hours drive from Monggar and about
two and half hours from Trashigang. The school is located on a slope near the majestic
monastery called Dramitse Lhakhang.
History has it that Dramitse Monastery was founded by the great Terton Pema Lingpa’s
grand daughter Ani Choeten Zangmo, who ran away from Bumthang to escape a
proposal of marriage from a local king. She ran away to the east and reached the place
that was ideally suited for meditation and religious practice. She named the place
Dramitse, the peak where there are no enemies. The school is located very near to this
monastery, so it is named Dramitse Lower Secondary School.
The school, as the name suggests, is located on a peak of a mountain. To the east, we
could see Sherubtse College, and to the west we see the village of Chaskhar, the largest
village in the Dzongkhag. Towards the north, we see Drupchu Gonpa from where we
could see Aja Nay (a hidden land of Guru Rinpoche) and to the south we see Dangme
Chhu flowing smoothly towards Manas. The school is located at a peaceful place, which
is very ideal for serious studies.
Many of our students who have passed out from this school are now working as teachers
and health workers, and a few of them have even risen to the post of Drangpon. Some of
them are working as engineers.
The school was initially established in 1977 with 113 students and 3 teachers. It was
then a primary school. Its first batch of class V students were sent to other schools in
1983. In 1995, the school was upgraded to a junior high school and its students and
teachers strength increased quite drastically. By then there were 10 teachers and 341
students in the school. Its first batch of class VIII students have passed out in 1996 and
the pass percentage was 81%. Today, it has 475 students and 18 teachers. The results
of the class VIII common examination for the past two consecutive years has been
hundred percent pass.
Till date, eight head teachers have served the school.
All the head teachers who have served the school have tried their best to give a
meaningful shape to the school. Among them, Lam Kezang Chophel and Mr Kaka
Tshering are remembered fondly by the people and alumni of the school. They were the
teachers who were feared, loved and respected by the students as well as the public.
The school in general has helped the community around a lot. It has not only helped
give children their right to education but also helped increase the income of the people.
Initially their farm product like potatoes had to be taken down to Samdrupjongkhar for
sale, but now the school students mess buys them and saves transportation costs. The
people also see the school as a recreational centre. The school organizes games
competition, dance competition, among others, not only within the school but also with
other schools in the locality. The people like them very much. The school cultural show
is an event which all people look forward to.
In terms of infrastructure the school has improved quite a lot. In the beginning, when
the school was first established, there was only one building (which still exists) but now
we have in total about 14 buildings and many more will be coming up in the current
five-year plan. We also have a good basketball court, volleyball court and football field.
Students are given a good training in all these areas.
The school's vision is to be a model school in producing academically sound, well
disciplined and forward-looking students, and we are all trying our best for the
wholesome development of the children. We would like to be remembered as an
exemplary school for producing academically sound and well disciplined students, as
our vision statement suggests.
Kurichu Lower Secondary School
The school was established in November 1998. The school was run privately by Kurichu
Project Authority with permission from the Education Department. The location of the
school was in the Police Camp area. The Project recruited temporary teachers to run the
school at that time.
In March 1999, the Department of Education issued an office order for the formal
opening of the school vide letter No. 312)Edn-80/99/40560 dated 8/3/99, and the
school was named as Kurichu Primary School.
Mr Kuenzang Dukpa was transferred from Sarpang Junior High School to this school as
the acting head teacher. To assist him, the Dzongkhag and the Project recruited
temporary teachers.
The number of students at that time was as follows:
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Boys
22
23
6
7
2
1
62
Girls
19
20
9
7
3
3
61
Total
42
43
45
14
5
4
123
Towards the middle of the academic session, three regular teachers joined the school.
Also, Kurichu Project Authority handed over the newly constructed primary school
building (present school) to the head teacher on 19th August 1999. The infrastructure
consisted of one administrative block, one toilet and two academic blocks of three
classrooms each.
Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, paid a visit to the school, met
the teachers and students, distributed sweets to the students and presented to the
school some library books and vegetable seeds.
Number of the students in the year 2000
Class
PP
I
II
III
Boys
19
20
25
14
Girls
15
19
19
13
Total
34
39
44
27
IV
V
VI
Total
9
4
8
99
7
10
7
90
16
14
12
189
Towards the middle of the academic session when one Zhungkha Language teacher and
one general teacher joined this school, the total strength of teachers became 8.
On 19th September 2000, the school took over the head teacher’s quarters and four units
of teachers’ quarters, which had been under construction by Kurichu Project Authority.
Year 2001
This year the Dzongkhag and the Education Department upgraded the school to lower
secondary level with the starting of class VII.
The purpose of the upgrading of the school to lower secondary level was to cater to the
students of neighbouring schools of this Dzongkhag. The students from far away places
were offered boarding facilities. For the boys’ accommodation, the school used the BHU
(Basic Health Unit) building with the permission from Dasho Dzongda. All the boys of
class VII were accommodated in the BHU and for the girls the Gyelpozhing Higher
Secondary School provided accommodation. All the boarder students had their meals in
Gyelpozhing HSS.
Number of students in the year 2001
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
TOTAL
Boys
18
14
27
20
19
7
9
78
192
Girls
21
21
21
20
10
19
7
48
167
Total
39
35
48
40
29
26
16
126
356
Details of staff
Bhutanese teachers
6 males & 3 females
Non-Bhutanese teachers
1 female
Supporting Staff
2 males
In the month of October, the school started its first Volleyball Rolling Trophy
tournament. Kurichu Project Authority sponsored the tournament. A total of seven
teams took part in the tournament. The winner was Kurichu Project and the runnersup was Gyelpozhing HSS.
A two classroom block construction was completed and handed over to the school by
Kurichu Project Authority.
Year 2002
This year, the school had classes from PP to VIII. The first batch of students sat the
Bhutan Board Examinations for class VIII (LSSCE). The boarding facilities for the
students of class VIII continued as the previous year. But for class VII, boarding
facilities stopped with a request made by the school to the Dzongkhag that the school
was no more in a position to cater to students as it had no infrastructure to cope with.
Number of students in 2002
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
Total
Boys
34
20
14
29
15
21
13
15
12
173
Girls
26
20
22
22
21
15
15
20
18
179
Total
60
40
36
51
36
36
28
35
30
352
Details of staff
Bhutanese teachers
7 males & 4 females
Non-Bhutanese teachers
2 males & 1 female
Supporting Staff
2 males & 2 females
This year, 3 male teachers, 1 female teacher and 2 female support staff were added to
the school staff strength.
The approach road to the school was black-topped by Kurichu Project Authority.
School Activities
1. The school started its first fete day on 9th June.
2. On 20th July till 26th July, the school had the Annual Scouts Camp. Members of
scouts from Gyelposhing HSS, Lingmethang CPS, Monggar LSS and Monggar MSS
took part in the camp.
3. The first batch of class VIII students sat their LSSCE.
4. On December 17th, the school started its Annual School picnic.
5. Starting December 19th till December 22nd, the school conducted Kuengoa
Examination for the scouts of Gyelpozhing HSS, Monggar MSS, Monggar LSS and
Kurichu LSS.
Year 2003
Number of students
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Boys
21
30
13
19
23
16
19
Girls
24
25
27
32
20
12
18
Total
45
55
40
51
43
28
37
VII
VIII
TOTAL
14
10
165
23
16
197
37
27
362
Details of staff
Bhutanese teachers
6 males & 4 females
Non-Bhutanese teachers
2 males & 1 female
Support Staff
2 males & 2 females
School Activities:
April 12May 2June 6-
The Secretary of Education visited the school.
Teacher’s Day was celebrated.
The Education Monitoring Officers from Education visited
school to monitor the implementation of the monitoring tools.
August 7-
Two Bhutan Board of Examinations Officers visited the school to discuss
the use of the Optical Mark Reader.
Sept. 23Oct 9-10-
The school conducted its second Volleyball Knockout Tournament.
A multi-disciplinary coaching camp was held by the Bhutan Olympic
Committee at Gyelpozhing HSS. The students from this school also took
part in the coaching camp.
The inauguration of the BOC Multipurpose Hall took place.
The Minister of Education, Lyonpo Thinley Jamtsho visited the school,
talked to the students and the teachers.
His Majesty the King and Their Majesties the Queens arrived at
Gyelpozhing (KPA Guest House).
His Majesty the King visited the Project and Gyelpozhing HSS.
Scouts Youth Forum was held at Gyelpozhing HSS. The scouts of this
school also took part in the forum.
The non-Bhutanese teachers were asked to leave school for vacation early
because the flushing out of the Indian militants by our armed forces was
due to start on Dec. 15.
Oct. 11Oct.20Oct. 20Oct.21Nov. 15Dec.13-
the
Year 2004
The new constructions for additional classrooms, toilets and store started. A sixclassroom block, an aqua privy toilet for students, and a stationery store are under
construction.
A football ground near the BOC hall was completed and handed over to the school.
Number of students in the year 2004
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
Boys
19
26
31
14
15
Girls
20
22
24
21
29
Total
39
48
55
35
44
V
VI
VII
VIII
TOTAL
30
14
30
10
189
15
14
26
19
190
45
28
56
29
279
Details of staff
Bhutanese teachers
7 males & 2 females
Non-Bhutanese teachers
2 males & 1 female
Supporting Staff
3 males & 3 females
Activities
20 March6 April8 April
27 April2 May-
10 May11 May22 May26 May-
20-31 May20 August-
All staff attended the meeting held by the Auditor General at Gyelpozhing
HSS.
His Holiness the Je Khenpo arrived at Gyelpozhing.
His Holiness the Je Khenpo gave wang (blessing) to the people of
Gyelpozhing on the school ground.
The Health and Physical Education Curriculum Officer from CAPSD
visited the school.
Teachers' Day was celebrated. Students hosted lunch and organized a
khuru match between the staff and students. There was also a cultural
programme.
The school opened a non-formal education centre for the people of this
locality. A lady instructor was transferred here from another school.
The Bhutan Scouts officials from education visited the school and met
with the school scouts.
The Annual School Sports Day was celebrated.
The Scouts Commitment Ceremony was held at the BOC hall; four
schools participated in the event (Gyelpozhing HSS, Tsamang PS,
Lingmethang CPS and Kurichu LSS).
The students attended the Intra-Dzongkhag Sports Meet held in Monggar.
The Education Secretary visited the school construction site.
Monggar Lower Secondary School
The school, located a few meters to the east of Monggar Dzong, is below the MonggarTrashigang highway. It was established as a primary school in the year 1989. It was
first established in the three-storied traditional building immediately below the highway.
Earlier this place was called Maantshang. Since the place had a big stream, Rawangyey
nearby, it proved to be an appropriate place for the manufacture of traditional paper.
During the time of Dzongpon Kuenzang Wangdi, many people from different villages
came here with their raw materials to make paper that were later sent to Thimphu as
tax from the Dzongkhag. This place, then, came to be known as Shugu Luksa, meaning
'place for making paper' in local language.
After a school was established at the present Monggar High School, this place was
handed over to the school where a semi-permanent shed was put up to serve as a dining
hall.
In 1996, Thrimpon Karma built the present three-storied building which served as a
hostel for almost two decades. The place then came to be known as Hotalla as per the
local people’s pronunciation of the word hostel.
When the present Monggar Higher Secondary School was upgraded to a high school
from a junior high school in 1987, the primary section needed to be segregated.
Therefore, this three-storied building was converted into classrooms and classes PP to
IV, which were segregated from the High School in 1989, made up Monggar Primary
School with Mr Lhendup Dukpa as the head teacher. The school sat its first PSLC exam
in 1991.
This school catered to the communities of civil servants in the Dzongkhag headquarters,
the business community of the area, and all the communities within a radius of seven
kilometres since there were no other primary schools except Kilikhar Community School,
which had classes from PP to III. Since then, the number of students has increased.
With a few old buildings lying around the schools, there was a need to upgrade the
school to a junior high school in order to cater to the children of government employees
in the vicinity of the Dzongkhag headquarters and the community of Monggar Gewog.
Thus, the school was upgraded to a junior high school in 1998. The school sat its first
LSSCE (Class-VIII) in 1999 and achieved 95% pass results.
With the ever-increasing population in the area and the shortage of proper classrooms,
the present infrastructure funded by the World Bank, was started in 1999. It was taken
over by the school in 2003. The present area of the school covers 14.16 acres.
Mr Lhendup Dukpa, the first head teacher, was transferred and Ms Yeshey Choeki took
over the headship in 1992 who was later succeeded by Mr Jigme Dorji in 1995. The
present head teacher, Ms Pelden Zangmo, took over from Mr Jigme Dorji in 2001.
The school presently has classes ranging from PP to VIII with a total strength of almost
673 students.
The vision of this school is, "A learning centre to enhance morality and personality of
youths for better tomorrow through wholesome education".
Ever since the completion of the construction, this school is known for the beautiful
layout of its infrastructure and the location. The 1966 three-storied building is
renovated and turned into a Youth and Resource Centre. Two rooms in the ground floor
are used as the NFE classrooms. The first floor is a lodge, which is let out at a cheaper
rate for the benefit of the youths traveling through Monggar. The second floor is a
conference hall, which can be hired by any agency for meetings and seminars. The fund
generated through them is used to develop this centre. The Dzongkhag Education Office
helps run this centre.
Nagor Lower Secondary School
The two Kheng gewogs, Silambi and Gungdu, are in the south of the dzongkhag
headquarters. They share the boarder with the lower Kheng region of Zhemgang
Dzongkhag.
The first school for these two gewogs was established sometime in early 1960's
(approximately in 1963) at a place called Wirringla, which is equidistant from both the
gewogs. The construction was carried out by the people of these two gewogs with
provision of basic materials from the government.
Although there is no written document, the following head teachers are said to have
served the school. The list may not be in chronological order and some of the names of
the heads could not be as pronounced by the local people.
01. Mr Bajay
02. Mr K.N. Mandal
03. Mr Pundari Subedi
04. Mr C.B. Pradhan
05. Mr Ugyen Norbu
06. Mr D.C. Chhetri
07. Mr D.B. Gurung
08. Mr Ngawang Dorji
09.
Though the school was headed by experienced heads, due to remoteness of its location
and lack of awareness of the need of education among the local masses, the progress of
the school was negligible. However, as per the local people’s perception, the 8th head
teacher, Mr Ngawang Dorji, improved the school both in terms of academic achievement
of the students and physical progress of the school. He and his team of teachers gave
the local people the real concept of education. At present, there are five more community
schools within these two gewogs.
Besides a few teachers, health staff and other mid-level staff, there is no alumnus of this
school holding a special position.
During the 8th Five-Year Plan, the school was reconstructed with financial aid from
UNCDF. However, considering the number of beneficiaries, the school was located in
Nagor under Silambi Gewog.
Druk Construction Company carried out the construction works and was completed in
1998. The new academic session in 1999 began in the new premises. It was formally
inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck during her royal
visit to the gewog. Mr Ngawang Dorji was then the head teacher. He was transferred as
ADEO of Monggar Dzongkhag in 2000. Mr Pema Dorji officiated as the head teacher.
Mr Karma Kuenphen, the present head teacher, took over the school in the beginning of
2001 academic session. The school was upgraded to a lower secondary school with the
starting of class VII in the same year. The first batch of class VIII brought hundred
percent pass results in 2002. Nine of them are in class X this year (2004). Second
batch of 14 students passed out in 2003 with 100% pass results. We give the highest
priority to academic excellence and we expect to keep up the same spirit of achieving
100% pass results every year.
With the school being upgraded, most of our students could now complete class VIII
without any problem. Due to relocation of the school to Nagor, about 85 percent of
children of school-going age from the locality are now going to school. We are trying to
admit all the children of school-going age in school within next four to five years time.
The school also runs an NFE centre which benefits the local people.
The vision of the school is to be the highest learning centre for both academic and
vocational education within the gewog, equipped with basic teaching-learning facilities.
We have at present 226 students (79 girls and 147 boys as of 1st April, 2004) and 11
teachers. The school has stipend boarding facilities for classes VII-VIII. We have paid
facility. The school has gained access to computer very recently. For all that it is a
remote school, the working system in the school is now becoming very comfortable.
Instituting a Resource Centre in the school added a high amount of ingredient to this
comfort. We hope this school would grow to its zenith in future achieving our set vision
and, of course, with highest benefit to the local population.
Yadi Lower Secondary School
Yadi Lower Secondary School, under Monggar Dzongkhag, is situated just above the
Mongar-Trashigang highway. It is 40 km from the Monggar Dzongkhag headquarters,
separated by the heights of popular Korila.
The history of Yadi dates back to around 16th or 17th century. It is believed that the letter
“ya” is engraved on a stone in a place called Litongshing Wang. Hence, the name Yadi.
Nobody knows the fact as to who inscribed the letter on the stone.
The school is located on a small mound overlooking the spur that runs down to
Sherichu and to Chaskar, Shershong and Muhung. It is said that in this particular
place, a lake was formed, from where a conch was believed to have flown to Chaskar
where Dungkhar Chholing Lhakhang now stands. A conch-shaped stone still lies in the
corner of the football ground towards the north.
In the beginning of 1970, when the education was fast growing, the people’s
representatives and the gup of Chaskar gewog talked with Mr Tashi Tshering, the then
Dzongda of Monggar Dzongkhag. Yadi was found to be at the centre of the gewog. The
people agreed to build a school in Yadi. The people were assigned different tasks. The
construction of the school which began well ended up in a row among the people. The
construction had to be, therefore, suspended for two years.
Mr Ugyen Lhuendup, the then gup, took a very strong initiative to restart the
construction of the school to which all the people responded positively. They agreed to
work with cooperation, enthusiasm, and extra zeal for their children’s benefit. As a
result, the school was started in 1976 with Mr Dorjang as the first head teacher along
with two other teachers. Eighty students stayed in huts to begin their education since
there were no boarding facilities.
A few years later, the government realized the problems and provided assistance to the
school as a day school. The community constructed huts for children as hostels and
vegetables were collected from the villagers to supplement the quota.
After completing class V, the students were placed in Zhemgang, Punakha and other
schools even though transport was a great problem. Later, when MonggarSchool was
upgraded to a junior high school, the out-going students of Yadi benefited a lot. An
important milestone in the growth of Yadi School was the construction of a Micro Hydel
Power Project at Pakhadang by the technical group of students from Japan around late
nineteen eighties. Their sole aim was to provide electricity to this school. But the
electricity was also shared among villagers, keeping in mind the relationship between
the school and the community and the repair works needed for the Hydro Power Project.
It helped a lot. Later, IMTRAT played an important role in providing help to construct a
playground for the school.
When the government provided boarding facilities, many students from Kengkhar,
Uzorong and other schools were placed in Yadi School to study in class V and VI. For
nearly two and a half decades, the school continued as a primary school. It was only in
the year 2000 that the school was upgraded to a lower secondary level. Consequently,
many concrete buildings came up.
Currently, the school has 25 staff (including non-teaching staff) and 550 students
studying from classes PP-VIII.
Future Prospects
The school is going to be upgraded to middle secondary level after the completion of all
the constructions, which is going to start very soon. The primary sections will then be
segregated to the present BHU area, which will soon be handed over to the school. In
spite of the school’s location mid-way between Trashigang and Mongar, majority of the
boarding students are those who are placed here from the remote schools of different
gewogs such as Ngatshang, Chaskar, Thangrong, Drepong, Sherimuhung, Tsakaling,
Chali and also Mongar. These students are greatly benefited by the WFP assistance
without which, education for them would be difficult.
Bumpazor Primary School
Bumpazor Primary School was established in the year 1987 with classes PP-III on a hill
top where there was a small flat playground. Mr Sonam Dorji was the only temporary
school incharge. He ran the school till 1989. Bumpazor Primary School is under
Drepong Gewog in Monggar Dzongkhag.
The academic session of Bumpazor Primary School began in 1987 with a few students
from class PP in the village temple. In the early 1988, the school was shifted to a place
called Bumpazor. At the time, Mr Rinzin Namgyal was the second temporary incharge of
the school. He ran the school all by himself for one year. The first site of the school was
found unfavourable. Therefore, in 1989, the school was relocated.
The people of Drepong began to construct the present school structures from the
beginning of the year 1988. It was completed by the end of that year. The school was
inaugurated in early 1989 and the academic session began with a total enrollment of
159 children out of which 85 were boys and 74 girls. The school was run by Mr Kezang
Phuntsho, who was transferred from Monggar Junior High School as the teacher
incharge. In the year 1990, the school was up-graded to primary school level with
classes up to VI. Mr Kezang Phuntsho was accompanied by four teachers among whom,
two of them were ZLT. Mr Kezang Phuntsho ran the school for only two years. He was
succeeded by Mr D. C. Sanyasi as the head teacher in the year 1992. He served the
school till 1995. After him, Mr Karma Chogyel was the head teacher. His tenure was
from 1995 to 2000.
Mr Karma Chogyel ran the school for five years. During his tenure, Mr Kinzang Dorji
(ZLT) was the teacher who taught mask dances to the students. In 2000, Mr Karma
Chogyel handed over the school to Mr Kunzang Drukpa who later in 2001 was
transferred.
From 1988 to 1998, the academic blocks and the other infrastructure were built with
locally available materials like mud, stones and bamboo. Later in the year 1998, new
concrete academic blocks were constructed on contract. Presently, the school has three
blocks. Two blocks have two units each and the other has three units. The school also
has a big multipurpose hall constructed with public contribution.
Teachers’ quarters are not repaired since their construction. The floor planks and other
parts are in bad condition. The playground was not spacious till 1998. After the
construction of the new academic blocks in 1998, the ground became a bit spacious and
the campus was developed yearly by planting ornamental trees. At present, the ground
is covered by green grass and flower gardens with a variety of flowers.
After the construction of more academic blocks, the school is able to enroll more
students. Children of class 4-6 are retained in the same school since the up-gradation of
the school. As a result of up-gradation of the school, the financial burden on parents is
reduced.
Besides, the establishment of the school has reinforced the parents' awareness of the
importance of education for their children. The children are now able to convey
messages regarding hygiene, farming, values etc. to their parents. The children have also
developed a sense of love and care for the Tsa-wa-sum.
The vision of the school is to provide a conducive teaching-learning atmosphere to forge
productive citizens and to upgrade the school up to class VIII.
One of the distinctive features of the school is that its previous site looks like a Bumpa
(vase). After the establishment of the school at the previous site, the school was named
as Bumpazor Primary School. Bumpazor means the ridge that resembles a vase.
Chaskhar Primary School
According to local people, long ago, in a place called Bumpazor, which is near the
school, iron was extracted. Iron is still available there. This place was, therefore, known
as Chaskhar, meaning iron producing area in local dialect.
Chaskhar Primary School is located 14 km from Monggar-Trashigang highway. At
present, there are 334 students: 181 boys and 15 girls, and 10 teachers including 2
apprentice teachers. Two cooks are employed to prepare lunch for the students, but
there are no boarding facilities. But, the school enjoys every other facility including
electricity, clean drinking water, feeder road, a small library and so forth. A Basic Health
Unit is also near the school.
Games like archery, football, volleyball, dego and badminton are played in the school.
Cultural club, literary club, games club, nature club, maintenance club and health
clubs are some of the clubs which carries out regular activities in the school.
The school compound covers an area of 19.34 acres. The school has saplings and trees
planted around the campus and it is really a beautiful place. It has a good atmosphere
for studies and any other educational programmes.
Chaskhar Primary School was established in the year 1988 as a community school. The
UNICEF Project brought the school into present condition with a multipurpose hall, 8
units of classrooms, one administration block and 20 units of toilets. Moreover, 4 units
of classrooms were constructed by the Dzongkhag Administration, Monggar. A good
head teacher's quarters was also constructed by the UNICEF Project in the same year.
There are 4 units of teachers quarters- 2 single and 1 double-storey. The two acres of
agricultural land with proper fence was contributed to the school by the community.
The first head teacher of the school was Mr Jampel Dorji, followed by Mr Tenzin Dorji,
Mr D. K. Pradhan, Mr Lobzang Dorji, Ms Ugyen Tshomo, Mr Lungten Jamtsho, and the
present head, Mr Tshering Samdrup, who joined the school in 1999.
Even though the school came into existence only in 1988, there are many outstanding
former students by now, who are doing extremely well. Some students became teachers,
while others became health workers, agriculturists, NFE instructors. Some of them are
still in college and high schools while others are doing their professional courses abroad.
Ever since the school was built, there have been a lot of development in the community,
says Chaskhar gup. Yearly, the number of students seeking new admission keeps on
increasing. There is a sign of development, physically and mentally, in the people of the
community. This encourages teachers and students to do the best in bringing up the
future citizens of the nation in the best possible way.
The school, in a way, helps develop the nation by nurturing the children and the
community.
The main vision of the school is "to be a learning centre in the gewog whereby the
students and the local community can learn to be better citizens of tomorrow". Every
student and teacher is working hard hand in hand to achieve this vision of Chaskhar
Primary School. This school has helped the community a lot and it promises that it will
try to become a renowned school in the future.
Kengkhar Primary School
The founding of Kengkhar Primary School dates back to the year 1963 A.D and the
credit goes to Mr Tashi Penjore, the then Gup of Kengkhar and Jurmey Gewog. The
school was initially started in a three-storey building called Naktshang, which in the
past served as the office of Kengkhar Dungpa. The school is located in one of the farflung areas of the Dzongkhag. It is officially three days walk from the Dzongkhag
headquarters.
After its inception in 1963, the school has played a vital role in giving education to the
children of Kengkhar and Jurmey gewog (before segregation). Till early 1970's, the
children from Jurmey had to travel all the way to Kengkhar and put themselves up in
bamboo huts. As the time passed by, the community realized the need and importance
of proper facilities for their children to give better education. As a result, in the late
1970's, the community of Kengkhar and Jurmey constructed the present academic
buildings, girls’ hostel, teachers’ quarters and re-roofed the Nagtshang (the present boys’
hostel) with a little help from the government. After the completion of constructions, the
school was shifted to the present site in 1978.
The visions of this school are:
(I) To produce loyal, dedicated and productive citizens of Bhutan.
(ii) To be the community learning centre.
Mission
To provide effective wholesome education through the provision of quality education.
At present, the school caters wholesome education to the local community covering
about 380 households under Kengkhar gewog. It has a total strength of 212 students:
113 boys and 99 girls in classes ranging from PP-VI, and six trained Bhutanese
teachers. The school has a zorig chusum instructor who teaches students traditional
arts and crafts like wood carving, painting and embroidery. In addition to all these, the
school conducts NFE classes. The school also provides WFP boarding facilities to a total
of 88 students: 45 boys and 43 girls.
Perhaps our school is one of the few schools in the kingdom that provides opportunity
for students to learn skills in traditional arts. Our students learn four major zorig
namely, wood carving, painting, embroidery and weaving. The credit for introduction of
such a programme goes to our former Minister Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup and the present
ADEO of Chukha Dzongkhag, Mr Ugyen Dorji, who was once the head teacher of this
school. The staff, students and the people of Kengkhar vividly remember their noble
deed and contribution.
During the recent visit of Hon’ble Dasho Dzongda and his team of officials from Monggar
Dzongkhag, Hon’ble Dasho introduced a fund raising system (student support service) in
order to help poor families send their children to school. In order to make the system
sustainable, the school has formed a working committee as below.
1. Chair person- Gup
2. Secretary- Head Teacher
3. Members- A teacher and an SMB member
Further, the school staff contribute Nu. 50.00 monthly to sustain the programme.
The school will be upgraded to lower secondary level within the 9th five-year plan. The
staff and the community are eagerly looking forward to better the school systematically
on a par with other schools in the kingdom.
We the staff, students and the community of Kengkhar gewog are trying our best to
make the school become an excellent "community learning centre" and fulfill the wishes,
aspirations, and dreams of our ministry and the country as the school is the only
institute which moulds people.
Head teachers in chronological order
Sl.No.
Name
Nationality
1.
Mr Gogotal Chandra Gupta
Sharma
Mr Neten Dorji
Mr Dorjang
Mr Lungten Jamtsho
Mr Punari Subedi Sharma
Mr Tshering Drukpa
Mr Ugyen Dorji
Mr Rinchen Wangdi
Mr Ugyen Tshering
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Indian
Year
From
1963
To
1971
Bhutanese
- do - do - do - do - do - do - do -
1972
1981
1986
1988
1991
1996
1999
2003
1980
1985
1987
1990
1995
1998
2002
-
Some outstanding alumni of the school
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
Name
Dr Penjor
Dr Tenzin
Dr Rigzin Jamtsho
Current Post
Doctor
Veterinary Doctor
Doctor
4.
Mr Dorji Tshewang
Programme Officer
Place
JDWNRH, Thimphu
Lhuntse Dzongkhag
JDWNRH hospital,
Thimphu
Ministry of Health,
Thimphu.
5.
6.
Mr Pema Wangchuk
Mr Dorji Wangchuk
DHSO
DLO
Paro Dzongkhag
Monggar
Dzongkhag.
Kilikhar Primary School (upgraded to LSS, 2006)
In olden times, the village was called Kidhekhar which literary means the village of peace
and comfort. Later on, the people mispronounced it as Kilikhar which is widely used
today.
We would like to revive the old name Kidhekhar which is more meaningful.
Kilikhar School
This school was first started as a Child Care Centre and Weaving Centre which enrolled
children of two years and older. The Centre was established with the fund from UNICEF.
Food was provided at the centre. It was run by temporary teachers. It was located above
Monggar-Trashigang highway. It was called Creche. This Centre closed down in the year
1986-87. The reason for its closure was not known to the people.
In 1998, the centre was reopened as an ECR (Extended Classroom). Even at that time, it
was run by temporary teachers. In 1991, it was renamed Kilikhar Community School.
In 1993, the school was shifted to the present site. At present, Kilikhar Primary School
lies on Trashigang-Monggar highway. It is located just below the road at the distance of
4 km from Monggar Dzong. There are 272 students with 10 teachers (2004).
List of head teachers and incharges who have served in this school
Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Year
1982-1985
1987
1988
1989
1991
1992-1994
1995-1996
1997-2000
2001-2002
2003
Name
Ms Dechen Choden
Mr Naiten Wangchuk
Mr Sonam Dorji
Mr C. K. Rai
Ms Ugyen Tshomo
Ms Yeshi Choki
Mr Karma Kuenphen
Mr Charan Rai
Mr Tshewang Lhendup
Tenure
Temporary teacher
Closed
Temporary teacher
- do -
Kilikhar Primary School caters to the people of 5 villages: Kilikhar, Wengkhar, Jaibab,
Yakpogang and Tongsang.
Visions
In the next few years, the school would be upgraded to a lower secondary school. The
construction of the school would be started very soon under the financial assistance
from World Bank. In the future, it might even upgrade itself to secondary level with more
number of schools being established in the vicinity. Then, it could admit students from
Zunglen, Bumpazore, Konbar and Jaibab schools.
Distinctive Features of the School
A distinctive feature of this school is that it is beautifully located in the woods. It is very
quiet and cool creating conducive learning environment. The whole school campus is
green all the time.
Thangrong Primary School
Thangrong Primary School is located in the village Pamplem, under Thangrong Gewog in
Monggar Dzongkhag. It was established on May 12, 1991. Former Monggar Dzongda,
Dasho Lhakpa Dorji, initiated the opening of the school. in order to provide free
education to the children of remote communities.
In the beginning, it was started as a community primary school in the temporary sheds
constructed by the community people and later in 1993 it was upgraded to a fullyfledged primary school. A year later, the school was shifted to the permanent concrete
buildings constructed with UNICEF funding.
Names of head teachers of the school in chronological order
Name
Tenure
Mr Charan Kr. Rai
Mr Lobzang Dorji
Mr Gyelpo Sherpa
1991-1994
1995-1995
1996-1997
Mr Choki Gyeltshen
1998-
Mr Suren Pradhan
2003…
2002
The first head teacher planted some ornamental plants like cypress, melia and walnut.
Fruit tree like peach, pomegranate, mango and guava were also planted. The third and
the fourth head teachers planted some additional fruit trees and cypress within the
school campus. Stone wall was built around the school campus by them. Pavement of
footpath was also repaired by them.
The present head teacher, who joined the school last year, has planted more fruit trees
including bananas, jackfruit and crab-apples around the campus. Most of them are
peach and orange trees. He has also made flower gardens around the office. More
footpaths were paved with stone. Canopy, rain water harvest, orchid plantation,
mushroom cultivation, weather station, a mini botanical garden, new assembly ground,
school agriculture plot, teachers' kitchens, additional garbage disposal pits, renovation
of school, three pit and two aqua privy latrines have all come up after he took over the
office.
This is the only school for the community to admit their children. The first batch of class
VI students passed out in 1998 with the pass percentage of 100%. Some of them are
studying in higher secondary schools at present. So far the school has brought the same
colourful results.
An NFE centre was opened in the school in 1999 to dispel the darkness of ignorance in
adults and a few school dropouts.
The year-wise students and teaching staff strength
Year
Students
Teaching staff
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
110 (PP)
124 (PP-I)
215 (PP-II)
194 (PP-III)
183 (PP-IV)
222 (PP-V)
230 (PP-VI)
236 (PP-VI)
267 (PP-VI)
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
229 (PP-VI)
202 (PP-VI)
189 (PP-VI)
176 (PP-VI)
194 (PP-VI)
1, excluding a temporary teacher
2
4, including a teacher on contract
4
4
4
5
4, excluding a temporary teacher
3, excluding temporary and app
apprentice teachers
4, excluding apprentice teacher
4
- do 4
- do 5
- do 6
- do –
Vision
To explore the potential of the students through structured programmes and by creating
an atmosphere in which they feel supported by all members of the school and the
community.
Mission
To provide wholesome education by catering to the needs of the society.
School Motto
Sharing, learning, caring and loving.
Long-term goals









To inculcate in students the quality of tolerance, sensitivity, responsibility.
To create a sense of pride in personal and school achievements which will
encourage all students to work towards the realization of their potential
To provide a child-centred curriculum which emphasizes problem-solving
approach.
To work hand in hand with parents to ensure that the children receive the best
possible opportunity.
To listen to parents and to keep them informed of their children’s progress to
help them take necessary actions.
To ensure that children develop the necessary skills to access information
through the library and through other sources.
To continually increase the quality and quantity of resources available in the
school.
To ensure that the school maintains a high profile in the local community and
builds reputation for nurturing educational excellence.
To systematically evaluate, develop, implement and monitor all areas of the
school to ensure change and progress are continually occurring and are effective.

To provide opportunities for the professional development of teachers and
supporting staff.
Tsakaling Primary School
Tsakaling Primary School is located between Tormazhong and Tsakaling villages. It is
precariously perched on a wind-swept cliff overlooking the lower part of Tormazhong
village. For an average walker, it is a few hours uphill walk from Palangphu, the nearest
roadpoint. As is the case with most of the schools in remoter parts of our country, the
location of Tsakaling Primary School was less wisely chosen. Little spaces were cut out
from steep slopes to build a few structures. There was no space at all for playfield. The
small playfield of the school has been made little by little over many long years by
cutting the steep slope. It serves other purposes quite well, but when it comes to
football, the ground is a real nuisance. Once the ball is out of the ground, it would either
be lost or a search party would take a long time to fish it out from the thicket.
Tsakaling Primary School was established in 1982 by the erstwhile Education
Department in collaboration with the people of Tsakaling Gewog. While the government
provided all locally unavailable building materials, the people made free labour
contribution. The then gup of the gewog, Mr Jigme and Chimi, Mr Nado, played a vital
role in the establishment of this school. The school was inaugurated by late Dasho
Dzongda Tashi Tshering. He was also the main player in the establishment of the school.
The main single-storey academic building is U-shaped and it is located right on the cliff
opposite Tsamang. It houses, besides classrooms, head teacher's office, staffroom, and
library. The dining hall, staff quarters, and hostels are above the academic building.
In 1982, Mr Ugyen Drukpa from Chaskhar, Monggar, took over the charge of the school
as the first head teacher with four teachers and 200 students. He is currently serving in
Chaskhar Primary School under the same Dzongkhag. Mr Ugyen Drukpa was popularly
known to the people as Chaskhar Lopon because of the fact that he is from Chaskhar.
He was dedicated and hard working. In 1989, Mr M B Bishwa took over the charge of the
school as the second head teacher. He was a simple teacher. He served the school for
two years till 1991. Mr Tshering Dendup and Mr Sangay Wangdi took over as the third
and the fourth head teachers respectively. Mr Sangay Wangdi's tenure lasted till 1993.
From 1994 to 2000 academic session, for seven years, Mr D C Chhetri was the head
teacher of the school. Now, the school is under the leadership of Mr Tsheten Tshering
who took over as the sixth head teacher in March 13, 2001.
As per our knowledge, the following are some of the successful alumni of the school.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mr Sonam, DGM, Phuntsholing.
Mr Needrup Zangpo, Researcher, CERD, Paro.
Mr Tshering Dorji, Engineer, Lhuntse.
Mr Pema Tshering, Teacher, Bajo Higher Secondary School.
Kinzang Dorji, Teacher, Tsimalakha Higher Secondary School.
Besides them, there are many other successful alumni of this school whose names and
whereabouts we do not know.
The establishment of this school not only benefited the people of Tsakaling Gewog, but
also those of Chali and Ganglapong. Previously, Tsakaling Gewog included four villages
of Tsakaling, Tormazhong. Takhambi, and Chali. Now Chali is a separate gewog.
Takhambi and Chali are many hours walk from the school. So, children from these
villages have to put up as borders or in makeshift huts built around the school campus.
The children of the school have been fortunate enough to have received the WFP
facilities since the establishment of the school. Today, a number of children who
received their primary education in this school are serving the nation in different
capacities.
In more than two decades of its existence, Tsakaling Primary School has gone through
many a difficult situation. Many a time, the roofs of the school buildings have been
blown off by strong winds. For many a long year, children had to eat and pray in the
dripping dining hall. It is only recently that the school buildings have been properly
roofed and renovated. There were talks of the relocation of the school to a better site.
But, it seems, the plans fell through for some reasons.
Currently, the school has 219 students making up classes PP-VI with six teachers
including the head teacher. The school has developed its own policy in line with the
education policy to guide and run the school smoothly. Besides academic activities, the
school conducts different kinds of co-curricular activities amongst the four houses. With
the effort made by the teachers and students, the school now has a poultry farm with 24
chickens to provide basic nutrients to the children. The school also does vegetable
gardening every Saturday to help the children learn farming.
In order to help our children develop reading habit, the school has kept aside one period
in a week as the library period.
Teachers conduct remedial classes for 45 minutes to one hour for the weaker students.
To provide wholesome education, we have formed different clubs such as, Art Club,
Nature Club, Cultural Club, Beautification Club and Health Club. The club activities
are carried out on every Wednesday afternoon with proper plans by the incharges
without affecting normal classes.
The vision of the school is "to raise the academic performance of students and to better
pastoral care so that the students will grow to be responsible and productive citizens".
The above will be achieved through continuous improvement in all the areas of the
education system to meet the expectations of the learners, the community, parents and
the Royal Government. We will pursue efficiency through continuous improvement,
dedication and commitment to realize the mission.
Tsamang Primary School
Tsamang Primary School is located in Manjarbee in Tsamang village under Tsamang
Gewog in Monggar Dzongkhag. The school is beautifully surrounded by thick pine forest
that falls under Thrumshingla National Park. The area of 8.10 acres of land belonging to
school is partially covered by forest and the remaining land is usefully used for various
purposes.
The school lies totally isolated from Tsamang village which makes it a suitable place for
learning. One of two BHU's in the gewog is very close to the school. The school has WFP
and solar light facilities. Except for a few, most of the students are boarders. Being the
only primary school in the gewog with WFP facilities, the school receives students from
Banjar Community Primary School, Thridangbi (Saling Gewog), Children of National
Work Force stationed in Namling and local children from scattered village of Tsamang
and Drangmaling. Earlier, the school received students from Ganglapong Community
School too.
Establishment
The construction of the school started in 1976 under the supervision of Tsamang Gup,
late Zangla. Besides Tsamangpas, the construction involved people from Sengor, Saling,
Resa and even Kheng. Except for CGI sheets, other materials were made available
locally. In less than a year's time, the construction was completed and in the following
year in 1977, the school was formally opened with 61 students headed by Mr S. B.
Pradhan with 3 teachers. One of the teachers was from Indian.
The boarding and WFP facilities started in the year 1980. In the same year, under the
supervision of Ap Zhag Ngyer, the dining hall was constructed in three months' time.
The school was then formally inaugurated by Dasho Dzongda Tashi Tshering.
The school and facilities
Like most of the old primary schools, the academic building is U-shaped. It has eight
rooms- seven rooms for seven sections (classes PP-VI) and a staff room. The head
teacher’s office and the library room are housed in the structure that stands beside the
main building. Another important large building houses the boys’ hostel, WFP store and
the dining hall-cum-prayer hall. The school kitchen is just beside this large building.
The hostel for the girls is below the head teacher’s quarters. The small huts, which are
residential quarters for the staff, can be seen nearby the school compound. Except for
the staff quarters, all the buildings are made of stone and mud plaster with traditional
Bhutanese architecture.
This year (2004), a renovation was done in which two new students’ toilets were built,
drains around the buildings cemented, and a wall at a side of the academic building was
repaired.
Since a long time ago, the school is provided with good drinking water which is supplied
from two different sources connected to a pipe quite far away. The school also has more
than 20 orange trees which were planted by Mr S. B. Pradhan, the first head teacher of
the school.
The following table shows the year-wise level of classes
Year
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982-1985
186-1987
1988
1989
1990
1991…
Class Level
UKG
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
III
IV
V
VI
Additional structures
Along with the construction of the head teacher’s quarters and the office building, the
extension of the academic building was done in 1983. The girls hostel was shifted to the
teachers’ quarters and the old girls hostel was used as WFP stores. The playground
was made in 1987 and extension done later. In 1997, one unit of teachers’ quarters was
built. And in 1999, two units with three blocks were built by the public. In 2002, a
stage for cultural show was erected by the people of Tsamang and Drangmaling.
Co-curricular activities
Besides many existing activities, some more were introduced for the wholesome
development of children. In the year 2000, clubs like Nature Club, Social Club,
Maintenance Club, Health Club, and Home Science Club were introduced in the school.
In the year 2001, the captains management board (CMB) was instituted. This is the
management body run totally by all captains. Girls football competitions and scouts club
were introduced in 2002. Gardening (both flower and vegetable) day and cultural day
were introduced in 2004. These activities are done after the evening prayer. The cultural
day is introduced to make students learn and preserve traditional songs and dances.
Recent changes
From the year 2004, the scholarship scheme targeted to financially disadvantaged
children was initiated by Thrumshingla National Park with their fund. Three children
were selected this year and the scheme will continue as per the plan. Besides that, a
farm road to Tsamang village will very soon pass through the school compound as it is
already inaugurated by the Agriculture Minister.
List of head teachers and their tenure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
S. B. Pradhan
J. N. Sharma
Tenzin Jamtsho
Pema Dorji
Rinchen Phuntsho
1977-1980
1981-1991
1992-1993
1994-1999
2000…
Zunglen Primary School
Zunglen Primary School is located in Zunglen village under Depong Gewog in Monggar.
The school is situated on a flat land which lies between the village and a forest, where
there are a few small lakes. A small stream from one of the lakes flows right through the
school campus. The school has an area of 7.30 acres registered under the thram
number1343. The school is one day’s walk from the nearest road point. The school is at
an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. The climate of the place is moderately hot in
summer and cold in winter. During the monsoon season, the area is foggy with frequent
heavy rains.
The school was established in 1988 in two semi-permanent buildings with an enrolment
of only 40 students: 25 boys and 15 girls. Mr Dorji Thinley was the first head teacher.
The school has three main semi-permanent buildings with three units each. One of the
buildings was constructed by parents this year as an extended classroom-cum-library
room. The renovation of school dining hall and kitchen were also done this year. There is
no separate administrative block. There are four units of staff quarters, but they require
extensive renovation.
At present, we have 90 students with 47 boys and 43 girls. We have one section each of
classes PP-V. Only 2 teachers and one cook make up the staff of the school. The school
receives WFP supply and provides one meal a day to the students. The school has no
boarding facilities. The school has approximately 0.33 acre of vegetable garden. We have
a football ground and a volleyball court. The school campus is naturally green.
The school has a catchment area of 88 households. Although there are a large number
of children in the villages, some parents do not admit them in the school as it is very far.
Some students walk 2 ½ hours each day to school.
Our school conducts different co-curricular activities like literary programmes, games,
sports and cultural activities to provide opportunity to every child.
The school’s vision is to upgrade itself to lower secondary level in the near future with all
types of facilities. It aspires to create a conducive atmosphere for wholesome education.
Our goals and objectives are to increase student enrolment through motivating the
public and to reduce dropout rate.
The name of the head teachers in chronological order and year-wise enrolment are as
follows.
Sl.
No.
1.
Name
Year
Classes
Boys
Girls
Total
Teachers
Mr Dorji Thinley
- do -
1988
1989
PP
PP-I
25
36
15
20
40
56
1
1
2.
3.
4.
Mr S. K. Lama
Mr Lungten Jamtsho
Mr Pema Dorji
- do Mr Tenzin Jamtsho
- do Mr R. B. Tamang
Mr M.B. Rai
- do Mr Kinzang Dorji
- do –
- do –
- do –
- do - do -
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
PP-II
PP-III
PP-IV
PP-V
PP-III
PP-IV
PP-II
PP-III
PP-III
PP-IV
PP-V
PP-V
PP-V
PP-V
PP-V
48
61
60
70
50
52
42
43
39
59
64
51
37
46
47
29
30
23
21
17
21
18
22
24
41
48
39
28
40
43
77
91
83
91
67
73
60
65
63
100
112
90
65
86
90
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
2
2
5.
6.
7.
8.
The school is running with an acute shortage of teachers. Therefore, we cannot impart
quality education to every individual as per our school policy and plans.
Baging Community Primary School
Baging Community School is located on the ridge which is famously known as Bagingla
(the pass where a mithun refused to walk).
Once there lived a very powerful chieftain popularly known as Baging Gyap Dolla. He
brought a mithun from Shar (Arunachal Pradesh) in India. When he reached what is
today called Bagingla, the mithun refused to move further. The place was, therefore,
named Bagingla.
During his time, there was a chieftain in Bumthang called Sendha Gyap, who built a
nine-storey iron castle called Chhakhar Gomed (the iron castle without door). When
Baging Gyap heard this news, he felt jealous. He immediately constructed his castle with
stones as the only construction material. Later on, he got his name Dolla (stone). The
ruins of his castle can still be found.
Baging school was constructed by the people of this area in the year 1996. The
construction was initiated by Dasho Dzongda Lhakpa Dorji, the then Monggar Dzongda.
The school was opened by late Mr Tshering Gyaltshen and Mr Sonam Wangchuk, the
present chimi of Dremetse Gewog. They were directly selected from village to solve
teacher shortage problems. They were both literate in English and Dzongkha. There
were 63 students enrolled for the first time.
In the year 1997, Mr Sangay Dorji joined as the first regular teacher of the school. Later
in 1999, Mr Leki Dorji took over the school as the teacher in-charge till 2001. In 1992,
there were classes from pre-primary to V. The school could not upgrade classes to VI
due to teacher shortage. The first batch of class V students was sent to Dremetse LSS.
In 2003, the school conducted PSLC Examination for the first time.
At present, there are 114 students and 5 regular teachers. The school conducts NFE
classes.
Vision
To be a model community school.
Mission
The school strives to provide wholesome education as desired by the curriculum and
make students who can easily cope with other schools.
The major achievements and events of the school are- after its upgrading to class VI, the
school has achieved hundred percent pass results in the PSLC examination. As our
school falls under Dremetse cluster, we conduct a lot of competitions such as intercluster football competitions for boys and girls, cultural competitions, throwball and
volleyball competitions and khuru competitions. Among those competitions, our school
bagged a lot of awards so far. The most remarkable achievement of our school is winning
the Inter-school cultural competition conducted by the Dzongkhag for 41 schools in the
Dzongkhag.
In the year 2004, when the eastern dzongkhags were hit by flash floods and lives were
lost, the school had an opportunity to receive many important dignitaries, and most
importantly His Royal Highness Choetse Penlop. During his visit to the school, His Royal
Highness commanded that the school should give priority to the learning of English and
that it should prioritize the enrolment of girls in the school. The school was also told to
send to his office the monthly progress of the girl students.
The above achievements and events shall remain in the history of this school as historic
events and achievements of the school throughout the life of this school.
Balam Community Primary School
Balam Community Primary School is located on a steep slope. It is surrounded by rocky
cliffs on both right and left sides. It is located at the centre of the gewog.
According to local history, the name Balam was brought from Chaskhar village under
Monggar Dzongkhag, which is a day’s walk from here. The first settlers of this village are
said to be the people who came from Chaskhar in search of fertile agriculture land. After
they settled in this place, they called themselves Balampa. The village, therefore, came to
be called Balam.
In Balam Gewog, there are eight villages comprising 188 households. Before the
establishment of this school, the children from this village were sent to Dramitse for
education which is about 4 hours walk from here.
The school came into existence only in 1996. The school was upgraded from PP to II in
the same year. The students of class I and II, who were from Balam village, were
brought from Dramitse and admitted here, making the total of 100 students. The school
was run by three teachers including two temporary teachers.
The construction of the school will be remembered by the people of Balam for a long time
since it proved very hard for them. None of the buildings could be built without a
retaining wall because of steep terrain. The construction took about three years. Dasho
Lhakpa Dorji, the then Dzongda of Monggar, approved and sanctioned the construction
of the school. The school might not have come into its shape without his proper
guidance and continued support. The construction materials were provided by the
government while labour was provided by the people of the gewog. A committee was
formed for the construction of the school. Mr Jigme Wangdi, who later became the
mangmi, was overall supervisor. Without his proper supervision, the school might not
have come to this shape. Mr Naku, who was mangmi, also supported the construction
works.
The school has five buildings: one academic-cum-stationery building, two classroom
blocks and two teachers’ quarters. The school has a small playground which has been
constructed by the public. Since the location of the school is on a steep slope, there is
hardly any space for the construction of additional infrastructure. But the addition of
another one-storey building may be possible.
Mr Thimpen Rai was the officiating head teacher of the
Tshering Dorjee, the present head teacher took over the
second head teacher in 2000. There are no outstanding
school. The teachers who were posted here were all fresh
first posting.
school from 1996-1999. Mr
charge of the school as the
teachers and alumni of this
graduates who were on their
The school has brought about a lot of changes since its inception. Among them was the
construction of permanent 1 ½ m high 75 cm wide stone walls around the school
campus. The school has only 9.9 acres of land, but only 1 ½ can be used as school
agriculture plot. On the rest of the area, more than 1000 saplings have been planted. A
mani dunjur has been installed in the campus. The construction of head teacher’s
quarters was built in 2000 on contract basis.
The school has really benefited the community because earlier the people had to send
their children to Dramitse for schooling. Now, they no longer have to. The first batch
students from this school are in class XI.
The year-wise statistics of the school is given below.
Year
Boys
Girls
Total
Trained teachers
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
48
89
106
117
132
120
116
104
102
52
69
83
90
86
80
78
81
96
100
158
189
207
218
200
194
185
198
1
2
3
4
5
4
4
4
5
Untrained
teachers
2
3
2
1
1
1
1
2
-
Total
3
5
5
5
6
5
5
6
5
The vision of the school is to be a model school in the kingdom. The school will also
produce dedicated and well-disciplined students with the provision of wholesome
education. The school will become a fully-fledged lower secondary school after the
construction of additional structures. More than 50% of the school campus will become
agro-forest area.
Banjar Community Primary School
Banjar Community Primary School is located at the heart of two villages, Banjar and
Pam. It lies in the north-east of Monggar town and is almost four hours uphill walk from
the nearest roadhead at Rewan. The school was established in 1997 under the
leadership of Mr Suran Pradhan, its first head teacher, with a total enrolment of 40
students. The school premises were initially constructed by the community as an
outreach clinic. Later on, they were converted into children’s learning centre by the
former Dzongda, Dasho Lhakpa Dorji.
However, this school currently benefits 40 households of the two villages. The school at
present has a total of 50 students studying in classes ranging from PP to V with two
teachers including the head teacher. Due to shortage of teachers, the school follows
multigrade teaching system. The school has its well-set policy and guidelines for the
implementation of all educational programmes including mission and vision, long-term
and short-term educational goals.
Our School Vision: To be an excellent teaching-learning centre for children and the
centre of excellence in the delivery of all educational activities.
Mission: The school will provide a caring atmosphere and wholesome education to our
children in which there will be effective delivery of teaching and students passing out
will continue to pursue education with strong foundation through MG teaching.
Our Educational Goals

Our children will imbibe values (national, social, personal and work values) and
implement them in real situations.


The school will enable children to become independent learners.
To enhance children’s skills in learning on their own through research and
observations


Encourage children to involve in co-curricular activities.
Enhance the scope for teachers' professional development.
Students enrolment since 1997
Year
Class
Boys
Girls
Total
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
PP
PP-I
PP-II
PP-III
PP-IV
PP-V
PP-V
PP-V
18
23
27
30
36
34
30
27
29
28
29
32
33
32
32
23
47
51
56
62
69
66
62
50
Students passed out
4 boys and 6 girls
1 boy and 10 girls
Teachers since 1997
Sl.No.
1.
2.
Name
Mr Dorji Wangchuk
Lop Pema Wangdi
Tenure
2000-2001
March’02-till date
Head teachers since 1997
Sl.No.
1.
2.
Name
Mr Suran Pradhan
Mr Ranbir Tamang
(the present head)
Tenure
1997-2003
April 2003…
The present head teacher is recognized as one of the multigrade experts in the
Dzongkhag. He has nine years of experience multigrade teaching. Lopon Pema Wangdi is
one of the active teachers in carrying out the school programmes and activities. He is
the author of a new book Rmi lam gyi khrul pa.
Visitors to the school since 1997
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name
Mr Dorji Dukps & Dorji Wangchuk,
Inspectors of School
Mr P. Norbu
Year of visit
6th April,1998
Dr. Bhandari, Dental Surgeon,
Monggar
Mr Ngawang Dorji, ADEO, Monggar.
Aug 12th 2000
Mr Chimi Tshewang, P.O. Monggar;
Mr C.L Daj, A E, Monggar; Mr Siba
Raj
Subba,
Finance
Officer,
Monggar
4-6th May, 2001
13th April,1998
18th Sep. 2000
Purpose of visit
To
examine
academic
performance of the students
Evaluation camp on students’
health
Dental checkup
To evaluate school activities
and programmes.
To observe school progress
and development.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Mr Tenzin Dorji & Mr Rajman
Tamang, EMO, Thimphu.
Dental Surgeon, Monggar
Dasho
Lham
Dorji,
Monggar
Dzongda
Dasho Dzongrab, Monggar
Mr Tobzang, Officiating
DEO,
Monggar
Mr Karma, Water & Sanitation team
20th April, 2002
Mr Tsheten Tshering, focal person,
Tsakaling cluster
Mr Tsheten Tshering, focal person.
11th June, 2003
25th April ‘2002
20th May, 2002
29th Oct. 2002
31st Oct. 2002
7th Dec. 2002
2nd Oct., 2003
To observe school progress
and development.
Dental checkup
Familiarization tour
To elect the new gup
To
observe
multigrade
classes.
To collect data on water and
sanitation.
School monitoring and to
provide support services.
2nd round visit on SLMSS.
Despite the school being located far from the Dzongkhag headquarters, the school has
really taken great pains to bring things into a proper shape. We shall work further to
achieve academic excellence along with other developments in the years to come. The
school has also benefited a lot in providing values to the community. Similarly, the NFE
was started in 2003 in order to educate parents. This school will be recognized as one of
the best multigrade schools in the Dzongkhag and will be a model for other multigrade
schools.
Chali Community Primary School
Chali is a village two and a quarter hours walk from Monggar town. One can approach
the village from the junction at Gangola or the road point at the lower part of the village.
There are many hamlets in Chali village. Chali Community Primary School is in the
hamlet of Chasar, which is centrally located. Located at an altitude of 1175 m above sea
level, the school is on a gentle slope, covering an area of 18 acres.
The school has good infrastructure and all the classrooms are well furnished. The school
was established in the year 1995 by the department of education and later it was
upgraded to a community primary school in the year 1997.
The school was established as per the need of the community and the policy of the Royal
Government. The dzongkhag authorities, the gewog people, SMB members and the
school authorities are the main players in smooth functioning of the school. The school
being very new, only three head teachers have served the school since 1995. Mr Sangay
Wangdi, the first head teacher, joined the school in March, 1995 and went on transfer in
April 2000. The second head teacher, Mr Karma Gelek, joined the school in May, 2000.
He went on transfer in March, 2003. He was succeeded by Mr Choki Gyeltshen in April,
2003 with the farsighted vision to shape the school better in the years to come.
This school has greatly benefited the community and the society of this area. Before the
establishment of this school, the children of this village had only two schools to go to:
Tsakaling Primary School and Monggar Lower Secondary School. Both of these schools
are two to three hours walk from the gewog. The children had to, therefore, walk a long
distance to school or put up in makeshift huts built around the schools with their
parents attending them.
The first batch of students from this school are presently studying in class X. There has
not been any outstanding student in the school so far.
The establishment of non-formal education (NFE) centres will also go a long way towards
achieving 100 percent literacy rate in the country. This small school will make a big
difference in the government's policy of education for all by the year 2012 and for the
success and the achievement of Gross National Happiness.
Students and staff strength
Year
Boys
Girls
Total
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
58
61
69
18
81
94
136
142
163
112
131
121
122
108
105
120
120
137
136
126
135
241
251
258
258
234
240
Staff
M
1
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
G. Total
F
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
3
3
6
6
5
6
Our school is well-known for its empty, spacious and desirable sloppy land with
beautiful scenic background.
The vision of our school is "to upgrade the school from community primary level to a
fully-fledged lower secondary school within the ninth five year plan.
Chaskhar Pam Community Primary School
Pam village is very far from Chaskhar proper and Chaskhar Primary School. The
children of this village, therefore, had to walk a long distance to get their primary
education. It is in this light that the government approved the construction of this
school. The school was formally inaugurated on March 3, 2005 by Chaskhar lam
Phuntshok in the presence of some sector heads from the dzongkhag and the ADEO.
However, the classes could not be started immediately due to lack of necessary
stationery and furniture. The school had to borrow furniture from the nearby schools.
The school is located right in the centre of five villages namely Brabang, Pam proper,
Ethinus, Chukhar and Kawang. The children of all these villages enjoy the benefits and
facilities that this school has.
For the construction of this school, a total of Nu 0.5 million was provided by the UNICEF
and the RGOB. Nu 200,000 was contributed by the people of Chaskhar in the form of
labour contribution for the construction of the school. In all, a total of Nu 0.7 million
was handed over by the gewog to the contractor.
The school consists of three blocks with three classrooms each. But we have currently
occupied only two classrooms.
As the school is new, it, at the moment, lacks many things including proper water
supply, electricity, stationery, staff quarters, playground and retaining walls. Among
them, retaining wall is of utmost importance, for the school area is prone to landslides.
The wall behind the school building has to be built before summer sets in.
Despite all the above-mentioned problems, the school has been able to enroll the
following number of students in the following classes.
Sl. No
1
2
3
Class
PP
I
2
Boys
14
8
9
Girls
3
9
2
Total
17
17
11
The first academic session of the school was started with 31 boys and 4 girls.
The table below shows the number of teaching and non-teaching staff in the school
Sl.No
1
2
3
4
Name
Mr Toujay
Mr Kezang Wangdi
Mr Kezang Tobgay
Mr Jigme Yeshi
Designation
Head teacher
Zhungkha teacher
NFE instructor
Care taker
Job delegation
In line with education policy, the staff of the school are delegated different
responsibilities to effect better running of the school. The table below shows
responsibilities of individual staff of the school.
Sl. No
1
Name of staff
Mr Toujay
2
Mr Kezang Dorji
3
Mr Kezang Tobgay
4
Mr Jigme Yeshi
Job responsibilities
1. Overall monitor
2. Administration
3. Games and sports incharge
1. Store-cum-library incharge
2. Driglam Namzhag incharge
3. Physical education incharge
4. Health incharge
1.Cultural incharge
2. Incharge in curricular and cocurricular activities
1. Night guard
2. Care school properties
3. Sweeper
4. Helps in other jobs
5. Does dispatch works
Although this school is quite new, we would very much like to put in our great effort to
make it one of the best schools in the dzongkhag through the provision of wholesome
and quality education. We hope that we would be able to make the noble dream of
wholesome education of our country a reality in the near future.
Daksa Community School
Surrounded by several hillocks, located at the foot of a hill, the village of Daksa
comprises 26 households. It is at an elevation of 1100 m above sea level.
The school is situated in a shallow depression with an area of 11 acres. The RNREC and
BHU give friendly company to the school.
The relocation of Wirringla Primary School gave birth to three schools in Gongdu Gewog.
Daksa Community Primary School is one of the three schools which is centrally located
in Gongdu Gewog.
The school was initially established in 1996 corresponding to the male rabbit year of the
Bhutanese calendar. The construction of a single block took two years to complete
because of the limited labour contribution from the community.
Upon completion of the construction, Mr Tshongpon Wangdi, former DEO of Monggar
Dzongkhag, inaugurated the school on May 2, 1999 with 63 students and a temporary
teacher.
Today, the school has 136 students with a ZLT and three general teachers.
Ganglapong Community Primary School
Ganglapong Community Primary School is under Tsamang Gewog. It lies on the border
between Monggar and Lhuntse. It is located on a hill top overlooking Lhadrong village
under Lhuntse district. It falls in the area of Thrumshingla National Park. The school is
five hours walk from the nearest roadhead at Autsho, which is 35 km from Monggar
town. The school is at the centre of the village, which consists of 60 households.
Ganglapong Community Primary School was started with a total of 48 children in 1991
by its first head teacher, Mr K.J. Suba. Mr Sherab Jamtsho was the second head teacher
followed by his successors Mr Phurba Namgyal and the present teacher incharge Mr
Tashi Tenzin. Today, the school has 87 students and 2 teachers including the teacher
incharge.
The school was opened after several proposal by the people of the community. They were
willing to contribute labour for the construction. The construction materials, except for
CGI sheet, were procured by the community itself. In 2000, new staff quarters were
established by the Royal Government of Bhutan in view of the shortage of teachers
quarters. Before this school was established, the people of this locality had to send their
children to Monggar and other schools. Dr. Sangay Thinley, Secretary of Ministry of
Health, was one of the first students from the gewog.
The school has a vision of making itself a unique learning centre where every child
enjoys coming, thereby producing patriotic, loyal and faithful citizens. The school has
benefited the people of this village by providing an opportunity to educate their children.
The school also acts as a bridge between the isolated people of the community and the
outside world. Besides, the school is also one of the centres for non-formal education
where the people who missed formal schooling learn.
At present, there are 12 NFE learners taking post literacy course. By and large, this
school helps build up a strong and capable citizenry for the future since, as His Majesty
the King always says, the future of the nation lies in the hands of our younger
generations.
The first batch of students who passed out from this school are in degree 1st year at
Sherubtse College and some of them are in other institutes.
The school is provided all facilities like solar energy, library books and games and sports
equipment. There are no boarding facilities, however.
Junmey Primary School
Junmey Primary School lies between Ngamphu and Pinphu. With an area of 3.86
decimals, it is located above the confluence of Drangme chhu and Kuri chhu.
Now, the name of the school is changed to Jurmey Zhabjay Thang Primary School,
because in this place we can see many footprints on stones such as footprints of
goddesses, the cow and the cat.
The school was established in the year 1991. This school came to be established as
other schools are far away. As the population of the community increased, many young
children went to school in Kengkhar. But, the walk to and from Kengkhar through dense
forests was very difficult for the young children. It is in the light of this problem that this
school came to be established.
The school was inaugurated in the year 1991 by Mr Saran Tamang, the first head
teacher. He ran the school from 1991 to 1993. He was succeeded by Mr Kinzang Dorji,
who served the school from 1995-1998. Mr Challan Rai (1998-2000) succeeded Mr
Kinzang Dorji. From 2001, the present head teacher, Mr Khandu, took over the charge of
the school.
The first batch of students from the school is in first year degree at Sherubtse College,
Kanglung, and a few of them joined teaching profession.
The school was started with a building in the year 1991. In the year 1995, two more
buildings were constructed. In the year 2000, the head teacher’s quarters was
constructed. The additional constructions are still undergoing (3 toilets, a dinning hall, a
kitchen, staff toilets and renovation of classrooms.
The school has benefited the community in many ways. The children of the community
can today go to school with less expenditure and without any problems. We do hope that
'the children of today will be the citizens of tomorrow.'
Year by year, the number of children as well as teachers is increasing. In 2001, the total
number of students was 190 and that of teachers 4. At present, the total student
strength is 211 and 5 regular teachers and 3 apprentice teachers.
Visions for the future: The school will be upgraded to a junior high school depending on
the population of the village and the development of the school infrastructure and
facilities like electricity, road, telephone, sports facilities.
Konbar Community Primary School
Konbar Community Primary School is located between Tagchu and Konbar villages,
about three hours uphill walk from Monggar town. The school was established in the
year 1996 with 58 students- 39 boys and 20- with Mr Sonam Dorji, a temporary teacher
and the head teacher of Monggar Junior High School. Mr Ranbir Tamang, the head
Teacher, took over the charge of the school in the year 1997 with a total enrollment of 72
students. He served the school until 2002.
After Mr Ranbir Tamang, Lopon Karma Gayleg, the present head teacher, took over the
charge. At the time, there was one regular teacher and one apprentice teacher with a
total enrollment of 80 students which made up classes ranging from PP-V. In the year
1994, there were 88 students with classes ranging from PP-VI. 40 students were boys
and 48 girls- an increase in the enrollment rate of girls.
This year, there are 84 students, out of which 37 are boys and 47 girls. Apart from the
head teacher, there are regular teachers and a caretaker. The school caters to the
educational needs of the following areas:




Konbar
Tagchu
Peikar’
Chali
There are five academic buildings, three concrete and two temporary sheds with 10
rooms including the library and store. A concrete three-storey classroom block and one
shed were constructed.
The school has only 5.20 acres of land demarcated in the year 2001. There is a small
football field. A total of 350 baking trees/cypress, which were planted in the year 1999,
during the Silver Jubilee celebration of His Majesty the King, are healthy and growing.
The school has about 60 decimals of agriculture land. Since the ORC is constructed in the
middle of the school, it is used as the head teacher’s residence. There is an active
participation from community and school tshokpas. They have completed a pit toilet and
constructed one ordinary house to use as store.
Lingmethang Community Primary School
Lingmethang Community Primary School was established in the year 1990. Initially, it
was in the farm complex. Later in 1995, it was shifted to the present location. The
school was built on a slope on the east-west highway –30 km away from Monggar town.
The school started with 37 students and a single teacher. The school is now headed by
Mr Rinchen Wangdi.
The head teachers who worked in the school are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mr Jigme Dorji
Mr D.C. Chhetri
Mr Sangay Wangdi
Mr Kinley Dorji
Mr Lobzang Dorji
6. Mr Karma Chopel
7. Mr Naina Singh Darjay.
The school was upgraded from the community to primary level in the year 1998. The
school falls under Saling Gewog. It serves 8 villages excluding the different sectors like
DOR, the farm, BHU, RNR, bazaar and forestry division.
There are four academic blocks consisting of 9 classrooms, an office and a storeroom.
The buildings are all concrete and surrounded by trees. It has two teachers quarters and
7 units of pit latrines for boys and girls. Below the school assembly ground lies a small
football ground. It has also a non-formal education centre. It provides basic and post
literacy courses plus tailoring training.
Muhung Community Primary School
Name of the school
Muhung Community Primary School is under Sherimuhung Gewog, Monggar. The
school was known as Muhung Community School from 1991-1992. With the
introduction of class VI in the year 2002, the school came to be known as Muhung
Community Primary School.
Establishment
During the tenure of Dzongda Dasho Lhakpa Dorji, the Dzongkhag sent Mr Lekey Dorji
(Head teacher of Yadi Primary School), Ngatshang Gup and a teacher, Mr Jigme Dorji
(the first teacher incharge of the new community school) for site selection. They selected
the present site of the school on 6th May, 1991. the first admission of children was done
on 7th May, 1991 with 51 children – 27 boys and 24 girls.
Inception and growth
It is a fact that the beginning is always beset with some problems. In the beginning,
there was no proper building to start the school. So, a private building in Gontang, 15
minutes walk from the present school, was hired. In the same year, the people began the
construction of the present building. By the end of the year 1991, they completed half of
the building with three classrooms. In the following year, classes were shifted to the new
building. The new academic session was started with 2 teachers and 71 children.
In mid 1992, the new building was fully complete with six classrooms. It was
inaugurated by the Dzongkhag Education Officer, Mr D. B. Sinchuri, who was
accompanied by Ngatshang Gup, teachers and villagers.
Over the years, the school has grown a lot from a small school of 51 children and two
teachers with few facilities comprising one school building of six classrooms which was
roofed with planks. There was no playground, but in the year 1992, the public cut the
gentle slope and made a small ground under the supervision of the first head teacher.
The first head teacher of the school was Mr Jigme Dorji (currently, ADEO of Monggar).
He ran the school from 27th May, 1991 to1992. He was succeeded by Mr Charan Kumar
Rai. Mr Rai served as the second head teacher till 1998. During his tenure, the school
had classes up to III with a ZLT and 2 temporary teachers. In the year 1999, he handed
over the charge to Mr Choeki Gyeltshen- the present head teacher. Under his guidance,
the community people completed one new building comprising three classrooms in the
year 2000. In the years 1999-2000, two DLTs and one temporary general teacher ran the
school. In the year 2001, the school received one trained general teacher and was run by
two DLTs and one general teacher. At present, the school has two school buildings, four
regular teachers and 83 students.
The location and history
Muhung is located on the way to Aja Nye (one of the holiest places associated with Guru
Rinpoche). In fact, Aja Nye begins from Muhung. Hundreds of hungs (mantra) are
believed to be seen on rocks a kilometer away from the school. The people of the
community are believed to be all self-sufficient because of the existence of a lake above
the village. During the auspicious days, the people believe that a pair of Dungkar (conch
shell) can be seen on the lake symbolizing the norbu (jewel), the wealth of this place.
The travelers between Monggar and Trashigang can see Muhung at a stone’s throw from
Korila. But, it takes one full day from the main road at Yadi.
The school is located at a height of 2036 metres above sea level with an area of 16.72
acres.
School activities
The school carries out various activities, both curricular and co-curricular, to
accomplish wholesome education. All the activities are carried out house wise –
Gyaltshen, Bumpa, Dungkhar and Khorlo- on competition basis. Scores for every
activity are recorded and prizes awarded for the best ones at the end of the year, on the
National Day. The activities include the following.
(a) Literary: Inter-house quiz, story writing, essay writing, debate, drawings and
extempore speeches competitions.
(b) Cultural: Zhungdra, Baydra, solo songs, skits, music, dances and drama.
(c) Games: Football, volleyball, archery, khuru, dego, badminton and chess.
(d) Sports: Annual sports day is usually held on His Majesty the King’s birth day
with activities like, 100 m race, 1500 m race, balloon blasting, skipping race,
three-legged race and so on.
(e) SUPW: Agriculture gardening, flower gardening, grass cutting and campus
cleaning are routine activities and carried out house-wise.
Observance of important events
The school observes all government and local holidays. Among others, Social Forestry
Day on 2nd June, His Majesty’s birth day on 11th November and the National Day on 17th
December are celebrated grandly. The other religious occasions are observed by reciting
prayers and offering butter lamps for the well-being of the Tsa-Wa-Sum.
Every year on Social Forestry Day, the family of Muhung CPS plants saplings and clears
unwanted plants.
His Majesty's birthday is celebrated with chief guest from the gewog office. People from
far and near come to the school to partake of the celebrations.
Our annual sports day is usually observed on this day followed by cultural items. In the
evening, the students stage skits on ticket basis. The proceeds from the show go to SDF
(School Development Fund).
The National Day is usually celebrated with cultural items for half a day followed by the
declaration of annual examinations results. The day ends with sentimental speeches by
teachers and students for it is the last day of the academic year.
Facilities
The school has 2 buildings, 3 water taps, 3 staff quarters and 8 toilets. The school also
has a small room for library. The school library has enough books. The staff quarters
have solar power facilities.
Since year 2002, the school received First Aid Box and non-drugs medicine supply
through Shershong BHU. The school also has a non-formal education centre for the
public. It was begun on 1st August, 2002 with 22 female and 2 male learners.
The school logo
The teachers and the SMB (School Management Board) members had a lot of
discussions on the school Logo in the year 2002. Most of the them agreed with the Pema
Debgay (Eight Lotus Leaves) as our school logo.
Muhung as a whole seems one village but it has many places with different names. Our
school children come from all those places.
The Pema Dabgay symbolizes the
convergence of different children from various directions of the village with peace and
prosperity.
The letter hung in the centre symbolizes the location of the school near the sacred place
of Guru Rinpoche, Aja (Hundred Aa) and represents the name of the school.
Sherub Reldri (the sword of wisdom) on Pema Dabgay symbolizes the warding off of
ignorance and stupidity during the learning stage.
The Dhen Guyaldhar (the base of the Pema Dabgay is our national flag) symbolizes the
twenty-five years of enthronement of His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck
and the glory of Pelden Drukpa.
Student statistics as of August 2004
Classes
VI
V
IV
III
II
I
PP
Boys
4
6
10
5
8
6
39
Girls
6
6
12
9
6
5
44
Total
10
12
22
14
14
11
83
This year, the school has no admission in pre-primary class. However, a survey the
school carried out has found that of fifteen children would be admitted in the PP class
next year. The number of children in the school is decreasing every year when the class
six students pass of the school. Besides, population planning has effectively reduced
the number of children in this community.
Narang Community Primary School
Narang is 86 km from Monggar proper. Years back, the people of Narang felt cut off from
the outside world for the place is isolated. They, therefore, thought of an alternative to
break off from the cycle of ignorance and isolation. The most suitable way out, they
found, was school. The people's dream for a school fortunately matched with the Royal
Government's dream of touching more remote parts of country with education.
But, even before their dream for a school amidst them could materialize, the people of
Narang started sending their children to school in Monggar. It was very challenging to
them. Young children had to make a 86 km journey. Later, the school came nearer to
Dramitse, but the problem was still there. Food items and the children's personal effects
had to be carried across dozens of kilometers. This was a huge burden to both the
working parents and students.
The need for a school in their own community was then felt more acutely. The proposal
was made. The benevolent government responded with the establishment of Narang
Community School in the year 1991.
The people could not wait for the school buildings to complete. The school started
functioning in the village Lhakhang with 27 boys and 19 girls in class PP with one
teacher.
The school was moved to Mithung (the name of the place where the school is located) by
late 1991.
Narang is the name of the entire village. The abundance of a particular type of vegetable
locally known as Narang is the origin of the name of the village.
For their good deeds, we sincerely acknowledge the active service of the head teachers
whose names are given below in chronological order.
Name:
Mr Raj Kumar
Mr Parshuram Chhetri
Mr Tashi Wangdi
Mr Phuntsho Wangdi
Tenure
1991-1993
1993-1999
1999-2002
2002…
The school got an additional teacher in 1993. By the year1996, the number of teachers
in the school grew to three.
The government did a great service to the community by opening a non-formal education
centre at the school. In the year 2001, the Centre received an NFE instructor. He has
filled the gap of teacher shortage in the school.
By 2002, there were three permanent teachers, two NFE instructors and one caretaker
in the school. Last year, the number of teachers increased to four including two
apprentice teachers and two NFE instructors. Presently, the school has five permanent
teachers, two NFE instructors, one caretaker, one apprentice teacher, and 137 students:
88 boys and 49 girls.
The school is pleased to write that this year some of the first batch students of the
school went for professional studies. Two of them could make it to Sherubtse College
and three of them joined B.Ed course.
Most of the people of the community can count the benefits the school has brought to
the village. They are extremely happy that, despite the parents being humble, their
children have become someone. A total of 200 households benefit from the school.
As of now, the school is young. We are sure that the, sooner or later, this school will go
a long way in contributing to the uplift of the nation's literacy rate.
The school hopes to upgrade itself to secondary level when the feeder road comes. The
feeder road is expected to reach the school by the year 2006. The arrival of electricity will
enhance the atmosphere of the school.
Apart from formal learning, the school stresses the need of wholesome education
through co-curricular activities, values education, vocational education and club
activities. We are putting these into practice by conducing intra/inter schools contest in
games and cultural activities, inter club competition and so on.
Last year, our students competed with four other Community Primary Schools in
Dramitse Lower Secondary School. Our children came runners-up in girls throwball and
in cultural competition. We fervently hope that the same spirit would continue in the
school.
Ngatshang Community Primary School
Ngatshang Community Primary School was established in the year 1995. It is located
above the Monggar-Trashigang highway. The school is situated in the centre of fifteen
scattered villages.
Before 1995, there was no school in this area and most of the children were left behind
without education. Then, the following main persons of this locality raised the issue for
the need of school during the Gewog Yargay Tshogchung and the matter was forwarded
to the dzongkhag. Mr Nidup Dorji, ex-dzongda; Mr Norbu, ex-gup and late Jamtsho were
the persons to request for the school. Among them, Mr Norbu was the key person to
bring this school to the present form. During his tenure as gup of this gewog, he
mobilized the public for the construction of this school.
At that time, Dasho Lhakpa Dorji was the Dzongda of Monggar Dzongkhag. With his full
support, guidance and initiative, the present school was established and all the
materials were supplied by the dzongkhag free. After its inception till date, only three
head teachers have served this school. Mr Ugyen Dukpa was the founder of this school.
In 1995, he started the school with 80 students and two teachers including himself.
In 1996, Mr Tsheten Tshering took over the school as the second head teacher of this
school. He served the school for longest duration from 1996-2000. And at present, Mr
Karma Chophel works as the third head teacher from 2001. The school was upgraded to
a fully-fledged primary school in 2001 with the first batch of 25 class VI students. So
far, the school has sent out three batches of class VI students with 100% pass results.
The first batch of students is presently studying in the ninth grade. Since the school
was started very late, there is no outstanding alumnus as per its record.
Among the head teachers and 5 teachers who served in this school, Mr Tsheten Tshering
was the most outstanding one. With his full initiative and support, the school is well set
up with regard to the campus beautification, the infrastructure development and the
school facilities development. During his time, he has constructed one additional
academic building, two teachers quarters, ten units of toilet, six water taps and a pretty
gate.
With the assistance of UNDP funding in 2000, he had developed a school Integrated land
management (Plantation of various fruit bearing trees), fenced the area with barbed
wires and purchased utensils, tools, office equipment etc. He was the one to bring up the
school to a better condition.
At present, the school has 13.42 acres of its land fenced all round. There are three
academic buildings with 3 blocks each, one head teacher’s quarters, one double-unit
teachers’ quarters, a small playfield, four water taps and a small gate as an entrance to
the school. There are eight teaching staff including one apprentice teacher, one
caretaker and 177 students: 100 girls and 77 boys. The classes range from PP-VI.
Now, the school plays a key role to give basic education to all the children of this
locality. Even the adults are being benefited with the establishment of NFE centre in the
year 2001.
Till today, twenty-eight learners have completed their post literacy
programme and we have forty-five learners undergoing the basic literacy programme.
We hope that many more would benefit by this centre in the near future.
In the year 2002, the school had developed its own policy booklet and our school vision
is "Ngatshang Community Primary School strives to be one of the BEST schools in the
Kingdom in the provision of primary education."
In order to fulfill our vision, the present teaching staff and the students are working
hard with full dedication and loyalty. We ensure the best use of our time from morning
to evening. Though the school is a day school, we have introduced the morning ten
minutes reading session every day before our actual teaching and the evening study for
half an hour after the prayer. Then we carry out co-curricular activities till 6.00 pm.
Our school is a member of RSPN (Royal Society for Protection of Nature) and we receive
the funding every year to carry out various activities. Last year, 2003, we received one
palmtop computer to use in the school to document the local environmental issues.
Every Wednesday, we have different club activities like Nature club, Home science club,
Knitting club, Health club, Library club and repair & maintenance club. Monthly, the
club incharges and the members write a report on what they did for the month. The
nature club carries out the activities as per the RSPN rules and regulations. The club
submits an action plan in the beginning of year and the technical and financial report at
the end of every year with the evidence of club coordinator, club treasurer and club
secretary.
Pangthang Community Primary School
Pangthang Community Primary School was established in the year 1998.
The
inauguration was presided over by the previous Monggar DEO, Mr Tshongpen Wangdi.
At that time, the one and only teacher was Mr Sonam Chhophel, who was a temporary
teacher. He ran the school as the teacher incharge for two consecutive years till 1999.
There was then only one section of class PP. However, the approval for the establishment
of the school from the Ministry was accorded only in 1999 by His Excellency Lyonpo
Sangay Ngedup, the former Education Minister, during his tour to Pangthang.
Pangthang Community Primary School is located in Chhaber village, Pangthang,
Damkhar choeg under Gongdu Gewog.
Mr Thimpon Rai, a regular teacher, took over the charge of the school from the
temporary teacher in March, 2002. He is still in the same school. Mr Sonam Chophel, a
temporary teacher has resigned in early 2001. He is holding a post of Chimi at the
moment in the same Gewog.
The school is located in the centre of the community. It caters to 120 households from
14 villages. Some villages are as far as about four hours walk. Such villages admit only
a few number of children to school. Since the school is only seven years old, the first
batch of students are studying in class VI this year.
There are only 53 students- 29 boys and 24 girls, two teachers and one NFE instructor.
The reason for the small number of students in the school is because parents are
reluctant to admit their children in this school due to teacher shortage in this school.
Instead, the children are sent to Nagor Lower Secondary School after class III.
The school will be gradually upgraded to primary level depending on the number of
teachers it gets.
In the future, the school plans to:








Make teacher-student ratio better.
Make students physically healthy and mentally sound.
Make students, parents and the community as a whole realize the importance of
comfortable living.
Make the school environment green and congenial through the school greening
programme.
Enhance the intellectual power of students.
Maintain the overall pass percentage of students between 80% to 100%.
Make the community realize the importance of education and admit their
children to school of their own volition
Make this school a centre of learning in which both the children and parents will
learn through engaging themselves in educational programmes.
The school and the community will long remember the visit of Her Majesty the Queen
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck and His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup and the kidu
granted by them.
Resa Community Primary School
Resa Community Primary School is located between three villages (Resa, Laithaang and
Paam) on a small hill. No other houses are found near the school. It is located eight
hours walk from the main road (Gyelpozhing). It was built in August, 1999 by the people
of Resa village with the help of Dzongkhag. The school is a single-storey house with
three classrooms but without office and store. The school has 4.55 acres of land.
The school was established under the command of honourable Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup,
the then minister for Health and Education. It was inaugurated by Her Majesty the
Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck on 21.2.2000 during her visit to Resa village. Her
Majesty also admitted in the school the children between the age of 6-15, who could not
go to school on account of their parents's financial problems or due to distance.
The school was opened by a single teacher with thirty-six students in the year 2000
without any furniture. In 2001, the Dzongkhag Education Officer sent one temporary
teacher to the school to help the head teacher for two months. On September 1st 2002,
we started NFE Centre in our school with twenty-two learners and one NFE Instructor.
Till April 2003, the present head teacher ran the school with four grades, PP-III. From
May 2003, the school got one additional Dzongkha lopon to run the school more
smoothly. At present, the school has everything including furniture and other facilities
compared to the last two years but the school is not supplied with electricity. Since the
classrooms are not sufficient we have constructed one temporary shed with the help of
the community. This year, we have proposed two-unit classroom constructions and
water supply separately from the community with the help of Dzongkhag.
At present, the school has fifty-two students and two teachers and classes ranging from
PP to IV. The NFE Instructor helps us run the school. The school has planted orange
trees, banana plants and saplings around the school compound and teacher’s quarters.
This school benefits villages of Resa, Laithang and Paam, Bongmala and Kalopang. In
the future, the school may upgrade itself to class VI with good scenery around the school
campus, good play field, more teaching staff and non-teaching staff, boarding facilities
with good shapes of buildings around the school compound and electricity in the school.
Ridaza Community Primary School
Ridaza Community Primary School was established in 1995 as an ECR (Extended
Classroom) of Monggar Primary School. The public contributed free labour and the
business community and the government employee contributed cash to buy building
materials such as cement, CGI sheets. They also bore royalty payments and
transportation charges. The establishment of the school was the sole initiative of the
former Dzongda Dasho Lhakpa Dorji. He took the risk of constructing the school even
though it was not approved by the government. The formal approval was accorded only
after the completion of the school.
Lopon Kinley Dorji was the first head teacher of this school. He was also the
construction supervisor. The classes started from PP-III with 63 boys and 63 girls. In
the beginning, there were four teachers, 2 ladies and 2 gents including the head teacher.
Those students and teachers were transferred from Monggar Primary School (now
Monggar LSS).
The school falls under Monggar Gewog and caters to the children of eight villages and
partly the children of government employees and business community. It is situated to
the west of the Dzongkhag headquarters. It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the
roadhead. It is situated on a slope facing east just above the Monggar-Thimphu highway.
It is an ideal place for the students to study peacefully.
The second head teacher of the school was Mr Tobzang, who took over the charge of the
school in March 1999. At present, there are 9 teachers including the head teacher with
an enrolment of 112 boys and 128 girls. We are proud, just because we have more girl
students than boys.
The school was established to ease the admission problem in Monggar Primary School
brought about by the growth of the town and starting of the government offices such as
Eastern Regional Referral Hospital, shifting of RNRRC from Khangma to Monggar, the
proposed industrial estate at Bondima. To accommodate more children, our school
might get upgraded in terms of facilities.
The first batch of students who passed out from this school in 1999 are in class XI in
2004. Many teachers have served and gone from this school since its inception. They
contributed in their own ways for the benefit of the school. They have left behind various
impressive school culture and traditions. A prominent example of their contribution is
the green trees. We pray that our children's thoughts remain evergreen as the trees.
Saling Community Primary School
Saling Community Primary School was established in 2003. Initially, the school was only
a temporary shed. There were three rooms in the shed. We used two rooms as
classrooms and another one as office-cum-store. There were 35 students in the school,
14 boys and 21 girls. We started the classes from PP-II.
On 4th May, 2003, an NFE centre was opened in the school. There were 23 learners in
the beginning. After a few months, four of them dropped out and now there are 19
learners. They have completed their basic literacy course and have started post literacy
course.
The school was previously located at a place called Pasangla. Later, it was shifted down
to the new location, which is on a small hill in the middle of the village. The name of
this place is called Gangka. It is two hours walk from the road point (Menchugang).
The school was constructed by people of Saling with the government support. It took
one and half months to complete the school. This year, we have 37 students: 15 boys
and 22 girls. We have classes from PP-III. The school follows multigrade system of
teaching because there are only two teachers.
The school came to be established during His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup's Move
for Health walk across the length of the country. Lyonpo was moved to sympathy when
he saw the children of Saling attending school at Lingmithang, which is across two big
rivers. So, when he halted a night at Saling, Lyonpo ordered the establishment of the
school.
Before the establishment of this school, the children of Saling village had to walk 3-4
hours to reach school. Now, the children have to walk less than one hour. There are
fewer students in this school because there are only 23 households in the village. In the
future, there will be more households and the school will have more children in it.
Sengor Community Primary School
Village
Sengor is midway between Bumthang and Monggar. As per the local dialect of the
community, Seng means tree and Gor means stone. Sengor actually means a stone in a
tree. The village has a cluster of 21 households and the people speak Bumthangpa
dialect as their ancestors had originated from Ura, Bumthang. The people are more or
less nomadic as they move from place to place along with their cattle. They usually stay
for six months in Sengor during summer and move to Zhungthri, two km from
Lingmithang, for the other six months.
As per the population survey done by Mr Nima, the present head teacher of the school in
September 2003, the village has 128 males and 129 females with a total of 257 people.
The School: the Establishment
Sengor Community Primary School is in Saling Gewog under Monggar Dzongkhag. It
was established in the year 1988. As there was not any school nearby, the people of the
village had much difficulty to admit their children in schools. They, therefore, jointly
proposed for a school to the Dzongkhag authorities. The dzongkhag authorities, in view
of the urgent need of a school, approved the proposal. Thus, the school came to be
established in 1988. The school was started on the 14th March 1988 according to the
school record. It is one of the coldest places in the dzongkhag at an altitude of 2900 m
above sea level.
Mr Yeshi Nyedup was the first teacher. The school was started with 43 children in class
PP. The school was started as ECR (extended classroom). Initially, the school functioned
in the village temple due to lack of classrooms. It was then shifted to the GREF quarters
where it remained for about a year in 1989. Then, it was shifted to the building
constructed by the community where it was used for about seven years from 1990 to
1996. Lastly, GREF spared the guesthouse after repeated requests by Monggar Dzongda
Dasho Lhakpa Dorji. The renovation works of the guest house was done by the
dzongkhag and then finally handed over to the community in 1997 where it exists today
after being shifted for the fourth time.
Chronology of head teachers
Sl.N
o.
01.
Name
Designation
From
To
Mr Yeshi Nyedup
Teacher Aid
1988
1988
02.
Mr Sonam Tshering
Teacher Aid
1989
1989
03.
Mr Charan Kumar Rai
Teacher Incharge
1989
1990
04.
Mr Pursuram Chhetri
Teacher Incharge
1990
1993
05.
Mrs Meera Dahal
Teacher Incharge
1993
1994
06.
07.
08.
09.
Mr Tshering Phuentsho
Mr Wangay
Mr Ugyen Norbu
Mr Nima
Teacher Incharge
Teacher Incharge
Head teacher
Head teacher
1994
1996
1997
2003
1996
1998
2003
Till date
The following teachers have worked in the school since its inception.
Sl.No.
Name
Designation
From
To
01.
Mr Dorji
ZLT
1992
1994
02.
Mr Chenden Dorji
ZLT
2001
2003
03.
Ms Yonten Pemo
ZTC
2004
Till date
Some of the successful alumni of the school are: Mr Tenzin Wangchuk (teacher,
Rinchenling CPS), Ms Lhadonmo (computer section, Tala Project), Mr Sangayla
(undergoes B.Ed training in NIE, Paro), Chokeyla and Trashi (at Sherubtse College), and
Ngawang Thinlay (ILCS, Simtokha).
School Development
The establishment the community school in the area has immensely benefited and
solved the children’s schooling problem. The school absorbs students from Sengor
village, DOR and a few from the civil servants community. It has 58 children this year,
2004, in classes PP to III. Mr Nima and Ms Yonten Pemo are the two teachers who
struggle with four sections. The school follows a multigrade teaching system. The total
students strength is comparatively low as compared with the rest of the schools in the
country due to the small size of the village.
The Statistics of Teaches and Students Enrolment
Sl.No.
Class Range
No. of students
No. of teachers
Years
01.
PP
43
1
1988
02.
PP-I
42
1
1989
03.
PP-II
51
1
1990
04.
PP-III
44
1
1991
05.
PP-III
46
1
1992
06.
PP-III
49
1
1993
07.
PP-III
37
1
1994
08.
PP-III
42
1
1995
09.
PP-III
38
1
1996
10.
PP-III
41
2
1997
11.
PP-III
46
2
1998
12.
PP-III
41
2
1999
13.
PP-III
41
2
2000
14.
PP-III
43
2
2001
15.
PP-III
56
2
2002
16.
PP-III
56
2
2003
17.
PP-III
58
2
2004
Future Scope of the School
The school has an area of 2.81 acres and it has not been able to upgrade to class IV due
to fewer number of students. In future, it may be upgraded to class VI but it will hardly
go beyond that as per the nature of the school. The multigrade teaching system will be
continued for many coming years due to fewer numbers of children. The school hopes
for trained multigrade teachers who could easily handle the emerging need of the
learners effectively. The school does not have a playground . So, it is expected to build
one in years to come.
Serzhong Community Primary School
Serzhong, which literally means golden bowl, is situated on the way to Aja Ney, a famous
religious site in Bhutan. Serzhong Community Primary School was built in 1992 by the
community by raising Nu. 625/- from each of 215 households.
Before the construction of the present building was completed, the classes were begun
in a temporary hut by Mr P.N. Sharma, the teacher in-charge. The school in the hut was
inaugurated by Dzongkhag Education Officer, Mr Dal Bahadur Sinchuri on 2nd May
1991 with total of 46 children studying in pre-primary class. In 1992, the school was
shifted to the present site with 36 boys and 24 girls with classes from PP to I. In 1993,
the school started classes II with 51 boys and 39 girls which comes to the total of 90
students showing good statistical growth.
The five classrooms buildings, which are now used as hostels for students coming from
far away places such as Suma, Gangmung, Thilling and Thramo, were completed on 2nd
August 1993, and was inaugurated officially by Dzongrab Gom Sonam Rinchen
accompanied by the former DEO, Mr Tshongpoen Wangdi, on 14th August 1993. The
materials such as CGI sheet were supplied by UNICEF, Thimphu. The school got its
water supply connection from the rural water supply scheme for the first time on 17th
July 1997 during the second head teacher, Mr Tshewang Lhendrup's tenure. At
present, the school has two three storied classroom buildings built in 1997, an
administrative building, a multi-purpose hall, two blocks of old teachers quarters and
two blocks of new teachers quarters with solar facilities which benefit only the head
teacher.
The school is run by four permanent teachers. The school suffers from teacher shortage.
The school children enjoy the day meals facilities granted by the government in 2003.
With total strength of 192 students, the school has seen four batches of class VI
students pass out till now.
Silambi Community Primary School
Silambi Community Primary School is named after a tree, locally known as Silambi, that
was once abundant in this place and used as fodder. This school lies on the small hill
overlooking Dak, Yari Sherpong and Wama villages. It is officially four days walk from
Dzongkhag headquarters.
This school was established on 26th April, 1991 with Mr Suren Pradhan as the first
teacher incharge, in a simple classroom built by the community of Silambi. The first
batch of students could not complete the year in 1991, because the teacher incharge fell
seriously ill. They had to restart from class PP in 1992. Unfortunately again, the
classrooms were washed away by a flash flood in that year and the school had to shift to
temporarily to the village lhakhang. The classes were taken in the lhakhang for 3 to 4
months. During that period, the community of Silambi again built one two-unit block.
The classes shifted back to the new classrooms.
In 1994, the community again constructed a two-unit block to accommodate classes PP
to II. All the construction works were initiated by Mr Tshering Dorji when he was a
member of the National Assembly. In the year 2000, the community again constructed a
two-unit block after dismantling the classroom that was built in 1993.
Currently, the school has three two-unit blocks, three classrooms, an office-cum-library,
stationery-cum-WFP store, a temporary shed for kitchen and a dining hall, and a new
WFP store. The new dining hall, which is under construction, is going to be completed by
the end of May 2005.
Names of the heads of school in chronological:
1. Mr Suren Pradhan (1991-1997)
2. Mr Phuntsho Wangdi (1998-2001)
3. Mr Tashi Wangdi (the present head teacher-2002…)
The first batch students of this school is currently in degree first year.
Before the establishment of this school, the people of this community had to send their
children to school to Werringla, which was the only school in Kheng region. Both the
children and parents had to face a lot of problems going to Werringla. As a result,
around 80 percent of children of this community did not get a chance to study. Now,
around 90 percent of the children go to school without any problem.
The current strength of the school is 37 boys and 18 girls and two teachers with two
supporting staff. Classes are from PP to II. It is a day school with WFP meals. The
students walk a maximum of one and a half hours every day. The school has a total area
of 18.09 acres. The school organises all types of co-curricular activities. Unfortunately,
there is no football field.
The vision of this school is “to be an exemplary school in the Dzongkhag in academic
excellence, school culture and developmental activities to produce productive citizens.”
The mission of the school is “to provide learning experiences through active participation
of students and teachers in developing social values like cooperation and tolerance for
others and designing professional developmental activities to live up to the expectations
of education ministry to produce productive citizens”.
Takhambi Community Primary School
Takhambi Community Primary School was established in the year 1996 with Mr Sherab
Tenzin as the teacher incharge (temporary teacher). The enrollment in the same year
was 51 with 24 boys, and 27 gilrs.
Takhambi chiwog consists of 52 households scattered as far as 2 hours walk from the
centre (i.e. the school). It is situated above the steep slope of Rewan, which has a
general shop that provides all the necessary items for the people of Takhambi. It takes 3
hours of steep climb from Rewan, the road point, situated 29 kilometres away from
Monggar on the Monggar-Lhuntse highway.
Till 1998, the school had no proper records of itself as it was run by temporary teachers
who stayed only for short durations. Within two years (i.e from 1996 to 1998), seven
temporary teachers were employed successively. The first regular teacher to manage the
school was Mr Wangay, (TIC) followed by Lopon Namgay and Mr Gyelpo Sherpa, the
present head teacher.
The school has two academic buildings with three units each, two teachers’ quarters out
of which one of the buildings is occupied by the NFE instructor and by the Out Reach
Clinic (ORC) which is being looked after by Tsakaling BHU.
At present, the school has classes up to IV with the total strength of 26 students out of
which 13 are girls. After the completion of class IV the students go to Tsakaling Primary
School, under the same Gewog, which is situated at around 5 hours walk from
Takhambi.
The school is being run by a head teacher teaching general subjects and a language
teacher teaching Dzongkha and Thakhor Lobjong. Although the system of multigrade
teaching has been introduced, the teachers are not trained fully to teach multigrade
classes.
The School Level Monitoring and Support Services (SLMSS) was institutionalized in 2004
and the classes are monitored time and again despite the huge time constraints faced by
the teachers as they have to teach the whole eight periods a day. The timely visits by
the focal person from Tsakaling Primary School also keeps us on our toes professionally.
The school also takes a keen interest in imparting wholesome education by allotting time
for various co-curricular activities for the children after the school hours for thirty
minutes.
The school has also started contributing Nu. 50 per month from individual teachers for
the Student Support Services.
The electrification in the school has been completed recently although the teachers and
the students eagerly wait for the connection of the power line from Tsakaling. The
school is taking a step forward towards urbanization.
Udaric Community Primary School
Udaric Community Priamry School is located in Kengkhar Gewog under Monggar
Dzongkhag. It is located at 27ْ 7'-50.7' North and 91ْ 17'-14.7' East. The school is
situated at an altitude of 1611 m above sea level (It is based on the survey done by
Japan's project for the installation of a 11 KV station at Udaric). The people of this
community speak Tshangla. Unlike other villages in Kengkhar Gewog, Udaric village is
blessed with sufficient drinking water and other natural resources.
This small community primary school was established in line with the government's
millennium goal- education for all. In order for the people of Udaric to send all of their
children to school, this school was established in the year 1998.
Prior to the establishment of this school, the parents in this community never thought of
sending their children to Kengkhar Primary School to study. It is because they are
poorer economically and themselves lacked education. Even the few parents who
admitted their children to school would force them to drop out after class III to either
become farmers like themselves or gomchen (lay monks).
Upon feeling the need for a small school in their own community, the Gup, Chimi, and
Tshogpa of the gewog proposed for the same. The former Dzongda of Monggar, Dasho
Lhakpa Dorji, approved the establishment of the school.
The head teachers of the school
1. Mr Phuntsho Wangchuk (temporary teacher)- 1998-1999
(initially the school was run by a temporary teacher)
2. Lopon Kezang Dorji- 2000After the successful completion of the administrative building, the school began building
its staff strength and its infrastructure. The 38 decimal school area was extended to 243
decimal. The school campus was demarcated and the drinking water source for the
school was properly fenced. The toilets for the staff and the children are also built. The
construction of the kitchen and the store have been completed and now it is building the
multipurpose hall.
In the year 2003, the school received WFP food assistance for day scholars. This helped
the school increase its student enrolment, especially that of girls.
The school started NFE programme in the year 2003. The first batch of learners have
already completed their basic literacy and post literacy courses while the second batch
of learners are doing their courses.
This year, 2005, the school has 36 boys and 23 girls. It has three teachers and one cook.
Vision for the future
The school has many visions for the future, among them are:




Upgrading of the school to fully-fledged primary school (class VI).
Expansion of the school area.
Construction of playground and staff quarters.
Requisition for more teachers for the school.
The cultural practice like mask dance and traditional songs and dances by our little
children is a special feature of the school. We would like our school to be remembered
for this feature.
Waichur Community Primary School
Waichur Community Primary School is under Dramitse gewog in Monggar. The name of
the school is an irony. While the place called Waichur is just 4 km from the TrashigangMonggar highway, the school is located in a village called Gope which is 5 km away from
Waichur proper.
The school was established with financial support from the royal government of Bhutan.
The people of the communities contributed labour for the construction of the school. The
school was established mainly to shorten the walking distance of the children from
Waichur, Bikhar and Gope villages.
The school was inaugurated on April 3, 2005 by His Eminence Sungtrul Rinpoche.
When the school was formally started the construction works were still going on. The
head teachers from Baging CPS, Narang CPS and Dramitse LSS represented the
education ministry during the inauguration ceremony. The school admitted 37 children
in class PP and I. The class I students were brought from Dramitse Lower Secondary
School.
Mr Rinchen Phuntsho and Ms Sangay Chozom were the first teachers to join the school.
The school is working towards making itself a child-friendly school. At the moment, it
does not have any facilities like drinking water and playfield.
The catchment area of the school include the following villages.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Zangkhar
Waichur
Gope
Bikhar
Thungdari
Wama Community Primary School
Initially, Werringla Primary School was the only education centre in Kheng region
benefiting the two gewogs of Gongdu and Silambi in Monggar Dzongkhag. The school
was believed to be built in 1960's. Since the school is far away from the villages, parents
had to stay back at the school taking care of their children. It was really a big problem
for them to get food items on time. Sometimes all of them went empty stomach. Still
students gave high priority to education. It was only in 1992 that a respite came to the
children and the parents.
It was in 1980's that a proposal for a school at Wama was put to Dasho Dzongda Tashi
Tshering. Dasho approved the proposal, but due to many inconveniences, the
establishment of the school was delayed. The people's desire for a school, however, did
not fade. They approached Dasho Jigme Thinley (the present home minister), the then
zonal administrator, with the same proposal. He was very supportive of the idea and
suggested that the people put up the point to His Majesty the King when he visited
Monggar. The people did the same. This and the support of His Royal Highness
Gyeltshab Namgay Wangchuk made the dream of the people of Wama come true.
On 2nd June 1993, coinciding with the coronation of His Majesty king Jigme Singye
Wangchuck, the school was inaugurated by people of this village with representatives
from the Dzongkhag. Mr Tenzin Dorji was the first head teacher. He started the school
with 33 pupils in pre-primary class. This is how Wama Community School came into
existence.
Chronology of head teachers, DEO's, Dasho Dzongda, and number of students
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
Head Teacher
Mr Tenzin Dorji
(1993-1997)
Mr Gyelpo Sherpa
(1997-2003)
Mr Penden (2003)
D.E.O
Mr
Tshongpon
Wangdi
1. Mr Tshongpon
Wangdi
2. Mr
Rinzin
Wangdi
1.
Mr
Rinzin
Wangdi
Dasho Dzongda
Dasho
Lhakpa
Dorji
-Dasho
Jigme
Tshulthrim
-Dasho
Lham
Dorji
1. Dasho Lham
Dorji
2. Dasho Minjur
Dorji
No. of students
33
36
28
The school is 11 years old and at present it has 20 students in classes ranging from I-III.
Yangbari Community Primary School
Yangbari Community Primary School is in Gongdu Gewog under Monggar Dzongkhag. It
is located on bank of Gongri Chhu (Manas).
It was established on 30th April, 1998 by Mr Tshongpon Wangdi, the former District
Education Officer, Monggar. The school came to be established when the people from
Nagor, Silambi and Gongdu villages of Monggar Dzongkhag resettled in the area in late
1970's and early 1980's.
The main players responsible for the institute to come into being were all the community
people and the former Dzongda, Dasho Lhakpa Dorje and Mr Tshongpon Wangdi, DEO,
Monggar.
The names of the heads of the school are as follows:
1. Mr Tshenga Wangdi- Officiating Head teacher (1998)
2. Mr Naina Sing Darjee- Head teacher (1999-2000)
3. Mr Tashi Tshering- Head teacher (2001, the incumbent)
It is very difficult to rate the names of some outstanding teachers/educators since the
school was run by the above-mentioned teachers till 2000. At present, the school has
only two teachers including the head teacher with the total enrolment of 82 students
starting from class PP to IV. Therefore, I think that every teacher might have put in
great efforts and still two of us are trying very hard to make the school one of the unique
learning centres in the country.
While I, the head teacher, look after the administration as well as take classes, Mr Raju
Sinchuri, a teacher, is in charge of store, library and games and sports.
Due to acute teacher shortage, classes are run through shift system. Because of size of
the classes, multigrade system of teaching cannot be implemented in the school.
However, all the planning and the strategies are followed as per the multigrade teaching
system.
Before the establishment of the school, very few students went to school at Wiringla
Primary School which is a day-long walk. But at present, Wiringla school is relocated to
Nagor Lower Secondary School, which is two and half hours more walk. Since the
established of the school on 30th April, 1998, all the children of age ranging between 6 to
15 years were admitted in the school. Gradually, the first batch of students, who
completed community school in 2003, was sent to Nagor LSS, Monggar.
Since then, the community came to realize the importance of education for their
children. They have begun to give necessary help for the growth of the school. Very
recently, the community has completed an extended triple-classroom block. They have
also taken a lot of initiatives to make the school a fully-fledged primary school. For the
last two years, they proposed the upgrading of the school to head of the school and even
the Dzongkhag authorities. However, we have not been able to upgrade the school owing
to acute teacher shortage in the school.
We have a teacher-student ratio of 1:42 at present. Our visions of the future are to be a
unique learning centre where every child enjoys coming and to produce patriotic, loyal
and faithful citizens in the country through wholesome education.
In order to achieve our visions,



Student enrolment should be strengthened.
Resources available should be updated.
Quality of education in the school must be enhanced through various strategies.
Some of the distinctive features of the school are:



The school is located only a few miles below the confluence of Kuri and
Dangmechhus.
-The school is the meeting point of four dzongkhag, namely, Monggar,
Pemagatshel, Zhemgang and Samdrupjongkhar.
The school is extremely hot during summer season. The maximum temperature
reaches 39 to 40 degree C.
We would like our school to be remembered for the above-mentioned features.
Yarangla Community School
Yarabla is the name of a village. This village is named so because in the centre of the
village, there is a remarkable Dzongkha letter Ya imprinted on a rock. Yaragla is the
corrupt form of Yarabla. The small community falls under Jurmey Gewog. It is one of
the far flung communities in Monggar. It takes nearly a week to travel from the
dzongkhag head quarters.
Yaragla community school is situated near Dangme Chhu at an altitude of
approximately 900 m above sea level.
The school is surrounded by Tegtegla in the north, Jurmungla in the west, Yaragla in
the south and Dangme chhu is the east.
Under Jurmey Gewog, there was only one community school. That community school
being very far away, the children of Yaragla could not walk to Jurmey Community
School to receive education. So, many children were left at home without education. In
order to solve this problem, a meeting of Gup, Chimi, Tshogpa and the people of Yaragla
was held during which they discussed the establishment of a school in their village.
Subsequently, Gup, Chimi and the people of Yaragla made an earnest proposal to higher
authorities for the establishment of school amidst them. Immediately, the authorities
approved the proposal. The construction works began in 1994 and it was completed in
December 1997. The most important players who had put shoulder to the wheel are:
the former Gup (Mr Sherab Tenzin), the former Chimi, the Ngajay (Tshogpa) of Yaragla.
The school was formally inaugurated in 1998 by the former DEO, Mr Tshongpon
Wangdi.
After the inauguration, the school was started by Ms . Yeshi Lhamo (a temporary
teacher) with the total of 16 students in class PP. She taught vigorously till 18th
December 1998.
In the following year, the school was taken over by another temporary teacher, Mr
Khamsang Dorji. He worked seriously for half a year till mid June, 1999. He was
replaced by Mr Laikey Dorji, a temporary teacher. He took over the charge of the school
from mid June to 18th December 1999.
Unfortunately, the year 2000 came as a deep disappointment for the people of Yarangla.
The school remained closed and the children had to remain at home- all because there
was no teacher to teach them!
When the present head teacher joined the school in 2001, the school had been closed for
one year. He reopened the school with a total enrolment of 24 children. He was assisted
by a temporary teacher, Mr Ugyen Kezang who worked in the school for a year.
In the following year, 2002, the head teacher was joined by a B.Ed. apprentice teacher,
Mr Pema Kindril. The total student strength then was 20 children in two classes of PP
and III.
By 2003, the school had classes ranging from PP to III with a total enrolment of 30
students which was comparatively more than the previous year. Another, B.Ed
apprentice teacher (Mr Dorji Drakpa) joined the school.
This year, 2004, the total enrolment of the school is 30. The school is proud to say that
during the past few years of the present head teacher's tenure, it has been able to help
both the children and the community in terms of understanding the value of education.
The first batch of class three students graduated in 2003.
The two consecutive years of 1998 and 1999 was a testing time for the school. The
school was administrated by temporary teachers who had less managerial skills. They
had to struggle hard to run the school. The school was externally well completed, but it
did not have enough facilities like stationeries, furniture and office equipment. The
teacher had to get basic needs like text books, chalk etc. from other sister schools.
However, after the present head teacher's joining the school in 2001, the school was able
to get enough facilities like stationeries, sports goods and office equipment such as type
writer and duplicating machine.
At present, the school carries out various activities such as football, throwball,
volleyball, carom, chinese checker games. Besides, the school conducts cultural
activities which in turn inculcate values in the children and help conserve tradition and
culture. Moreover, the school will be soon provided WFP facilities as per the Dasho
Dzongda's verbal approval. Though the school does not have infrastructure like
administrative block, library room and storeroom, we are sailing on an even keel. We can
safely say that one day, the school will be the bringer of hope and aspiration to the
community.
Before the establishment of this school, the parents of this locality encountered a lot of
inconvenience in terms of admission of their children in school. They had to take their
children to far away school. They even had to carry ration for their children. Around
80% of the children were, therefore, left at home partly because of the above difficulties
and partly because of the parents' lack of proper understanding of the value of
education. With the establishment of this school, the community has benefited in many
ways. The foremost benefits are: The parents really understood the value of education
and its consequences. Secondly, the parents need not have to take their children to far
away school to receive early education and they need not have to reach ration for them.
Thirdly, they got an opportunity to admit their children at right time and at right age.
As of now, the students of this school have not made a single contribution to the nation.
But, we hope that they would certainly serve the Tsawasum with full dedication and
loyalty when they grow up to be the men and women of the country.
Our school Vision: The temple of quality education.
In order to realize our dream, our school has formulated the following strategies:







Develop Infrastructures
Furnish the school with resources
Provision of efficient teachers.
Creating conducive learning environment
Increase enrolment
Inculcate values and wholesome education
Upgrade the school till class VI.
Our school is commonly known for two excellent features. Firstly, it is known for view
point. From this place we can catch sight of wonderful scenery of different Dzongkhags
such as Trashigang, Pemagatshel, Chhimung, Kheng, Monggar and even the confluence
of Dangme chhu and Kurichu. Secondly, this school is known for offering a bird's eye
view of the community.
PARO DZONGKHAG
National Institute of Education, Paro
Name of the Institute: National Institute of Education, Paro.
Year of Establishment: November 4, 1975 as pre-school care training centre upgraded
to TTC and then to NIE, Paro.
Location: Located in three different campuses- Nyamizampa, Chhimi Dingkha
Basic Information
Vision
The National Institute of Education in Paro shall envisage being a place for excellence in
all its tasks such as teacher education, and research in the region.
Mission
Our mission is to promote the unique Bhutanese culture and ensure its benefits for
posterity while at the same time developing in the learners a sense of loyalty and
dedication towards maintaining the national identity and sovereignty. Our main
challenge is to play a leading role in promoting wholesome education in the kingdom of
Bhutan.
The Aims
a. To provide up-to-date and challenging curriculum materials to schools;
b. To ensure effective delivery of curricular programmes in schools;
c. To provide pre-service teacher education to meet the teacher requirements in the
country;
d. To conduct practical research to improve curriculum delivery in the schools.
e. To facilitate professional development for in-service teachers through various
INSET programmes.
Guiding principles





Responsibility towards the learners: Our first responsibility is to provide
student-teachers with the best possible professional training. We strive to make
them highly competent and dedicated teachers.
The principle of ethics: We practise strict adherence to the code of ethics for
teachers. We must also create opportunities for our student-teachers to learn by
examples at all times in their personal as well professional growth.
Strive for higher standards: We strive to attain a higher standard of quality in
our work. This will also serve as a mode for student-teachers to emulate as
teachers later.
Cultivate positive attitude: We strive to cultivate positive attitudes and love for
the work at hand through practices and personal examples. These endeavours, we
believe, will enhance the promotion of wholesome education.
Mutual respect and cooperation: As a community of educators and learners, we
are guided by our conviction that the practice of mutual respect, cooperation,
social responsibilities and excellence are pertinent values. To this end, we
recognize creative and innovative leadership and initiatives in all individuals.
Pre-service Teacher Education by Courses
No.
01
02
03
Courses
Primary
Teacher
Certificate
(PTC)
Bachelor of
Education
(Primary &
Secondary)
Zhungkha
Teachers
Certificate
(ZTC)
Eligible
Class X Selection
Test.
Duration
+2 yrs
2003 total
317 (151)
Course ended
in Dec.2003.
Class XII
Selection Test
+3 yrs
250 (B.Ed)
Class X +
Selection Test.
2 yrs
6.6 (33)
Course ended
in Dec. 2003
Teaching Staff at NIE (as of October 2004)
Subject area No.
Professional
Studies
Language
Maths
4
Science
Social Studies
Physical Edn. 3
Volunteers
Art Education 1
Total
Remarks
13
3 UNB (1 graduated)
13
1 joined UNB
1 UNB
3
1 UNB
1
1
Physical Education
39
CAPSD teach one-third of their time.
The Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD)
Goals




Establish and promote a culture of inquiry and research in the education system.
Conduct and support conduct of practical research in the classroom practices of
the curricular programmes.
Provide a forum for publication of educational research works. Support
professional development of teachers.
Advise the CAPSD and schools in curriculum development and implementation
Student Projection (9th Plan)
Courses
PTC
ZTC
B.Ed. P.
B.Ed. Z
B.Ed. S
PGCE
Sub-Total
M.Ed.
Diploma
2003
170
38
280
95
73
2004
2005
2006
2007
352
134
213
656
18
699
35
100
408
171
283
35
897
55
200
385
210
350
35
980
75
100
420
210
350
35
1015
95
100
DE.
Grand
Total
647
35
869
70
1222
105
1260
140
1350
Future
I
I. Hardware







IT and library expansion
Faculty building for 58 staff
Gymnasium in the sports complex
Auditorium of 320 capacity
Apartment for visiting professors
Turn old campus into science education centre
Students’ hostels.
II. Software










Development of ICT competencies
Improving professional qualifications of teacher-educators
Improving quality of primary and secondary teacher education
Developing NIE(s) into centres of excellence in teacher education
Continue present link and establish more links
Diversify pre-service courses
Diversify in-service courses for teachers (management, distance education(pedagogic, academic)
Research assignments (to participate in the university)
Quality assurance of courses offered
Enhance quality of teacher educators
The Royal University of Bhutan






NIE, Paro, has become one of the Faculties of Education of the Royal University
of Bhutan.
The University will administer the quality of staff and programmes at the NIE.
Current working relationship with Ministry of Education will basically remain the
same.
NIEs serve the interest of Education System in supporting basic education.
Pre-service and in-service teacher education is the main responsibility.
Curriculum development for schools and research works at NIE Paro are for the
education system in the kingdom.
A brief historical perspective
Like all beginnings of existence, NIE, Paro, took a very humble birth on that momentous
day of November 4, 1975. With only eight trainees in the present-day Rinpung Primary
School campus, the goal then was to prepare and groom teachers in Early Childhood
Education as the course title "Pre-School Care Training Centre" suggested. The
programme was jointly initiated by the Education Department and UNICEF with the
adviser, Ms Vareena Ritter, from Switzerland working in close partnership with the
Bhutanese.
In the following year, a school for demonstration was established. It was
geared towards national counterpart. To make the training more practice-oriented, a
demonstration school was also established in the following year. For about a decade, the
programme continued training pre-school teachers with an entry qualification of grade
eight for the two-year course.
With the experience of a decade, the urge to step up the training programme was felt
more intensely, which ultimately ushered in the development of a joint PTC curriculum
along with the NIE, Samtse, in 1985. The introduction of the PTC course also raised the
entry qualification to class ten and the nomenclature of the institute to Teacher Training
College (TTC). This up-gradation invited a second commitment from the UNICEF to
contribute towards strengthening the building up of its infrastructure facilities and
consequently the present-day CAPSD office campus at Rinpung together with the
auditorium was completed in 1988.
Another new chapter was added to its history when the institute embarked on further
uplift of its academic profile through the introduction of an eighteen-month regular
Zhungkha Teacher's Certificate course in 1993. It was the first ever course of its type
launched in the country. Soon after, in the same year, Phase III construction- which
included the Dining Hall, two hostel blocks and the new academic complex- was started
with assistance from SDC.
The year 1999 marked yet another historic milestone for the institute with the
completion of the new academic complex, and the event gained more significance with
the royal presence of Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck as the chief guest for
its
inaugural ceremony. The year also saw the first batch of B.Ed Primary
candidates both for Dzongkha and English enrolled. The student number now escalated
to 445!
The succeeding year, 2000, also ushered in similar, if not more, momentous events
when the CAPSD (then Thimphu-based) shifted to the institute campus. The institute
was upgraded to National Institute of Education and the Internet and Computer
Education courses were launched. This time, the occasion was graced by yet another
royal member, Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck. The year 2001 added a few
more feathers to the NIE hat with the establishment of the Centre for Educational
Research
and Development. Subsequently, the M.Ed. programme for principals and
heads of schools as well as a three-year part time diploma in Educational Management
for heads of lower secondary and primary schools were introduced.
With the dawn of 2002, the NIE student turn-over rose to 633, along with a
proportionate increase in the number of teaching faculty. The institute took up the
challenge of offering a variety of elective courses in various disciplines such as ICT,
mathematics, history and physical education in addition to the initial B.Ed Primary
stream.
The January 2003 looked at another additional feature- the in-service DE programme
(distance education mode) for Dzongkha language teachers.
Ironically, its later phase experienced a brutal thrust in the history of nation, as it was
forcefully dragged into war with the Indian insurgent groups from the states of Assam
and West Bengal. The event worked to momentarily threaten the stability of the nation,
yet it paradoxically shook the nation to more wakefulness.
On November 22, 2003, just a week before leading the troops into battle, His Majesty the
King granted an audience to the institute and made a very inspiring speech on the
theme the state of the Nation on the verge of a war, the profundity and depth of
which deeply stirred the hearts and minds of every member of the institute.
The institute is also proud to have hosted many educational activities of national
importance such as the 5th, 6th, and 7th Annual Education Conferences consecutively
for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, and on May 26, 2004, it hosted for the first time the
2nd University Council Meeting.
In the span of over a quarter century, from a humble beginning of with eight students
and a couple of teachers, the institute today boasts of having sent forth a total of 1542
teacher-graduates- almost a third of the national teaching force.
Presently, the institute's prospective plans promise to increase the student enrolment to
hit a thousand students by the year 2007. The infrastructure facilities are being rapidly
expanded with a Phase IV construction support from SDC (Helvetas) and this will be
markedly distinct with the completion of work underway which includes a computer lab,
library, faculty offices, a lecture theatre, a science laboratory, an apartment for visiting
professors, increased residential capacity for student accommodation and an
auditorium.
A major curriculum review and revision work also started from this year under the STEP
project, which is under progress. A comprehensive Staff Development Plan-both for short
and long-term courses- has been drawn up and finalized.
Such rapid progressive growth clearly shows that NIE, Paro, is moving forward towards
becoming the premier education institute of
this nation.
Drukgyel Higher Secondary School
The present school is an offshoot of the erstwhile Paro High School, which had to be
relocated to a new site after a dreadful landslide hit it in 1986, causing a major damage.
This is a product of a close partnership between the royal government of Bhutan and the
British government. The foundation stone for the construction of the school was laid in
December 1991. Most of the work was completed by 1994.
The total cost incurred in the construction of the school amounted to 1.05 million pound
sterling (roughly Nu. 62 million), which was exclusively British government's ODA
(Overseas Development Agency) grant to the Royal Government. The school was
inaugurated on ApriI 7, 1994 by the then British High Commissioner to India, Sir
Nicholas Fenn in the presence of high-ranking government officials of the RGoB. When a
child is born, it has its keyka. When the school was born on April 17, 1994, it was
named Drukgyel High School.
The first principal was Ms Namgay Om, the present Director of National Institute of
Education, Paro. She ran this institute for five years before she joined RIM. The second
principal, Mr Wangchuk Namgyel, the present DEO of Paro Dzongkhag, maneuvered the
school to new heights from 1999 to 2002. The third principal, Ms Deki Tshering Tiala,
was in Drukgyel for the academic year 2003. Today, Mr Karma Dorji leads the school as
the fourth principal.
Location
Drukgyel Higher Secondary School is located in Jitsephu village of Tsentok Gewog, at a
distance of 12 km from Paro main, at the upper end of Paro valley. As one drives from
Paro town along the left bank of Pachhu, one crosses Kyichu Lhakhang. The road ends
at Drukgyel Dzong -one of the most historic, ruined fortresses, which is under protection
now. It is only three kilometres from the school. The holy monastery, Taktshang, faces
the school almost directly across Pachhu. Jhomolhari mountain peeps shyly from
further north, fanning Drukgyel constantly with her fresh air. The actual site of the
school slopes gradually from the Drukgyel Dzong-Paro road to the river in a
southeasterly direction. Next to the High School site, across the fence, is located
Drukgyel Lower Secondary School.
The Historical Significance of its Location
The school bears the name of the Dzong as well as our country Druk, and for an
appropriate reason. Drukgyel Dzong which literally means the Fortress of the Victorious
Drukpas is distinctively visible from the school at a stone-throw distance. It was here
that the Bhutanese under the Great Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel had defeated the
Tibetans in 1644. Therefore, the fortress was built, not only to commemorate the famous
victory but also to curb further Tibetan incursions in the future. Today, our school has
derived its name from the Dzong, reminding every Bhutanese of a great historical
achievement of our country in the distant past. Roughly translated, Druk = Bhutan and
Gyel= Victorious. Aptly the school's motto is 'Ever Victorious'.
Evolution through the Years
The school has, perhaps, one of the biggest compounds in the kingdom with 43 acres of
land. The school has an extensive agricultural land that is productively used by the
School Agricultural Programme.
The school construction works began in the year 1991. The infrastructural facilities
such as administrative office, classrooms, staff room, library, playground, dining hall,
staff quarters and students' cottages were completed by the beginning of 1994 and the
school began with 399 students and 24 teachers on March 10, 1994. Since then, 7th
April is always marked as the School Foundation Day during which the school
councilors and captains are conferred badges and the first round of School Management
Board meeting is held. Till now, the school has seen 1698 students graduate from class
X. The courses for classes XI and XII began in the year 1997 onwards and 672 students
graduated from the school till date.
Within a decade, the school has emerged as one of the leading and reputed learning
centres in the kingdom. Ever since its establishment, the school has grown into an
exemplary school, looked up to and envied by many other schools. It has become a
dream of many Bhutanese youth to get admission into this school. The school has a
unique culture and a sound management system. It firmly believes in the government
policy of decentralization and the shared responsibility of every individual member
towards the development of the school. Year 2002 was a landmark in the school's
history when the school saw its remarkable achievement in ISC results -Drukgyel Higher
Secondary School reserved all 11 slots available for MBBS. To crown it, 248 students
who sat BCSE in 2003 brought 100 percent pass results. 113 students qualified for
class XI: 69 in Science; 37 in Commerce and 7 in Humanities. Ms Chimi Wangmo stood
second with an aggregate percentage of 91.60 at the national level.
Presently the school is following the educational endeavour with a team of 31 committed
teachers headed by a very dynamic leader, Mr Karma Dorji, fully supported by 20
support staff, providing education to 753 students: 486 boarders and 267 day scholars.
One of its unique annual features is the publication of a teacher-journal called Drukgyel
Lopen Muensel where faculty members of the school contribute articles based on their
minor researches, reflections, observations and some of the useful tips on teaching
profession acquired by them through their experiences in the profession. Another
important feature of the school is the Comprehensive School Agriculture Programme
which offers the learners an opportunity to know their integral root- agriculture, part of
Bhutanese livelihood. Apart from these, the school has myriad other wholesome aspects
all geared towards the all-round development of the future citizens and leaders of the
country. The school faculty members are divided and grouped under different Subject
Units where they are encouraged to interact and discuss freely among the unit members
the issues pertaining to their subjects, teaching methodologies and information etc. This
is a unique culture of the school and it is given due importance by the school.
The school continues to live by its motto, Ever Victorious, guided by the principles of its
vision and mission. Last, but not least, the school aspires to remain as one of the best
higher secondary schools in the country, providing quality wholesome education to the
youth of Bhutan.
Some of the outstanding teachers who worked and who have been working in this school
in their various capacities are given below:
1. Mr Som Gurung: Mr Som Gurung joined this school on March 1, 994 as a teacher.
He was promoted to the post of vice principal in the year 2002. He is a very committed
and efficient educationist. He contributed much to the building of this school
academically. He is now undergoing M.Sc in Physics at JNU in Delhi.
2. Lopon Namgay Phuntsho: Transferred from Chukha High School in 1994, served as
warden and assistant principal for pastoral care in the school till 2003. Because of his
hard work and dedication, he was deputed to escort four students from the school to
Japan in December 2003. He contributed much in disciplining the students in a
Bhutanese way, though not in guru kul method that existed in the past. He went on
transfer to Lobesa Lower Secondary School as assistant head teacher recently. On his
transfer, he was awarded a Trashi Khadar and a citation by the Dzongkhag in
recognition of his dedicated service to the school.
3. Mr Tenzin Dorji: Also transferred from Chukha in 1994, served the school as
warden. He was transferred from the school as head teacher of Rangthangwong Lower
Secondary School and now he is the Principal of Nima Higher Secondary School.
4. Ms Kezang C. Dorji: Joined in 1994 as a teacher after completing M.A in English
abroad. She was transferred to Samdrupjongkhar Middle Secondary School as principal
in 1998.
5. Ms Tshering Dolkar: Joined in 1995 as a teacher, served in her capacity as matron.
She was transferred to YGCD and now she is the Joint Director of Career Division.
6. Mr Kinga Drakpa: Transferred from Zhemgang HSS as the second vice principal
replacing Mr G. Simon. He was sent to Damphu MSS as principal and now he is DEO of
Dagana Dzongkhag.
7. Mr Tshewang Rinzin: Joined in 1994 as a teacher, was transferred to Samtse Lower
Secondary School as head teacher in 1997. He served as principal of Zhemgang Higher
Secondary School from 1999 to 2001. He was now DEO of Chukha Dzongkhag and is
the Dungpa of Werringla, Monggar.
8. Mr Namgay Tshering: Joined in 1995 as a teacher, was transferred to Sherubling
Middle Secondary School as principal in 2000. Presently he is working as DEO of
Wangdue Dzongkhag.
9. Mr Ugyen Dendup: Joined in 1994 as a teacher, was transferred to Sherubtse
College as a lecturer in 1997 and he is still there as a lecturer.
10. Ms Tshering Y. Nidup: She joined the school as a teacher in 1997 and was
transferred to NIE, Paro, as a lecturer.
11. Mr Karma Drukpa: Transferred to Sherubtse College as a lecturer in 2000. He still
serves as a lecturer at Sherubtse.
12. Mr Kezang Tshering: Joined as a teacher in 1997, was transferred to NIE, Paro, as
a lecturer.
13. Mr K.C. Jose: Joined on transfer from Shaba Lower Secondary School in 1997, was
transferred to NIE, Paro, as an English lecturer in 2002.
14. Mr A.K.S Rana: Worked as a teacher and was transferred to NIE, Samtse, as a
lecturer in History in 1994.
15. Mr Kuenzang Gyeltshen: Joined in 2001 as a teacher, was transferred to NIE,
Samtse, as a lecturer after completing his Masters Degree in 2003.
16. Mr B.B. Mishra: A very dedicated teacher who contributed much to the growth of
the school has resigned for good in the beginning of 2004. He is now working as a
programme officer in JICA, Thimphu. On his resignation, he was also awarded a Trashi
Khadar and a citation by the Dzongkhag for his dedicated service.
17. Mr N.T. Dorji: One of the pioneers who joined in 1994 continues to serve the school
as a teacher (English and Economics), Career Focal Teacher, Focal Teacher for Parenting
Education and also coordinates games and sports in the school.
18. Mr Bhoj Raj Rai: One of the senior-most teachers is a very efficient teacher liked by
the taught for his ingeniousness. He is a resource person for Laboratory Management
Course [NBIP] and coordinates School Photography Club. An exemplary teacher, he is
still in the school giving his best to the learners.
There are many other deeply committed teachers.
Some of the alumni and their current positions are given below.
1. Mr Sonam Gyeltshen: One of the first batch students who passed out in 1995. After
passing out from Sherubtse College, he sat RCSC Officers Selection Examinations in
2001 and got through it. He is now working as the ADM officer of Pemagatshel
Dzongkhag.
2.
Mr Karma Lhendup: An alumnus of the school is currently working as a statistical
officer, Ministry of Education, Thimphu.
3. Mr Kiran Mahat: He did B.Sc Agriculture after graduating from this school and is
now working in the Ministry of Agriculture.
4. Ms Jigme Zangmo: She underwent B.Sc Nursing after graduating from this school
and presently she is working in the Ministry of Health.
5. Mr Yeshi Jamtsho: An alumnus of the school is now a Lieutenant, RBP.
6. Mr Tashi Tshering: He passed out from the school in 1995 and did his Plus Two and
degree courses at Sherubtse College. He is now working as a programme coordinator
with WWF, Thimphu.
7. Ms Dechen Wangmo: A second batch student of this school, did her Degree Course
at Sherubtse College and she is currently working as an English teacher in the same
school.
8. Ms Sangay Choden: She was one of the first batch students of this school who
passed out in 1995. She also did her Plus Two and Degree Courses at Sherubtse College.
She took RCSC Examinations in 2001 and got through it. She is currently working in
Revenue and Customs, Thimphu.
9. Ms Kezang Choden: A first batch student sat RCSC Officers Selection Examinations
in 2001 and was selected. She is now working in the Ministry of Labour and
Employment as HRD officer.
10. Mr Karma Tenzin: He passed out in 1996 and presently works in RBA, Shaba Wing
as Lieutenant.
11. Ms Tashi Choden: A second batch student is now working at the Centre for Bhutan
Studies.
12. Ms Sangay Wangmo: Also a second batch student of this school, she took RCSC
Officers Selection Examinations and got through it. She is currently working as planning
officer, PPD, Ministry of Education, Thimphu.
Statement of the School's Vision and Mission
Vision
Drukgyel Higher Secondary School is envisioned to be the centre of academic excellence.
The school believes that the education process must be rooted in country's tradition and
culture. To that end, the school aspires to inculcate in its client the 'ever victorious'
spirit by being moulded into citizens of sound character, balanced personality, inner
discipline and strength, dedicated to duty and work and possessing patriotic outlook.
The Mission
Drukgyel Higher Secondary School is committed to produce well-informed skilled,
responsible, loyal, dedicated and productive citizens by providing effective teachinglearning atmosphere, incorporating wholesome education. Ingrained in our motto of ever
victorious is the spirit of excellence and competition that the school will strive to instill
in the minds of learners.
Kuenga Higher Secondary School (private)
Kuenga Higher Secondary School is located in Doteng, approximately 6 km from Paro
town. It is situated between two beautiful rivulets and many religious sites. Since it is
located away from the maddening crowd, it provides a conducive atmosphere for
teaching and learning.
The hard toil for the construction of this school took place 3 years ago. The former
proprietor of the school, Mr Ugyen Phuntsho, took approximately 3 years of hard and
labourious work and unwavering effort to complete the school. At present, we have 12classroom academic block, a multipurpose hall, six dormitories for girls and six blocks
for boys’ hostel, principal's quarters, 4-unit teachers quarters, 3 semi-permanent
quarters for warden, matron and mess in-charge, a volleyball court, football ground and
a swimming pool. In the month of June, the family of Kuenga Higher Secondary School
saw a change in the ownership. Mr Sonam Tobgay from Drukgyel bought the school and
is our new proprietor. After he took over the school, he constructed prayer wheel, school
gate, basketball court, retaining wall, four staff quarters, lawn tennis court,
administrative block and a swimming pool.
Staff Statistics
Administration:



Principal, Mr Dorji Tshering
Assistant Principal, Mr Gopal Pradhan
Mr Pema Tashi (Warden and Dzongkha teacher)
Senior teachers from Khaling:



Mr Viswanathan
Mr Babu B V
Ms Tulasa Chhetri
Bhutanese Teachers



Mr Pema Tashi
Ms Sureshna Giri
Mr Karma Norbu
Newly recruited teachers from Kerala (India)





Mr Ganeshan
Mr Santosh
Mr Jayakrishan C
Mr Rejin
Mr Jayaraj CK
School Management Board





Proprietor (Mr Sonam Tobgay)
Principal (Mr Dorji Tshering)
General Manager (Ms Sonam Choden)
Assistant Principal, academics (Mr Gopal Pradhan)
Assistant Principal, co-curricular (Mr Pema Tashi)

Parents representatives (2 members)
How the institute will evolve over the years
Vision
The institute promises to mould productive citizens who will serve the Tsawasum with
utmost loyalty and dedication.


●



Produce excellent academic result
Provide wholesome education to students
School has a vision to upgrade the present school to a degree college with
different course such as: a) Honours in English, History and other Arts
subjects+Commerce. b) Hotel Management, Interior Decoration, Fashion
Designing etc.
Make it the best and the highly renowned institute in the country
Attract international students to this school for schooling
Create a competitive environment for the students in the field of academic and
co-curricular activities such as games and sports, literary etc.
The community will highly benefit from this institute as they do not have to send their
children away from the country. Sending their children outside has a lot of risk factors
such as,




Emotional break-up
Indulgence in a bad habit and company
Financial problems
Adjustment in the new society and environment
Student and staff strength


Teaching staff: 13 including principal and assistant principals.
Non-teaching staff: 11 (consisting of office assistant, librarian, computer
assistant, cooks, cleaners, security guard, bus driver and a plumber)
Some of the Distinctive Features of the Institute
The institute is known for its dynamic teaching faculty, a strict and reputed principal,
hostels with good facilities and a responsible management.
The school likes to be remembered as Kuenga, meaning "Happiness for every one".
Mission

The school places a strong emphasis on values like patriotism through strict
discipline. Classes like values education and cultural clubs could help promote
this.

The school works in collaboration with the Royal University of Bhutan and the
Education Ministry and looks at possibilities of introducing degree courses.

The school also keeps on improving its facilities while at the same time produces
excellent results.
School Motto: Forward and Upward
School would move forward despite any hurdles and reach the zenith of success in
education.
School Colour: Blue and white
Blue signifies clear vision to move forward in life and also denotes acquisition of
knowledge as vast as the blue sky and the ocean.
White signifies innocence and purity of both the teachers and the taught (purity of mind
and purity in action). Like any other government school in the country, KHSS also has
introduced various committees which include:
Admission Committee: responsibilities




Prepare admission policy

Recording students’ bio-data in the admission register and giving students and
class teacher and admission forms

Prepare students requirement form, which would include information on
uniform, fee, items to be brought/bought etc.

Advertisement and publicity
Prepare admission forms
Collect and verify document during admission
Students fee including ISC fee (Nu. 1200/- for class XII and Nu. 500/ for class
XI)
Examination Committee: responsibilities










Conduct examinations
Correspondence with BBE, Council, parents etc.
Students registration (Council)
Procuring stationeries for ISC Examinations
Preparing school time table (period distribution) and school timing
Assessment of student’s work, examination paper, annual answer scripts
Ensuring quality in the question paper; prepare blueprint
Students progress report card
Preparing tabulated result sheet for future reference
Inform parents about students' academic performance
Promotion Committee: responsibilities


Prepare promotion policy
Conduct promotion meeting
Discipline Committee: responsibilities




Prepare Teacher’s Code of Conduct
Prepare proper corrective measures according to offence
School rules and regulations
Maintain discipline


Provide guidance and counseling
Inform parents, through the monthly letter, about their child’s conduct
Staff Recruitment Committee: responsibilities




Recruit staff as per post available and qualification and experience
Fix staff salary, incentive etc.
Decide on staff termination which should be substantiated with proper evidence
Contract agreement and contract agreement form
Besides the above-mentioned committees, the school has important clubs such as:






Health Club
Audio Visual Club
Cultural Club
Music Club
Literary Club
School Beautification Club etc.
As we progress with our vision, we would adapt and modify things keeping in mind the
long-term interest of the students and the institute.
With sincere hope and aspiration, we will work together as a team to achieve the aims
and objectives set by the Ministry of Education. We will make KHSS such an institute
which each student will proudly call their alma mater.
Gaupay Middle Secondary School
Motto: I Will
Vision:
To produce honest, self-disciplined, responsible, co-operative and productive students
who would gear towards the task of nation building as just and loyal citizens.
Mission:




To uplift the academic standard of the students.
To provide adequate exposure to students through which they appreciate their
own culture and tradition.
To produce students who are morally sound, physically fit and socially
productive.
To produce students who are loving, respectful, dedicated and committed to their
parents, teachers and the Tsawasum.
Goals:

To enhance professional and academic qualification of teachers through
nomination for NBIP’s, DBIP’s, SBIP’s, Distance Education and assigning other
responsibilities to them in the school.




To evaluate and monitor students’ overall progress through various means such
as continuous assessment, tests, examinations and other curricular activities.
To organise co-curricular activities classwise, housewise and open to all.
To incorporate career counselling and guidance and values in all the formal
subjects.
To develop in students awareness of environment conservation through various
club activities in the school.
Shaba Middle Secondary School
The vision of the school is "Centre for quality education in the kingdom."
The mission of the school is "To strive and never to yield till the potential of every
individual is explored to its fullest through quality wholesome education."
Shaba Middle Secondary School is an offshoot of the former Shaba High
School. The school is located above the highway and Wang's Sawmill, which is 13 km
from Paro town.
The enrolment pressure in the former high school led to the establishment of a new
school. Shaba High School was congested and could not accommodate the growing
number of students. This issue was deliberated in the 71st session of the National
Assembly. After a long debate, it was finally resolved that a new school would be
constructed under Shaba gewog.
In the late 1990’s, His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup visited the Shaba gewog. He
held a meeting with the public and asked the gup, chimi and the Dzongkhag to look for
an appropriate place to build the school. The group selected three places viz, Shaba Bara
beside river, below Yetog Gonpa and present Lower Secondary School. However, it was
found none of these places were good for the construction of a school.
Since an appropriate place could not be found, it was nearly decided that the school
would be constructed under Woochu gewog. At that crucial moment, the present Chimi
Kinley Dorji agreed to give away his apple orchard to the government if he received the
cost of the apple trees that he had planted and a land substitute. The present gup who is
also the DYT chairperson was the main person who negotiated with His Excellency in
providing the land substitute in Shaba gewog. The public or Bara community was very
happy that a new school was coming up in their gewog and also agreed to share the
drinking water with the school because this area has only one water source. This is how
the school came up as it is today. The above information is collected from Mr Sonam
Tshering, the Shaba gup.
In brief His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup is the founder and architect of this
elegant school.
The school started to function from March 18, 2002 with classes IX and X. There were
327 students and 11 teachers and 9 support staff. The construction was also in full
swing. The school was run side by side with the construction company in mutual
understanding. For two months, students and teachers were without furniture and
green board. The furniture was made available in the classes only after mid-term break.
Today the school is equipped with good facilities. There are 18 teachers, 10 support staff
and 430 students. The school caters basic education and it especially is very beneficial
for Shaba gewog.
The partial handing-taking was done on March 16, 2002 and the structures included
were two buildings of eight classrooms, one administrative block, two toilet blocks and
one head teacher's quarters. The main reason for taking over the blocks before the
completion of the construction was due to enrollment explosion in 2002. The former
school ran short of five classrooms and had to cater to two feeder schools viz., Woochu
Lower Secondary School and extended classes in the RBA compound.
Since we Bhutanese are very religious and superstitious, when the school was shifted
here many parents were apprehensive about sending their children to the new school.
This belief was removed from them when His Holiness the Je Khenpo visited the new
school on September 27, 2002 to consecrate it. The consecration ceremony for new
school was performed and His Holiness also conferred tshewang (empowerment of
longevity) on the students and teachers. His Holiness's visit was one of the great
landmarks in the history of our school. Both the teachers and the students were
overwhelmed by the blessing from His Holiness.
One of the distinctive features of this school is that it is a gateway to Paro town. A visitor
coming to Paro would first see our school before any part of Paro Dzongkhag. Another
feature of our school is that it has a private boarding facility, first of its kind in the
country where the government runs the school but the private entrepreneur runs the
boarding facility. The private boarding facility started in 2004 academic session with 13
students residing in it. One of the unique features of this school is that it is very windy.
Our school is located in the windward direction. The most pleasant time in our school is
during the summer season. Except for the summer season, it is very windy here.
Mr Sherab Phuntshok was the first principal of this school. He is the current DEO of
Punakha. Mr DK Pradhan is the present principal of the school. Our school is just two
years old. The first batch of students of the school would be in PU final year at present.
Though we cannot boast about our alumni like other schools whose alumni hold very
high posts, we are sure that our students in their limited capacity would surely hold
some positions in the future.
When the school was first shifted to the present location, both the teachers and the
students had a difficult time. Since the teachers’ quarters were not ready, all the
teachers came from the former school, which is three and half kilometers from the
school. Every day they came to the school with their pack lunch. Sometimes, when they
could not catch a vehicle to come to the school, they walked. In the month of March, the
school area was very windy. Because of the construction activities which were still
underway, the area was enveloped in dust and sands. The construction activities made a
lot of noise and disturbed the classes.
In the school, there was no furniture and even black board was not available. The
teachers used chart papers and newsprint papers instead of blackboards. The students
sat on the floor and teachers stood standing till the end of the school hours. The staff
room was empty without any furniture. The students came to the school on bus. Some
students bought bicycles and rode to the school. For the first few months of the year,
both the teachers and students really suffered. Despite all these difficulties the school
still ran smoothly. This was because, first, the number of students was small (only CI-IX
and X). Secondly, we had a few and competent teachers.
In the month of April 2003, Nature Club of the school planted some trees around the
school. This was done in line with the school's motto of school greening.
After a few months, the school got its furniture. Our long wait was worth it for in the end
we got a set of very good quality furniture both for the teachers and students. The
teachers' chairs and tables are more special with attached locker. Then the four units of
the teachers’ quarters were handed over to the school. Since the number of teachers was
small, there was not much rush for the quarters. This was the time of celebration.
In the first year, the principal and the teachers were more concerned about the studies
of the students. After the mid-term, the teachers sat together to analyze the result and
to discuss the ways to improve the students’ performance. They decided to have
remedial classes after the 8th period. During this period, the teachers would give more
attention to the weaker students. The study went on till November. The teachers and
students’ hard work was fruitfully rewarded. The school had a good result in BBE in
spite of all the troubles it faced in that year.
The year 2003 was another landmark in the history of Shaba Middle Secondary School.
On May 8, 2003, our school was inaugurated by His Excellency J.F Wolfehnson, the
World Bank president. Our school was funded by the World Bank at the cost Nu
2,71,86045.26. There was a grand celebration on that day. Many dignitaries visited the
school. They were impressed by the construction. The president gifted a sum of $500
with which the school bought some library books.
From the academic session 2004, one section each of class VII and VIII from Shaba
Lower Secondary School is transferred to our school. In Shaba Lower Secondary School,
construction work was going on. There was accommodation shortage by two classrooms
there whereas our school has some classrooms unoccupied.
Our school has its own dreams and aspirations. As has been mentioned, since our
school is located right on the Thimphu-Paro highway, we need to strive to be the best
school. As for the buildings and the constructions, we have a good example of a best
school. In the future we hope that our school will be upgraded to higher secondary level.
We can still accommodate a good number of students in pre-university level. The private
boarding facilities would attract a lot of students from the other parts of the country to
our school hence removing the admission pressure in the urban schools like Thimphu.
At present, though we have planted a good number of trees, they are too small to give
protection against wind. But after a few years, we will see greenery around the school.
The tall trees would also help in reducing the wind velocity. This would create a
conducive atmosphere for learning. With our school's mission and vision clearly stated,
we hope to strive to attain our goal. And we foresee the Shaba alumni doing their best to
serve the Tsawasum.
Bitekha Lower Secondary School
As one moves westward from the crossroads at Chuzom, a narrow road ribbons its way
through the skyscraper-like pines and beautiful verdant valleys. As one moves along,
one sees bewitching and breathtaking sights. Then, the road leads one across a sparsely
inhabited village. Finally, when the road descends a valley, one catches sight of a small
settlement nestled in the valley. This is Bitekha Lower Secondary School.
The school is located at a strategic location within the easy reach of every village in the
valley. The school is approximately 75 km drive from Paro town and about 47 km from
Chuzom. The school was established in1962 with the special initiative and command of
His Majesty, the late king Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
Today, this school boasts a large campus and an excellent playground. Bitekha Lower
Secondary School is easily accessible by road. The school and the old Bitey Dzong lie
near the winding road. The historic Dzong in the past had stretched its arms of
command far and wide. Now, like a faithful servant, it serves as the boys’ hostel.
In its embryonic stage, the school was run by the local Tsip Rinchen Gyaltshen, who was
learned and talented in his own way. This school began its long journey towards the
well-being of people and the country with barely 20 odd students and a single
inexperienced teacher.
Besides this, the school underwent an unusual metamorphosis under the iron hands of
versatile and dynamic head teachers:
1. Tsip Rinchen Gyaltshen (1962-1963)
1. Mr Jai Singh (1963-1966)
2. Mr Basee Deshwall (1966-1969)
3. Mr Jai Singh (1969-1970)
4. Mr Subba (1970-1977)
5. Mr Tshering Nidup (1977-1983)
6. Mr B. B. Gurung (1983-1988)
7. Mr Kinley Penjor (1988-1991)
8. Mr Dorji Dukpa (1991-2002)
10. Mr Dawa Tshering (2002-2002)
11. Mr Sonam Dorji (2002 - )
The above listed multi-faceted persons were and are the ones who spearheaded the
tremendous progress of this school. They were a dedicated group of brothers who strove
hard day in and day out for the fellow human beings and for the wholesome
development of this tiny school. They were selfless and true philanthropists. They were
true sons of a god who could turn sand into gold. Much has been achieved by them; yet
much remains to be achieved by their successors.
Currently, the school has enrolled 406 students in classes ranging from PP-VIII. 208 are
girls and 198 boys. There are 15 seasoned teachers who are said to be the citizen
moulders of the country.
Many years on, the dream of the founding father still echoes in everyone's heart in the
school. The dream manifests itself in the innocent, blissful giggles of our little children
who hold the key to the realization of the dream.
The school not only caters to the educational needs of this gewog but also some of the
villages under Chukha Dzongkhag namely, Chazhi, Bampoe and Paapuli.
Every year, the school sees a dramatic rise in student enrollment. But due to an acute
shortage of classrooms and teachers, many anxious and excited children have to be
turned away. Presently, there are 10 classrooms cramped to their capacity. The school
has been providing paid boarding facilities to the children from distant places. As of
now, there are 61 students benefited by this scheme. There are 29 boarder girls and 32
boarder boys in the school. The boys are putting up in the old Bitey Dzong and girls in a
small wooden cottage. The school now has a cook and a small kitchen, a carpeted
refectory floor and a mini-library for the budding writers, doctors and engineers.
The school draws its indomitable strength from the inspirational words of His Majesty:
The future of the nation lies in the hands of the youth. To live up to his expectation and
fulfill his dreams of good and prosperous nation with strong sense of culture and
tradition, all of us are working hard with dedication and loyalty. The present generation
of young and energetic Bhutanese youth is indeed potential leaders of this nation. They
are inexhaustible wealth of nation. The school strives hard to realize His Majesty’s
precious dreams and ideologies and make real his profound dream of Gross National
Happiness.
So, to achieve these visionary goals of His Majesty the king, the school has adopted its
vision as:
An ideal learning centre imparting excellent basic wholesome education.
The school and its team of experts believe that the broad aim of Education for all can
only be achieved through this concrete vision. Our visionary king has repeatedly
emphasized in his public speeches the importance of education for all his citizens: The
essence of education is to give our people a better life, contribute in the nation building
processes, and help their families and friends. In our journey forward toward a better
future for the people of Bhutan, we have to draw wisdom and strength and inspiration
from the above-mentioned words of our beloved king.
Furthermore, to fulfill the ambitious goal of 100 percent literacy in the country, the
school has adopted its mission as: The school will continuously strive to produce
productive and competent students through the proper implementation of curriculum
and wholesome education along with a strong emphasis on our culture and tradition.
As this small school looks ahead into the unfathomable future, it sees greater
responsibilities awaiting her. But, she would not be intimidated. She would silently bear
the great yoke of responsibilities with faith and dedication for the grater good of Pelden
Drukpa.
Dawakha Lower Secondary School
Location
The school started as a primary school in the year 1966 at Dobji Dzong. The initial name
of the school was Dobji Primary School. The name was changed fairly recently. After one
year, the school was shifted to a village called Trashigang which is not far from the
Dzong. The school was run in a temporary shed for about three years in that village. It
was not feasible for the community to construct a permanent school there. Therefore,
the new site (the present site) was chosen for the permanent school. It was built during
the tenure of Dasho Sangay Penjor, the then Dzongkhag Education Officer of Paro
Dzongkhag. He was one of the first DEO's in the Education Department.
The name of the place where the school stands now is known as Lhakhang Zerkha. It is
unknown why the school did not take its name from the place of its location. Ironically
enough, the school took its name from Dawakha village despite the fact that the village
is 8 km away from the school.
Names of the heads in chronological order
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Sangay Tshering
Kalyan Kumar
Chencho Dorji
Sangay Dorji
1966-1972
1972-1976
1977-1980
1981-1985
5. Mr D.B. Chhetri
6. Mr Chencho Namgyal
7. Mr B.P. Nepal
8. Mr R. Sharma
9. Mr Kezang Norbu
10 Mr Sherab Dukpa
11. Mr Ugyen Nidup
12. Mr Kunzang Drukpa
1986-1987
1988-1989
1989-1990
1990-1991
1992-1994
1995-2000
2001-2002
2002…
Names of some outstanding teachers/educators
There is no record of such people. However, some prominent elders of this place consider
Mr Chencho Dorji, Mr Chencho Namgyal, the head teachers both, and Lopon Dawa, who
was a ZLT for about 11 years, as some of the outstanding teachers of the school. They
are chiefly remembered for their selfless dedication and service towards the development
of the school. It may be worth mentioning that Mr Chencho Dorji, Mr Chencho Namgyal
and Lopon Dawa are working as the Joint Director of Scouts and Cultural Education
Division, head teacher, Woochu LSS and Zhungkha Language Teacher, Shaba LSS,
Paro, respectively.
Names of some outstanding alumni and their current positions
While there may be many outstanding alumni holding important posts, in absence of
record, I could give the names of only a few who Mr Dhendu, an alumnus of this school,
knows and who I know personally.
Sl.No. Name
1. Mr Thrimchung Wangdi
2. Mr Chewang Jurmi
3. Mr Chencho Namgyal
4. Mr Kaka Drukpa
5. Mr Tandin
6. Ms Rinchen Dem
7. Mr Karma
8. Mr Dhendu
9. Mr Karma Dorji
10. Mr Pema Khandu
11. Mr Gyem Tshering
12. Mr Auchu
13. Mr Andu Tshering
14. Mr Dorji
15. Mr Galu Tshering
16. Mr Thinley
17. Mr Sangay Phub
18. Mr Dorji Phub
Current position
Manager, Quality Control, Druk Air Corporation
Principal, Sonam Kuenphen HSS, Bumthang
Head Teacher, Woochu LSS, Paro
Technician, HERM Unit, Health Ministry, Thimphu
ZLT, Darla MSS, Chukha
Head Teacher, Thimphu
BHW, Zhemgang
Former Section Officer, PWD
Project Engineer PWD
Gup, Dogar Gewog, Paro
General Manager, BPC, Thimphu
Engineer, BFFA, Thimphu
Head Teacher, Tsirang Dzongkhag
Head Mechanic, CHP
RBG Hospital, Thimphu
Instructor, Zorigchusum, Thimphu
Post Harvest Instructor, Agriculture
Programme Officer, Health Ministry
The evolution of the school and its benefits to the community
The school remained as a Primary School from 1966 to 2001. It was only in 2002 that
the school was upgraded to lower secondary level. In the past years, there was no school
in Chapcha gewog under Chukha Dzongkhag. So the school used to have many
students from this gewog. Until recently, this school was the only school in the whole
gewog (Dogar). The children of far-flung villages of Dogar gewog come to study here as
WFP boarders and the children of nearby villages study as day scholars. Since the
school was supplied with WFP facilities a long time back, many needy students from
other gewog and Dzongkhag have also been benefited. The first batch of 19 students
out of 20 students joined Drukgyel HSS in 2004 academic year after successfully
completing the LSSCE.
Staff and student strength
Staff
Teaching
10
Support
3
Cooks
2
Caretaker
1
Students
Sl. No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Class
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Boys
22
22
23
22
11
23
18
19
18
178
Girls
21
24
29
17
15
26
17
27
18
194
Total
43
46
52
39
26
49
35
46
36
372
The School’s Vision
Our vision for the future is to make the school an ideal place for teaching and learning.
The school will continuously strive to deliver wholesome education giving more emphasis
on academic excellence.
Doteng Lower Secondary School
The first ray of the sun never forgets to brighten up the place reflecting its glory in
innocent face. Then flutters the national flag in the gentle breeze, weightless. Beneath it
stand the proud, young nation builders praying hard for the best of wisdom in order to
be a worthy citizen of the country.
This is a place where children take their first step towards the world of learning. It is
called the Home for Learning as here children are shaped into educated lot with a set of
values. Here, they pick up A-B-C and reach the stage where they write beautiful essays
and compositions. This is something to be cherished and appreciated. Children also are
exposed to different games and play fair games with pride on the ground they have
made. They learn and at the same time enjoy the adventure of life. This is what is
happening in Doteng Lower Secondary School.
Doteng Lower Secondary School is under Paro Dzongkhag and Doteng Gewog. It is 7
kilometers from Paro town and more than half the way is rough. It is almost 30 minutes
drive from the town. The school is situated on a slope between Katekha village and Atsho
village overlooking the Jabje Bridge.
The 76-year-old Ap Rinchen looks at his school-going grandchild with a satisfactory
smile. Instantly, he is taken 20 years back into the remote past when parents and
children of Doteng suffered a lot in absence of a school in the community. Children faced
hard times going all the way to Gaupay, which is 6 km away, to study. This caused a lot
of problems to the parents. This in turn made them reluctant to send their children to
school. Even children themselves chose to remain at home. Education was a distant
dream. Ap Rinchen suddenly remembers his half-recited prayer and retreats to the
chhoesham to complete it.
As mentioned earlier, the people of the community faced a lot of problem due to lack of a
school. Therefore, Dasho Dzongda Rinchen, and Gup Gem Tshering from Jabjee took the
initiative to put up this matter to the government. With the final approval of the
government, the school was established in the year 1984. There was a dispute over the
site of the school, but after some negotiation, it was built at the present site. The people
all contributed labour for the construction. Thus, the people's wish for a school
materialized.
As per the records, the school has been served by seven head teachers since its
establishment. Mr Kelzang Wangdi started the session as the first head teacher. Today,
Ms Karma Choden is the head teacher of the school. She works hard with the faculty
towards fulfilling the school’s missions and visions to mould a good set of children and
to fulfill the dreams of Tsawasum.
Names of the head teachers in chronological order
Sl.No.
1
2
3
Name of the head teacher
Mr Kelzang Wangdi
Mr Robin Sharma
Mr DP Nepal
1984-88
1989-90
1990-91
1992-1995
4
5
6.
7
Mr Yeshey Tobgay
Mr Kelzang Tenzin
Mr Desang Dorji
Ms Karma Choden
1996-1999
2000-2002
2002…
Most of the children here lack guidance as many of them come from farming
backgrounds. Parents have little time for their children as they remain engrossed in
their farm works. As a result, the students cannot do well in their studies. One of the
outstanding alumni of the school is Mr Phub Gyeltshen. After his training in RIM, he
presently works in computer section in RIM.
Till date, the school has gone through three stages. When it first came into existence, it
had four classes. Then later, it was upgraded to primary level in 2002. Later, it was
further upgraded to a lower secondary school with class VIII.
Since the establishment of the school, the number of school dropouts has fallen. The
school has helped increase the literacy rate in the community through increased
enrolment rate. Today, Am Rinzin could tell the price of her rice in English and says that
she has learnt it from her grandson who is in class II. She also proudly says, "Let’s move
with the age we live in". This is the impact of education on
upgradation of the school to lower secondary level has eased the
on the parents. The children of the community can complete
education without any problems in the same school. People and
are blessed.
the parents too. The
burden of expenditure
their lower secondary
children feel that they
A school without a goal is like a sailor without a map. Doteng family works hand in hand
with determination towards fulfilling the following missions and goals so that the goals
and missions turn into a concrete reality.
Vision
To make this school a model of learning centre with an emphasis on life-long learning as
an individual and collective process through conducive and stimulating learning
environment.
Mission
Our primary purpose is to create a learning community in which everyone can develop
their intellectual, social, physical, moral and spiritual potential.
Goals



To create a school culture focused on individual achievement


To ensure the involvement of sub-juniors in all the activities of the school




To introduce a 'culture of caring' and a 'culture of shared responsibility'

To inculcate in students the value of active participation and team spirit in
various co- curricular activities.
To introduce intensive supported reading development programmes
To ensure that the school is well staffed to meet the needs of the individual
student and raise his/her level of achievement
To provide leadership for the school in order to facilitate the learning of all
members of the school community
To produce academically competent students through continued student
support service
To produce students who will strive towards the preservation and promotion of
the nation's strong culture and tradition.
Today, everyone is proud to be a member of Doteng Lower Secondary School family.
There is promise in every child in the school. The long-awaited days are not far now
when the children of this school will become the pride of the community, school,
teachers, parents and the country as a whole. But the school’s endeavour does not end
there. It is a continuous process and Doteng family promises to work hard till the end
with hope, determination, courage and pride to fulfill the aforesaid goals.
Statistics of staff and students since 1989
Sl.No.
Year
Number of staff
Teaching
NonTeaching
Number of students
Total
Boys
Girls
Total
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1984-1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
4
5
4
7
7
8
7
7
7
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
5
6
5
8
8
10
8
8
8
55
54
79
94
105
144
167
144
138
19
22
54
63
70
99
105
130
116
74
76
133
157
175
243
272
274
254
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
7
7
7
12
10
13
13
1
1
1
1
2
6
5
8
8
8
13
12
19
18
190
182
192
173
174
176
181
152
`63
176
168
173
173
178
342
349
371
341
347
360
359
Drukgyel Lower Secondary School
A historical background
Drukgyel Lower Secondary School is located at Jitshiphu, 13 km from the main Paro
town under Tsento Gewog, facing the old Drukgyel Dzong. Its location, a little away from
the busy town, surrounded by a beautiful pine forest with ever tranquil atmosphere
directly opposite the sacred Drukgyel Dzong is its specialty.
Drukgyel Primary School was established in 1962 at Namjey village, below the Drukgyel
Dzong. The school started with 35 students and 3 teachers under the headship of Mr
Babu Adhi from Kalimpong. The school was surrounded by a dense pine forest which
was home to different wild animals.
One afternoon, the school was graced by a sudden visit by His Majesty Late Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck. His Majesty was impressed by warm welcome extended by the teachers and
students along with some villagers from the vicinity. Looking at the concern and issues
of the school, His Majesty commanded the teachers and the village elders to relocate the
school as there were risks for the students and teachers, being attacked by wild animals.
His Majesty also presented a small handgun as a gift to Mr Babu Adhi, the head teacher.
Therefore, with the royal command, the school was shifted to the present location after
one and a half years.
To get students admitted in the school was a big task. Often times the school and the
education authorities had to write letters to the parents and force their children to join
school. 3 units of classrooms came up with the help of active community participation.
The new relocated school was started with 4 teachers and 60 students. The school
developed with the yearly increase of students and teachers. Slowly the enrollment rose
up from 35 to 100 students in the following years. In 1981, the number of students rose
to 180. Mr Babu Adhi died while serving as the head teacher in the same school. Lam
Chencho from Shari and Dasho Kipchu were the first students (alumni) of Drukgyel
Primary School. At present, they are serving the Royal Bhutan Army as Colonels.
The names of the head teachers
Sl.No.
1
Name
Mr Babu Adhi
Headship
1st
Address
Kalimpong India
2
3
Mr Sherab
Mr Tashi
2nd
3rd
Tsendona, Paro
Doteng, Paro
4
Mr H.B.
Bishwa
4th
Samtse
Served as DEO for a long time, ADM
Officer, NIE, Paro (retired)
5
Mr Kaka
Tshering
Mr Sonam
Tobgay
Mr N.B.
Chuwan
Mr Sonam
Thinley
Mr Kuenzang
Dukpa
Mr Nima
Sherpa
5th
Haa
Served as Zhemgang DEO
6th
Bumthang
Served as Head Teacher in Tsirang.
7th
Nainital, Samtse
8th
Pemagatshel
9th
Monggar
10th
Lhamo Zingkha,
Sarpang
Served as Head Teacher in Gelephu,
resigned.
Served as Asstt. Head teacher,
resigned.
Present Head Teacher of Dawakha
LSS, Paro.
Served as Head Teacher of Gasa LSS,
present Head Teacher of Drukgyel
LSS, Paro.
6
7
8
9
10
Remarks
Expired while in the same school
Served as Tsirang DEO, the present
Head Teacher of Damphu LSS.
The names of the DEO's who served under Paro Dzongkhag
Sl.No.
1
Name
Mr Kinzang Tobgay
DEO
1st
Remarks
2nd
Address
Gaselo
Wangdue
Monggar
2
Mr Minjur Dorji
3
Ms Phub Dem
3rd
Ha
4
Mr Rinchen Dorji
4th
Zhemgang
Served as DEO, Wangdue;
expired
Served as head teacher,
DEO, Punakha; at present in
YGCD
5
Mr Ambas Ghalley
5th
Sibsu,
Samtse
6
Ms Pintsho Choden
6th
7
Mr Wangchuk Namgyel
7th
Served as head teacher;
Present Adm. Officer,
Education Central Store,
P/ling
Served as DEO, Bumthang
Program Officer, Education
Central Store, Phuntsholing
Served as principal,
currently Director, Research,
RUB.
Rukubji,
Wangdue
Served as principal, present
DEO of Paro
Vision for the Future
The vision of the school is to strive for excellence in education. We also expect the
development of infrastructure and other facilities in the school. The establishment of
Deaf Education Unit attached to Drukgyel Lower Secondary School is another milestone
in the history of the school. It is a special unit catering to mute and deaf children of
Bhutan.
"Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy, no
enemy can alienate, no despotism can enslave. At home, a friend; abroad, an
introduction; in solitude, a solace; and in society, an ornament. It chastens vice, it
guides virtue, it gives at once grace and government to genius. Without it, what is man?
A splendid slave, a reasoning savage."
- Joseph Addison -Speaking of Education
Khangkhu Lower Secondary School
Khangkhu Lower Secondary School was formally inaugurated by a team from Paro
Dratshang on March 16, 2004, in the presence of the ADEO, the SMB chairman and the
people of Khangkhu community.
The school was segregated from Rinpung Primary School to ease admission pressure in
the school and to allow the expansion of the NIE in the near future. Rinpung Primary
School, being located at the centre of Paro valley, has faced enormous admission
pressure while it lacked the space for expansion. So, in order to solve this problem, the
Dzongkhag had been trying to relocate the school for quite sometime. The proposal to
move the school to Khangkhu was endorsed by the cabinet last year. This led to the
birth of the new school- Khangkhu Lower Secondary School.
The location of the school, according to the residents, had been the PWD (Public Works
Division) headquarters in the 1960's and 1970's. When the headquarters shifted to
Thimphu, the campus served as the Druk Air Colony. The Druk Air staff occupied the
area till the end of 2003.
Presently, the classes are conducted in the old buildings, which were renovated during
the winter. The new construction is due to start with funding of Government of India.
The school logo

The ocean that holds the lotus flower symbolizes the unlimited capacity of
children for knowledge.

The exotic lotus flower in bloom signifies the excellent progress in the knowledge
of the children.

The Buddhist scriptures mounted on the exotic lotus represent the knowledge
and wisdom to be attained by students.

The three shining precious jewels mounted on the scripture symbolize the
ultimate wealth of Bhutan, the children, who will later serve the Tsawasum with
loyalty and dedication.
To produce self-disciplined, responsible, honest and cooperative students who will
support the government in preserving our unique heritage and serve the Tsawasum as
just and loyal citizens.
Mission




To produce well-mannered and disciplined students
To uplift academic standard of the students
To develop in children the love of learning
To produce students who would be proud of being Bhutanese and
unique cultural heritage
share its
Goals

To enhance teacher’s professional growth through nomination for National
Programme, formation of subject committee and encourage Distance Education
Programme


To focus on school monitoring system for professional growth of teachers

To create conducive learning atmosphere through timely maintenance of the
school buildings, comfortable class size, adequate furniture, adequate reading
and writing materials, library books and reference books for teachers

To inculcate reading habit in students through reading competitions, reading
week, guided reading and engage senior students to help junior students in
reading activity


To conduct remedial classes depending on the need of students



To provide counseling and guidance services


To promote games and sports
To assess students' progress through continuous assessment, correction of their
works and term examinations
To organize literary activities like essay writing, quiz, debate, poem recitation and
so on
To conduct teacher-parent meeting twice a year
To promote our unique cultural heritage, traditions, customs and Bhutanese
values
To guide trainee teachers of NIE Paro during their teaching practice to enable
them to become professional teachers
Lango Lower Secondary School
Lango Lower Secondary School lies at the upper end of the fertile Paro valley, about 6
km towards the historical Drukgyel Dzong. The school is located in the heart of Lango
Gewog and hence the name Lango. Lango literally means above the road. And the school
is located just so. The school is ideally located on a little rugged hillock at the center of
the village, a best site for learning as it is surrounded by many historical lhakhang and
chorten on all sides. The most sacred Paro Kyichu Lhakhang which was built by the
Tibetan dharma king Songtsen Gampo in 638 AD lies to the south of the school and
Sangchoekhor Lhakhang on the other side of Pachhu. Standing on the hilltop
overlooking the school are the two most sacred deities of Lango LSS.
Established in 1982, the school has undergone a tremendous change in the field of
imparting wholesome education to the Bhutanese children under the leadership of
different head teachers. Mr Pemba Tshering, a visionary head teacher, and his team laid
the foundation of this school. Like any other schools in the country, this school too had
a very humble beginning with only 5 teachers and 150 students, classes ranging from
PP-VI.
Ms Bala Sharma succeeded Mr Pemba Tshering as the second head teacher. She
continued to better the school both quantitatively and qualitatively. The school saw a
relative increase in the student enrolment during her tenure as head teacher of this
school. Mr D.K. Ghalley was the third head teacher of the school. He was succeeded by
Mr Tandin Gyeltshen and Mr Tshewang Rinzin.
Under their able leadership, the school underwent rapid development and shone to be
one of the best schools in the country both in terms of academic performance and cocurricular activities. This is all due to their untiring hard work and total dedication. We
owe our deep respect and gratitude to all our predecessors for bringing the school to the
present status.
The school, over the past few years, has seen a new wave of rapid progress. It was
upgraded to lower secondary level in 2000 which is indeed a big step forward. After it
was upgraded, three batches of students have sat the class VIII Board Examinations.
They have produced excellent results. Besides academic excellence, the school has a
record of excellence in co-curricular activities in the Dzongkhag. It was all because of the
cooperative hard work of all the teachers and the head teacher in the school.
The school has further seen a rapid infrastructure development with additional
academic building and the expansion of the school area. With 8 acres of additional land
being bought, the school now has about 12.32 acres of land for future expansion and
upgradation. The school thus holds out good prospects for its upgradation to a
middle/higher secondary school.
At present, the school has 25 well-trained teaching and four non-teaching staff with 776
students. Mr Rinzin Dorji is the present head teacher of the school.
The school has framed its own policy guidelines with vision, mission statements, goals
and objectives. These policy guidelines are framed in accordance with the national
education policy of wholesome education. To support these short-term and long-term
goals and objectives, the school has various clubs and committees. These clubs and
committees carry out various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. The school
has an age-old culture to conduct house competitions in various fields to prepare our
children for future challenges. These activities continue throughout the year to achieve
the noble objectives of imparting wholesome education. But we make sure that they do
not compromise the academic routine and performance of students. With "Team Work
Proficiency" as its motto, the school has been able to achieve a lot of its aims and
objectives laid down in the school policy and guidelines. The school looks forward to
continuing the work with the same motto in the future.
Shaba Lower Secondary School
The school logo is a tree with three folds. It has orange background and yellow
boundary. The tree symbolizes the pristine environment that surrounds our school. The
three folds symbolize the functioning of our school. The joints in the three folds
symbolize that in the service of Tsawasum, we work together like the three joints of the
tree. The orange background symbolizes our reverence for our religion although we
pursue scientific knowledge. The yellow boundary symbolizes the fact that we are bound
by the rules and regulations of our government and we consider it an utmost priority for
us to serve our country and our beloved king with dedication.
Vision
The provision of quality wholesome education and all-round development
Mission
To provide equal opportunities to every individual in his/her pursuit of quality education
and guide them with love and care
The school was initially established in the year 1973 as a primary school. The first head
teacher was Mr Nambudri, a non-Bhutanese teacher. The construction was funded by
the royal government of Bhutan with daily wages of Nu. 3 per day. Although it presently
caters to many organizations, the labour contribution for the construction of the school
was made by Shaba Gewog.
The school covers an area of 8.80 acres of land. Actual demarcation and proper fencing
was carried out sometime in 1999. It is said that the school faced numerous problems
with the nearest community as the main route of the village passed through the campus.
However, negotiations were held with the help of local authorities and a few influential
persons. Most part of the school campus had been paddy fields of the people of Jangsa.
The landowners were compensated either in cash or by land substitution. As the school
had shortage of classrooms, an extended classroom was established within the premises
of Royal Bhutan Army, Wing V, Shaba.
Infrastructure
Although the school is over three decades old, its infrastructure has never improved.
Most of the structures are on the verge of collapsing. The school consists of nine blocks.
Four blocks are in dilapidated condition. The school had paying boarding facilities till
2001. The boarders comprised mainly students from distant places. However, the
system was discontinued in 2002 because it was fraught with many problems such as it
not being in line with the education policy and disciplinary problem.
The hostel block is now converted to the school library and classroom after renovation.
The school was deprived of many facilities, particularly classrooms. Although the school
has not seen much development for a long time after its establishment, it is now
beginning to see progress. The development of its physical infrastructure such as
laboratory-cum-library, which was planned in the beginning of the ninth five-year plan,
is now in full swing.
The school served as a primary school till 1987. The school was upgraded to lower
secondary level during the tenure of Mr Sonam Tshering, the present head of Personnel
Section, Ministry of Education. The school was later upgraded to a middle secondary
school in 1999. Mr Karma Tenzin was its first principal.
By the year 2002, the middle secondary classes were segregated from the present school
and started functioning in the new furnished structures. However, the present school kept
on facing difficulties with shortage of classrooms and had to place one section each of
classes VII and VIII in the middle secondary school. Over and above easing the classroom
shortage, it reduced the walking distance of many children.
Present Status
Presently, there are around 782 students with 30 teachers at two different locations. An
extended classroom was established in the year 1998 in RBA premises to accommodate
the lower classes of RBA as there were inadequate classrooms. At the moment, many
development activities such as the construction of science laboratory-cum-library are
nearing completion. The construction of six classrooms and black topping of the feeder
road are due to start.
The school caters to the educational needs of the children of whole of Shaba Gewog
which consists of around 280 households, the Royal Bhutan Army Wing V and Dogar
Gewog. Besides, there are also children from many other organizations such as Civil
Aviation and business community who benefit from the school.
Woochu Lower Secondary School
Woochu Lower Secondary School is located strategically at the foot of a mountain
overlooking the Paro Airport. The Thimphu-Paro highway meanders below the school
and the Woochu- Haa road snakes round the school campus across the mountain. The
school is under Luni gewog. The school campus is spread over an area of approximately
twenty-two acres.
The school was established in 1979 as a primary school with the aim of catering to the
educational needs of a large number of children in the Luni and Wangchang gewog.
Earlier on, there was no school nearby. The nearest school was Shaba Junior School,
located 3 km from Woochu. So, the establishment of a primary school in Woochu by the
government came as a blessing to the residents of the Luni and Wangchang gewog.
The school was established with the financial and material support provided by the
government. The people of the two gewogs contributed workforce. The Agriculture
Machinery Centre at Bonday provided valuable support in the form of machinery for
construction works. The construction work was supervised by Mr Minjur Dorji who was
then the District Education Officer. The school was formally inaugurated on March 7,
1979 by Dasho Nado Rinchen, the then Director General of Education. Lopon Nado, the
Dzongkha Advisor, was also present on the occasion. Mr P. K Bal was appointed as the
first head teacher of the school. Ms Palden Lham and Ms Bishnu Gurung were
appointed as teachers. A few months later, Lopon Dago Penjor was also appointed as the
Dzongkha teacher. The initial enrolment was only 144 students. To begin with, the
school had LKG, UKG and one section each of class I and II.
The school was a day school. Later, WFP facility was provided for a few years. The
programme was discontinued in 1992. An additional classroom block was constructed.
Mr Bal was succeeded by Mr N.T. Sada in 1985. A notable event during his tenure was
the observance of Education Week initiated by the Education Department. Woochu
Primary School won the championship in the Inter-School Sports Meet organized by the
Dzongkhag during the Education Week.
Mr B. B. Gurung succeeded Mr Sada. Mr Mindu Dukpa took charge of the school as the
head teacher in 1991. The School ground was made during his tenure. The ground is
located at some distance from the school campus.
Mr Chencho Namgyal, the present head teacher, took charge in 1999. The school has
been making rapid strides during the last twenty-five years. Infrastructure development
and improvement in academic facilities in the last five years have been quite impressive.
The school’s achievement in sports, games and other co-curricular activities has also
been quite impressive. Our students have also taken active part in inter-school
tournaments and literary competitions and won laurels for the school. The scouts and
clubs in our school have been geared towards inculcating patriotism and citizenship
qualities in our students. The school Nature Club regularly undertakes cleaning and
environmental awareness campaigns in the locality. The Nature Club has adopted the
stream in Bonday to monitor the water quality and to create public awareness on the
need to keep the stream clean.
The School was upgraded to a lower secondary school in 2000. The new double-storey
administrative-cum-classroom block was also constructed in the same year. The librarycum-science block was constructed in 2001. One of the old classroom buildings has
been dismantled and a new block is currently under construction.
The student enrolment has steadily increased over the years. The present enrolment in
the school is 935 with 28 sections. The school benefits not only the local community but
also the children of the many government officials who are employed in the Civil Aviation
Department, Druk Air Corporation, Druk Seed Corporation and the Agriculture
Machinery Centre. At present, the school has 39 teaching staff and five non-teaching
staff.
One of the distinguished alumni of our school, Dasho Adap Pasang, holds the post of
Royal Advisory Councillor.
Visions for the Future
Our vision for the future is to develop the school with the singular aim of fostering the
integrated and harmonious development of a child's physical, intellectual, moral,
aesthetic and social skills through academic excellence, wholesome education, values
education and pastoral care. To achieve this aim, we aspire to make an assiduous effort
to promote activities that are conducive to the integrated development of a child's
personality. We hope that the school will be upgraded to a middle secondary school in
the future. We would like our school to be known as a temple of learning where we strive
to impart not only quality education but also shape the future citizens of the country.
That is our aspiration as well as vision for the future.
Guneytsawa Primary School
Guneytsawa literally means at the foot of a mountain. It has a big history behind the
name. The school is situated 25 km away from the old Drukgyel Dzong.
One gets a peaceful feeling as one walks along the riverbank, through the beautiful,
silent forest and green paddy fields, to the school. It has mild summer and cold winter
with constant drizzle throughout summer.
The school was established in 1967 as a primary school with the aim of fulfilling the
educational needs of Tshento Gewog and the children of army personnel. The school
started with only 50-70 students. Mr S.M. Pradhan was the first head teacher. The
successive head teachers were Mr K. P. Pradhan, Mr S.B. Biswa, Mr Phub Tshering, Mr
Rinzin Dorji and Mr Rinzin Wangdi. Due to the remoteness of the school, not much
infrastructure development and improvement could be brought about in the school.
Teachers put their utmost effort but in vain.
Mr Jimba Dorji took charge of the school in 2004. At present, there are 226 students
and eight young hardworking teachers. The classes range from PP to VI. After the
completion of class VI in this school, the students are placed in Gaupay Lower
Secondary School.
Since the school is located at the heart of the army camp, it experiences a lot of
enrolment pressure with limited and old infrastructure. To aggravate the problem, there
is limited scope for expansion. Therefore, in his visit to the school in 2000, His Majesty
commanded that the school be relocated at a suitable place to provide children a better
learning environment. The school will be shifted to its new site in the coming academic
year to fulfill the royal command.
The school benefits 26 households of Shana, Choi, Lamdo, Mitsi and the military
community. Life would be much better in the new school with new buildings and
electricity facilities. Children will get exposure to outside world through audio and video
aids.
To materialize the dream of the school, the head teacher and all the members of staff
work in complete cohesion and perfect coordination. It is to this end that the school has
developed the following vision and mission.
Vision
Achievement of 100% goal in academic excellence, wholesome education/value
education and pastoral care.
Mission
To improve academic standards through wholesome and values education
and co-curricular activities.
School motto
Always be sincere and punctual.
Rinpung Primary School
In the early 1960's, Rinpung Primary School was synonymous with the Education
Headquarters. Today, the school triggers memories of good old days among our senior
educationists when they visit it once in a while.
November 4, 1975 was very significant day in the history of this school in particular and
the history of our education system in general. It was on that historic day that this
humble school gave birth to what is today known as National Institute of Education,
Paro. The goal of the new institute then was to prepare and groom teachers for Early
Childhood Education as the course ' Pre-school Care Training Centre' suggests. This
programme was jointly initiated by the erstwhile Education Department and the
UNICEF. Ms Vareena Ritter from Switzerland was the advisor who worked in close
partnership with the Bhutanese.
In the following year, 1976, a school for demonstration was started and named Teacher
Training Centre and Demonstration School. It was geared towards making the training
more practice-oriented. For about a decade, the programme sent forth trained pre-school
teachers with entry qualification of grade VIII and a two-year course.
After a decade, the need to step up the training programme was felt more acutely.
Ultimately, a PTC curriculum was developed in collaboration with the NIE, Samtse in
1985. The introduction of PTC course raised the entry grade of the institute to class X.
The institute assumed a new name- Teacher Training College.
The following educationists had served as the principal or director of the then TTC/DC:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ms Gagay Lham – 1975 (principal)
Dr Phub Rinchen- 1988 (principal)
Mr Gopi Chhetri1989 (principal)
Dr Phub Rinchen 1991 ( the first director)
The present Rinpung Primary School was segregated from the TTC and handed over to
the Dzongkhag in 1992. It was named Rinpung Primary School.
The following teachers served as the head teachers of the school since 1992.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ms Choki DukpaMr SanglaMr Tshewang RinzinMr Thinley Wangchuk-
1992
1997
2003
2004
Rinpung Primary School caters to the educational needs of the children of the staff of the
Dzongkhag administration, National Museum, NIE, CAPSD, CERD, Druk Air
Corporation, RBP, the business community, and the gewog of Wangchang, Hungrel, and
Shari.
Since Rinpung Primary School is near the NIE, CAPSD, and CERD, it plays an important
role for experimentation of teaching skills and strategies, curriculum implementation,
educational research and piloting of any other educational output.
Yoezerling Primary School (Private)
Location
Yoezerling Primary School stands majestically on a hilltop overlooking the whole Paro
valley. It lies on two acres of lush green fields surrounded by serene trees in an
atmosphere that truly suits the philosophy of "learn and play, play and learn". It was
established in March 2003 as the first private school to be opened in Paro.
Our Vision
The vision of the school is derived from the proverb, "A building is as strong as its
foundation." Yoezerling Primary School is committed to build the best foundation that a
child needs for his/her education. We will prepare our children for their future even as
they enjoy learning in this school.
Our Mission
The school will focus on developing not only motor skills, but also learning skills and the
skills to live together and grow well. We will give our children all that they need to
prepare themselves for future and make sure that they leave the school mentally fit and
physically strong.
The School Curriculum
As in all other schools in the kingdom, the subjects taught in this school are Dzongkha,
English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. We have allotted enough time for
physical education, values education, reading, storytelling, dancing, singing and movie.
We would like to give to our children all the benefits of the noble idea of wholesome
education.
The School Administration
Mr Chencho Namgyal is the head teacher as well as the proprietor of the school. All the
teachers are involved in running the school. Even the parents are encouraged to suggest
ways to improve the quality of their children’s education. Teacher-parent meetings are
held twice a year. Personal contacts are maintained with the parents through special
events like the Annual Sports Day, Annual Concert and Field Trips.
General Information
1. School Timing:
Foundation and nursery classes – 8:45 am –1 pm
PP and Class I – 8:45 am-3 pm
2. Books and Stationery
All the textbooks are supplied by the government. The school provides note books and
other items such as pencils and erasers. Parents are asked to clear the bills for the items
at the end of the year.
3. Uniforms
All the boys are required to wear Pangtse gho and black shoes and blue stockings. Girls
are required to wear Pangtse kira with pink wonju and blue tego. Teachers too are
required to wear Mathra gho and Mathra kira with blue tegos and black wonju.
4. Lunch
All the children are required to bring their lunch to school. However, soft drinks are not
allowed. Children eat lunch under the careful guidance of the teachers concerned.
5
Scholarship
The school has been admitting children with poor economic background free of fees. We
admitted 8 children last year free of cost. This year, 2004, we have 20 students who are
studying free of cost and 5 students who are on 'half scholarship'. We hope that we will
continue this humble service to the needy in the years to come.
Details of Students and Teachers
Year
Teachers
Students
2003
4
28
2004
8
78
Future Plan
The school will be upgraded each year until it reaches primary level. Classrooms and
other facilities will be added as per the requirements. The number in each class will be
controlled in order to ensure good teaching and learning. Another exciting plan that we
have is the introduction of computer classes in the year 2005 so that we prepare the
children for the world of technology.
Isuna Community School
Establishment
Isuna Community Primary School was established to make people’s dream come true.
Before the arrival of the school, the people of the village had to send their children to
Shaba Lower Secondary School which is far away. It was difficult but the parents had no
alternative. But, when the people’s desire for a school was backed by the Dzongkhag
in1998, all the troubles ceased to exist. Around 70% of the resource into the
construction of the school came from the people of the community. Mr Chhezang
Drugyel, the first head teacher, ran the school which had the infrastructure just enough
to support five classes- PP-IV.
The school is located away from road in the forest of Mendey village in Dogar gewog. It is
on a hilltop surrounded by prayer flags and apple trees.
The school benefits the children of Isuna, Mendey and Jakha villages of Dogar gewog
and Jijikha, Silina and Phubana villages of Naja gewog.
Contributions of the head teachers
Mr Chezang Drugyel (the first head teacher)
He planted apple saplings and formulated plans for drinking water supply in the school.
He was promoted to the post of Assistant Dzongkhag Education Officer of Paro
Dzongkhag in 2001.
Mr Ram Bhakta Sharma (the second head teacher)
During his tenure, the enrolment increased to 77. He undertook the work of building two
school latrines with a safety tank. He also carried out a survey to bring safe drinking
water to the school.
Mr Tshewang Dorji (the third head teacher)
He brought dramatic change in the management and organization of the school. His
tenure has seen a consistent rise in the enrolment rate.
The construction of the school gate, verandas in front of the office and the classrooms,
fencing and constructions of toilets for boys were all completed. A library room and a
storeroom were built adjacent to the classrooms. The head teacher materialized the plan
of water supply and today the school enjoys good drinking water facilities.
Important activities the school carries out
The School Management Board meeting
The SMB meeting is held yearly. The fifth round of the meeting has been completed.
Similarly, the teachers-parents meetings are held thrice a year to discuss important
issues pertaining to the school.
Parents-Teachers Relationship
The parents of the villages always lend their helping hand in the plantation of saplings,
clearing bushes, organizing important events.
The school rimdro (religious ceremony) is held once a year with the contribution from the
Chhoethuen Tshogpa.
Erection of Prayer Flags
In accordance with the agenda deliberated in the parents-teachers meeting, the teachers
and the students contribute cloths for prayer flags. This ritual is conducted every year.
Cultural Shows
To promote the Bhutanese tradition and culture, cultural shows are conducted on June
2 with guests from outside.
Co-curricular Activities
The sports like football, volleyball, and throw ball are organized regularly. The School
Sports Meet is celebrated coinciding with His Majesty’s Birthday. Various inter-house
competitions are held among the four houses. The following are the bases on which the
four houses compete.





Morning social work
Maintenance of flower gardens
Academic performance
Literary activities (quiz, debate, reading and spelling)
Tsangmo
Delegation of Responsibilities
Teacher on duty (TOD) system
Like other schools, the TOD system is followed strictly and effectively in the school. The
teacher on duty has to take up the responsibilities of the whole day, from social work to
evening prayer. The responsibilities of organizing activities on special occasions,
receiving guests, record keeping, and informing the students of developments in and
around the school rest with the TOD.
House Teachers
The house teachers are responsible for monitoring and guiding their house members in
various daily activities such as social work, maintaining flower gardens and vegetable
gardens and so forth. They are the councillors and the second parents to the children.
Class Teacher
The class teacher plays a vital role in the functioning of the school:
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Take care of his/her class members
Maintain the attendance of the students
Explain Do’s and Don’ts to the children
Keep students up to date with information
Help take care of the property of the class
Be a role model to the students
Help the students keep their dress clean
Prepare the results of the students
Keep record of students’ performance, behaviour etc.
Assist students to work in their class, gardens etc.
Subject Teachers
Subject teachers have the following responsibilities:
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Encourage students to work hard
Read different references to impart knowledge
Make effective teaching-learning materials
Guide the students to take care of their textbook and notebooks
Keep their lesson plans up-to-date
Give class works, homeworks, project works
Keep record of continuous assessment
Prepare yearly, monthly, weekly and daily plans.
Future Prospects for the School
The school has enough space for a lower secondary school. As the population of the
villages increases and the student enrolment rises, the school will have to be upgraded
in the near future.
Nabesa Community Primary School
Nabesa Community Primary School is perched on a green slope amidst gorgeous pine
trees and villages three hours uphill walk from Isuna. The site is carefully orchestrated
to keep the vicinity congenial and relishing. This has elated the hearts of students to be
in a mood of rejuvenation. The climate is amicable in summer, but a bit harsh in winter.
The legend has it that the place was known as Nae-paai-sa (Gnas pa'i sa) after
Zhabdrung halted a night there during one of his visits. But gradually, through people’s
mispronunciation, it became Nabesa.
The school consists of two buildings: an academic block and a teachers' quarters. There
are two latrines: one each for boys and girls. The school has a good playground, an
agricultural plot, an embellished flower garden, and two water taps within an area of
2.80 acres.
The school was established in the year 1988. It was started in Chukha village on the
ground floor of the then gup's house.
Later, after a year, it was shifted down to Chusho, a village
near the present school. It is said that the teachers and students stayed crammed in a
small poorly ventilated apartment with no stationery and other necessities. Then came
the year 1989 with blessed news. The heart-breaking struggle came to an end, and the
children acquired intrinsic strength of hope and inspiration. The construction was over,
and the administration was in full swing. Now, the children can feel a sense of belonging
and security in their endeavour to achieve a life-long success.
“The present school is the fruit of labour contribution of five villages that consist of
thirty-two households,” say Ap Jaku, the present tshogpa under Naja gewog. "But", he
continues "The government has also assisted us with wages for the two specialist
workers and a Lapon (work supervisor and coordinator). It took us two months to
complete the construction." He is one of the members of the Schoo1 Management Board.
The school, in order to glide unimpeded towards its vision, has formed a management
board comprising the head teacher, the school tshogpa, the gewog tshogpa, the mangi
ap, the gup and the chupoen. They table every problem related to the school and mend it
for good. The community, through the School Management Board, plays a paramount
role in making everything possible to the school.
So far, the school has had three devoted and sincere head teachers: Mr T.B. Chhetri
(1988-1991), Mr Tobzang (1992-1994), Mr Pema Tobgay (1995…). They are, indeed, the
main custodians who have added fame and glamour to the school.
Mr Pema Tobgay, the present head teacher, has served the school for maximum years.
During his tenure, he took a good initiative to bring a permanent solution to the
disputed school land and extended the campus area. The teachers' quarters, the barbed
wire fence, the school greening programme, the volleyball court, and the badminton
court all came after he took over the charge as the head teacher on March 1, 1995. He
bought a beautiful altar for the school, and has filled it with statues and other religious
paraphernalia. He has been able to keep the outlook of the school on a par with that of
other schools in Bhutan.
Our school, like any other community and primary schools, strives to provide basic
education to all the children. We enable them to learn basic skills in academics, sports,
culture, and spirituality. We concentrate our efforts on imparting quality and wholesome
education to our children.
Our school aims to:
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Provide, promote, and conduct the education of youth as per the policy of
Education Ministry.
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Promote and prepare ground for higher studies.
Develop awareness in environmental conservation.
Enhance personal development.
Develop basic sporting, cultural, and spiritual development in youth.
Philosophy of Our School
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To instill confidence in each and every learner.
To guide them in finding their place in the society.
To instill pride through good tradition.
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To provide appropriate discipline.
To achieve great goals.
To instill in them the love for the country, the king, and the people.
Nabesa Community Primary School has enrolled a total of 233 students in 16 years of
its existence. It has contributed to the nation in its own small way to achieve the noble
mission 'Education to All by Year 2020’. There are around10 graduates of the school
serving in various branches of the government while a good number of students are
studying in Lower Secondary Schools, Middle Secondary Schools, and Higher Secondary
Schools. Perhaps, two ladies, Ms Dema and Ms Lhamo are two of the outstanding
alumni of this school. Ms Dema presently works at the Centre for Bhutan Studies after
the completion of her studies at Sherubtse College and Ms Lhamo is still studying at
Sherubtse College in final year. To the community it has made the education cheaply
accessible. It has alleviated the problem of dropouts.
At present, the school has 39 students with five teachers. It has multigrade system for
classes I, II, IV and V. This year, the school does not have class III, because there was no
PP admission in the year 2001. The graduating students are sent to Paro Lower
Secondary School. This school has enormous future scope to make the entire
community literate. And with the coming of road, it will definitely improve the general
condition in the school.
Shari Community Primary School
The Royal Government of Bhutan in its endeavour to give wholesome education and to
achieve the goal of ‘Education for All’ accords an immense importance to the
establishment of community schools around the kingdom. In the early 1960’s when the
modern system of education came into the country, there were very few schools with all
the teachers recruited from outside. The deserving ones were sent outside the country
at the expense of the government to pursue higher education. In a very short span of
about four decades, the education system has experienced a drastic change and
improvement. Of late, the setting up of Royal University of Bhutan has indeed greatly
enhanced the standard of education in Bhutan. Today, we have more than 450 schools
and institutes around the country with professionally trained teachers equipped with
modern techniques of teaching.
Shari Community Primary School is located on a plateau overlooking the Paro town. It
is about 15 minutes’ drive from the main town, connected by motor road that links
Rinpung Dzong and National Museum of Bhutan. The school was established in the
year 2000. It was inaugurated by the then Director of Education, Dasho Pema Thinly on
the auspicious day of 14th April.
Shari Community Primary School was established because of admission pressure in
Rinpung Primary School and Doteng Lower Secondary School. Besides, the walking
distance from Shari to these two schools is great for students. Even today, after the
school came into existence, the children from as far as Damchena, Kutoephu and
Rinchheling have to walk more than an hour.
The person to play key role in the establishment of the school is the former Shari gup
and the present Royal Advisory Councilor, Dasho Gyeltshen. Under his strict
supervision, the construction work was completed in a record time of about four
months. The contributions in cash and kind were made by the people of the gewog.
Acrylic glasses and corrugated zinc sheets were supplied by the UNICEF. Although the
school was called a community school, it has had classes ranging from PP-VI from the
beginning itself. In his inaugural speech, the then Director of Education, Dasho Pema
Thinley, remarked that the school surprisingly had "ready-made" children till class six.
The school first started with a total of 344 children divided into eight sections with eight
teachers. Even the head teacher, Mr Tobgay, was not spared from being a class teacher.
I was the first head teacher of the school and am still serving in the same post. After
having worked in some of the remotest and the most disturbed schools in the early
1990’s, I was at last transferred to the present school from Peljorling Primary School
under Samtse Dzongkhag.
The first batch of class VI students are studying in Drukgyel Higher Secondary School.
Presently, the school has 353 students with 12 teachers. Girls slightly outnumber boys
with their numbers 178 and 175 respectively. The school has benefited the community
in many ways. The school admits as large a number of students as possible. The
admission preference is given to the immediate residents of the gewog thereby reducing
admission pressure in the schools situated in the vicinity.
During his inaugural visit, the chief guest was very impressed by the location and the
environment of the school. He, therefore, said that a higher secondary school will be
established at this location in the near future to house the existing Goupel Middle
Secondary School. The master plan for the construction of the higher secondary school
has already been drawn up and the work of earth cutting awarded. Very soon, the work
will be in progress and probably in a short span of time the present area will be filled
with modern environment-friendly buildings constructed with modern techniques. The
total estimated cost for the construction work is estimated at 4000 million ngultrums
which will be funded by the World Bank.
The present rammed mud building will be dismantled and replaced by a new one. The
school by then will be one of the best in the country on account of its breathtakingly
beautiful location. Moreover, the school will be an ideal place for the students for it is
away from the hustle and bustle of the town.
Shari Community Primary School, therefore, has a major role to play in the community
in grooming the citizens of tomorrow. We have a big responsibility to mould the children
into the best possible citizens of the country who will be in a position to feel proud of
being Bhutanese. To make this a reality, the school has outlined its vision as follows:
“To produce self-disciplined, loyal, dedicated, committed, honest, co-operative,
harmonious, aesthetic, visionary and productive citizens and leaders who would gear
forward in the sacred task of nation building. In other words, they will rally behind His
Majesty’s national dream of Gross National Happiness and One People, One Nation.”
Tshaluna Community Primary School
Location
Tshaluna Community Primary School is located around 15 kilometres away from
Khasadrapchu. Going by the location, the school seems to be under Thimphu
Dzongkhag, but it falls under Paro Dzongkhag. It is a remote school established in 1992.
During the first few years after its establishment, the school remained a community
school. The buildings and the office and classroom furniture were all supplied and
procured by the community. The present Hungrel gup, Mr Sangay Penjor, who was the
gewog Tshokpa then, was the main person behind the establishment of the school. He
proposed the establishment of the school to the gup and the Dzongkhag headquarters.
The community was quite supportive of his plan and thus the school was established.
Names of the Heads of School
Since its establishment, the school has been looked after by four head teachers. During
its first year of establishment, the school had 57 students and two teachers including
the head. The followings are the names of the heads of the school.
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2.
3.
4.
Mr Ugyen Nidup –
Mr Tshering Dendup –
Mr Tshewang Dorji –
Mr Ram Bhakta Sharma-
Right from 1992 to
teachers joined the
community primary
six. Two additional
then.
1992-1996
1996-1997
1998-2002
2002 onwards.
2000, the school had only two teachers. In July 2000, two more
school. The school was upgraded from a community school to a
school with four teachers and classes ranging from pre-primary to
teachers’ quarters and one additional classroom were constructed
Year-wise Development of the School
At the time of its establishment, the school had five rooms and a store. It remained so till
1998. In 1998, one additional room was constructed, which we now use as the officecum-staff room. In 1999, the community constructed two additional teachers’ quarters.
The school got electricity and piped water in the year 2003. In addition to this, the
school planted a variety of flowers in 2002-2003 and constructed a beautiful stone-slabs
footpath. The cemented balcony was also constructed in 2003. All the furniture being
used presently are supplied by the erstwhile department of education.
Although the school is situated in Paro Dzongkhag, it mainly benefits two gewogs of the
two Dzongkhags (Hungrel gewog in Paro Dzongkhag and Mewang gewog in Thimphu
Dzongkhag). In addition to these, there is a forestry office and an animal husbandry
office which are of benefit to the school. The community is quite supportive of the
school. Around 87% of the children from the community are enrolled in the school.
Presently, the school has 105 students and 6 teaching staff, including the head teacher.
In addition, the school conducts non-formal education programme, for which a separate
instructor is appointed. There are 12 learners taking Basic Literacy Course. There is also
a school caretaker.
Future Visions
Presently, the school has classroom shortage. There are only 5 classrooms in total for
seven sections from classes PP to VI. This year the school is planning to develop a
beautiful school logo the rough sketch of which is already finished. The school flag with
the logo on it has already been made. The school is planning to construct cemented
drains with the support of the Dzongkhag and paint the roof of the buildings.
Since the school has electricity, it plans to request for budget to buy computers within
one year. By the year 2007, the school will have enough classrooms, teachers’ quarters
and a library room. The school has already put up a proposal for the supply of telephone
facility through the Dzongkhag and the community leaders, mainly the gup.
Distinctive Features
For all that the school is situated in a remote place, it is in a very beautiful valley
surrounded by pine trees all around. Its area is small, but it is very well fenced and
clean.
It has a resource centre in Khasadrapchu Middle Secondary School in which the
students take part yearly. In 2002, the school stood first from six cluster school in
Teaching Learning Materials Exhibition. In 2003, the school once again stood first in
primary level Mathematics Quiz Competition conducted in National Institute of
Education, Paro during the Mathematics Day.
This year, the school is putting much of the efforts in improving reading habits of the
children, followed by writing. The school is shining both academically and in cocurricular activities year by year.
PEMAGATSHEL DZONGKHAG
Nangkhor Higher Secondary School
Bumpazore, a small remote and backward village in its pristine state known for
nothi ng till 1997, is located in a greater village called Nangkhor under Shumar
Gewog of Pemagatshel Dzongkhag, about 11 km from the town. Though the place is
little known for material advancement, one cannot overlook its splendid natural
view. There on the sacred soil and serene environment stands the highest learning
centre of Pemagatshel known as Nangkhor Higher Secondary School.
Nangkhor Higher Secondary School was established m 1997 as a junior high school
under World Bank project. It occupies 15 acres of land. The land initially belonged
to Chungkhar Nagtshang. It was wet land and was used for paddy cultivation till
it was used for the construction of the school. With the recently procured land, the
area of the school has increased, and still it has scope for further expansion. Thus,
the village offers advantage for further growth of the school into a degree college.
The approximate altitude of the location is 1500 metres above sea level. A feeder
road of about 4 km connects the school to the nearest tarred road that goes down to
the Gypsum Mines and is linked with Pemagatshel town and Trashigang Samdrupjongkhar highway. There is a report that the school sits on a huge inferred
gypsum deposit. The climate of the place is subtropical which supports abundance
in agriculture. The location is highly conducive for learning as it is free from all
kinds of disturbances. The school is well-equipped with all kinds of facilities, except
a health service centre, which has served a very important need in all the years.
There is high rate of illness, especially in summer, when the place experiences
extreme heat and wate r becomes unsafe with the start of monsoon.
The site of the school was jointly selected by the present Education Minister
Lyonpo Thinley Jamtsho, who was the Director General of Ed u c at i on an d th e
p re se n t H o me Secretary, Dasho Penden Wangchuk. The Home Se cretary, who
had been the Dzongda of Pemagatshel for several years starting from December
1991, was actively involved in the establishment of this school. The infrastructure
was constructed by Kasa Construction Company at a cost of Nu. 3.45 crores.
The school was formally i n au gu rate d on Novembe r 1 4, 19 98 by His
Excellency Lyonpo Sonam Tobgay, the Chief Justice of Bhutan, in the presence of
the then Dasho Dzongda of Samdrupjongkhar, Dasho Penden Wangchuk and some
other dignitaries from the capital. It is worthwhile to mention that the Hon'ble
Lyonpo belongs to this locality and has his home just l km above the school, at
Nangkhor Naktshang.
Nangkhor Junior High School began its journey on March 1, 1997 together with
Shumar Community Primary School in the same campus taking care of 582
students of classes ranging from PP-VII1. The school was headed by its first head
teacher, Mr Sonam Wangyel, supported by the head teacher of Shumar Community
Primary School and assistant teachers, who were transferred from the neighbouring
schools of this dzongkhag.
The first two years were the most challenging period of the school. However, the school
could overcome all the obstacles due to its strong and dynamic leadership and excellent
support and cooperation of the other teachers. In recognition of his dedicated service and
achievements in the school, Mr Sonam Wangyel was sent to Australia in 1999 for two years
to complete his Masters Degree. Upon his return, he was appointed as the DEO of
Samdrupjongkhar in 2001.
In keeping with the national policy of making education cost-effective and easily
accessible, the school was upgraded to a high school in 1999 with 18 teachers and 626
students and Ms Yangki Dem as the newly appointed principal. When she was awarded a
scholarship (Masters Degree) in Canada, Mr Chuzang Norbu, the assistant principal,
looked after the school. In September, Mr Jigme Yangtse took over the school as the new
principal.
The school saw its first batch of class X students pass out in 2001. In 2002, the school
was furthe r upgraded to a higher secondary school offering Arts and Science
disciplines of study. Mr Jigme Yangtse was still the principal of the school. There were 18
teaching staff and 556 students. In September 2003, Mr Sherub Gyeltshen took over
when Mr Jigme Yangtse went on transfer as the DEO of Trashigang. The year also saw the
first batch of class XII students pass out. The school presently has 565 students (boys: 383
and girls: 182) 7 ASC staff, 11 ESP members, 19 teachers besides the principal and the
assistant principal.
Under the present administration, the school is witnessing a good deal of
transformations, and stands in its best form with a healthy teaching -learning atmosphere.
With its motto "Ultimately the Students", this school, which was once less opted for by
parents and students for higher studies, has now become one of the most sought-after
schools in the eastern Bhutan.
The upgrading of the school was a milestone in the education of Pemagatshel
wherein Dasho Tshering Dorji, the then Dzongda, played a significant role. A
number of benefits have been bestowed upon the people of Pemagatshel through
this school, especially in the field of education which will have far-reaching
impact on their lives. The school is a radiant ray of hopes and aspirations for all
Pemagatshelpa. The school has brought opportunity to all children of the
dzongkhag to complete the i r basi c edu cation wi th in th ei r hometown at low cost
which used to be impossible in the past. Parents used to face a lot of hardship to
educate their children by sending them to the schools in other dzongkhag after
class VIII. Students confron ted and bore endless pain in travelling long
distances and spending hard earned money of their poorer parents, helplessly
and painfully. Gone are those difficult days.
Easy access to school has reduced dropout cases and contributed to the increase in
enrolment. Parents no more keep their children at home to help them; rather they
are in a rush to admit their children in school. Thus the school has had a great
impact on the literacy rate of Pemagatshel which is on steady rise.
Accommodating another school in the same campus and working together was a
unique feature of this school. Shumar Community Primary School was starte d
in 1992 in a lhakhang i n Shumar Gewog with 94 students and two teachers
including the head teacher Rana. As the number of students over the year rose,
the school happened to be in need of expanding its capacity to absorb more
students which made it impossible to continue in the Lhakhang. In1996, when
some of the academic blocks of the NJHS were ready, the dzongkhag authorities felt
it feasible to shift the SCPS temporarily here for its better capacity.
Consequently, in March 1997, when NJHS came into operation, the two schools
started moving hand in hand under the same rules and administration till July
2000 when Shumar CPS had its buildings ready. It was segregated from NJHS, just a
stone's throw distance.
Before the establishment of this school, the area was completely desolate wi thou t
any h u man h a bi t ation nearby. As a re sult, there use d to be housing problem
for the staff at the initial stage of the school. Now, there are several houses outside
the school area which have been constructed following the birth of the school and
started serving dual purpose- providing accommodation to the government
se rvants and generating income for the house owners. In fact, some of the finest
houses and tallest buildings of the dzongkhag are now owned by the people of
Nangkhor. The three-storey buildings, five shops and other ordinary houses just
outside the school gate, add a look of town to the place. The school area also
become a good market for the local farmers to sell many of their agricultural
produces.
As a whole, the overall scenario of Nangkhor area has begun to change at a great
speed due to the school, and it is hoped that Nangkhor will grow into the best town
of Pemagatshel in the future. However, it is an irony that the name Bumpazore,
where the school exactly stands, is about to be forgotten as the school has
occupied the whole area, and its new identity is Nangkhor Higher Secondary School.
The eye-catching landscape of the school, which is best seen and most enjoyable
from Pemagatshel town, has been always an attraction for the visitors. In 1998,
one of the visitors from Thimphu commented that it was going to be the second
Sherubtse (not literally) of Bhutan. The promising features of the school and its
location hold out the possibility of this coming true one day.
Nganglam Middle Secondary School
Nganglam comes from the words ngang meaning puzzled, and lam meaning
way/route/road. The place got its name from Kerong Chhu which flows through the
place.
Legend has it that once Kerong Chhu, the Mochhu, and Kurong Chhu, the Phochhu,
decided to go to India. Being a male river, Kurong Chhu traveled so fast that he reached
India in a short time. However, when Kerong Chhu reached Nganglam area, it was
indecisive as to which route to take. Meanwhile, she received a message from Kurong
Chhu, and she decided to take a short route to the plains. But she was warned against
that by the messenger (bird) who said that the Indians would make her work hard in
their fields. So she took the long way in order to make her journey through Bhutan as
long as possible. Therefore, Nganglam is the place where Kerong Chhu was puzzled as to
which route to take.
Nganglam Middle Secondary School is situated in Kusawoong, which is some hundred
metres downstream from Phatung.
The construction of Nganglam Middle Secondary School started in 1989, but the school
was functional only from 1991. The school started as a junior high school with Mr
Sonam Tshering as the first head teacher. During the tenure of Mr Chogyal Tenzin as he
second head teacher of the school, the school was upgraded to higher secondary level. In
January 2001, during the tenure of Mr Karma Dendup, due to militant problem in the
south, the school had to be shifted to Sarpang Higher Secondary School.
The school reopened in 2005 with Mr Phuntsho as the principal with 350 students and
9 teaching staff. This year, the student strength has increased to 578 with 16 teachers
and 14 support staff.
Nganglam Middle Secondary School has two big academic blocks and a multi-purpose
hall. The smaller structures form the principal’s quarters, boys’ hostel and the teachers’
quarters (teachers’ quarters are presently used as girls’ hostel). The school
infrastructure is unable to contain the student population. The school, however, boasts
a football ground and a volleyball court. The construction of a girls’ hostel is underway,
and there is a plan to build a basketball court.
All the classrooms, laboratories, stores, offices, and toilets are housed in a single
structure. The science lab, the library and the computer lab are virtually empty awaiting
the promised, but undelivered furniture and equipment.
The MPH is another structure housing the stage, kitchen, WFP store, stipend store,
green rooms and a badminton court. Since the hall is leaking and wooden parts
decaying, it is in need of repair.
The school buildings were built by DCP (Dungsam Cement Project) as it is evident from
the lavish use of cement and elaborate deign which is rarely seen in other schools in
Bhutan. But time has taken its toll on the structures.
There are many repair and maintenance works in the school’s plan including rewiring
the whole school and repairing the student toile.
Pemagatshel Middle Secondary School
If one looks at the history of this beautiful Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, one will find that it
was blessed by an influx of great lamas over many centuries. Starting from the historic advent
of Guru Rinpoche in 746 AD, Phajo Drugom Zhigpo in 1218, and Zhabdrung Ngawang
Namgyal in 1616, Bhutan transformed itself from a "land of darkness" into a bastion of
precious religion.
It is in the light of the above historical events that we can possibly tell how and why the name
Pemagatshel (the land of the blissful lotus) came into existence. As a matter of fact, the name
Pemagatshel was given by Doedrum Rinpoche in May 1970. Earlier on, the place had been
called Khidung.
Before 1970, Khidung had been headed by Dasho Kilekhar Jangchu as the head of the
dungkhag under Monggar Dzongkhag.
The first school of the dzongkhag was established in the year 1960. Mr Chubnulal Bose as the
pioneer of the schools in Pemagatshel headed the school at Shumar in the beginning. He was
later on followed by Mr Basudev Rokha who shaped the primary school into a dynamic and
beautiful school from classes PP to class IV with a total of 40 students. Mr C.M. Thakur came
as the third head teacher. He fell into a dispute with the public regarding the acquirement of
school's land which at present is the football ground. It was during his time that the then
Dasho Dungpa Kilekhar Jangchu and Dasho Dzongda Samdrup felt the need of creating a
separate Dzongkhag. Hence, in the year 1974, during the tenure of Dasho Dzongda Tashi
Tshering, Pemagatshel was established as a separate Dzongkhag.
Dasho Dorji was appointed as Dzongda of the newly born Dzongkhag. It was then that
development stated in Pemagatshel. During that time, the people of the dzongkhag were barely
able to support their school-going children. Therefore, the government felt it necessary to help
them with WFP assistance.
In 1978, a WFP meeting was held in Thimphu with the heads of all WFP beneficiary schools led
by the then Director of Education, Dasho Nado Rinchen. It was at the meeting that the
Regional Education Officer of Trashigang, Mr K.P. Gupta and the Inspector of all schools in
Bhutan, Mr Jigme Zangpo, decided that Shumar Primary School would be upgraded to a fullyfledged Sumar Junior School. Thus Shumar Primary School was declared as Pemagatshel
Junior High School with Mr A. Kerketia as the head of the school.
Pemagatshel was connected by motor road from Tshelingor in 1979. It was in the same year
that the second National Day was celebrated under the dynamic leadership of our fourth Druk
Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck on 17 December. His Majesty’s grace manifested itself in
manifold magnificent development programmes with peace beyond measure. From that
auspicious day in December, His Majesty has been a source of all wonders and inspiration and
fount of all development progress in the country, especially in the field of education.
The present school buildings were constructed during the year 1981-82 before the construction
of Pelzong during 1981-1983.
It was during 1988-1989 that dratshang was first instituted in Pemagatshel for the benefit of
the people of the dzongkhag. Because of its rapid development, Pemagatshel Junior High
School was declared as the best Junior High School in the kingdom of Bhutan by the the
erstwhile Department of Education in the year 1991. The school was awarded a cash prize of
Nu. 20,000 by the then Director General of the Department of Education, Dasho Thinley
Jamtsho, in the presence of His Majesty the King. The prize was received by the head master,
Mr Chogyal Tenzin, who worked as the head of the school from year 1990-1992. His hard work
paid off when he got an opportunity for further study in Canada. Mr Dorji Dukpa, presently a
team member of EMSS, was the assistant head master of the school. He later on became the
head master of the school and served the school from 1992-1995. As the years passed by, Mr
Sonam Wangyel became the next head master of the school in 1996. After 2 years of service, he
was transferred to Nangkhor Junior High School as the first head master of that school in the
year 1997. He was replaced by Mr Nima Gyeltshen, who was transferred to Lhuntse Junior
High School in 1999. Mr Sonam Bumtap took over as the new head master. He was a very
hardworking and industrious person. Because of his diligence and constant effort, the school
acquired one more petal on its lotus. Thus, Pemagatshel Junior High School became
Pemagatshel Middle Secondary School in 2002.
However, Mr Sonam Bumtap himself could not stay here to reap the fruit of what he had sown
owing to a domestic problem. Mr Yonten Jamtsho, another young, dynamic, and industrious
leader who believes that "good change is the only permanent thing" came from Zhemgang
Higher Secondary School in the month of April 2004 as the reliever to former principal. Since
his joining the school, he started weeding and sowing good seeds. We the faculty of the school
are looking forward to a good academic and all-round development of the students, and a good
professional development of the teachers under him in the not too distant future.
With the contribution and commitment of the officials mentioned above, VIPs, and DEO's, the
school has now become one the biggest middle secondary schools in the country. The following
statistics give the present (2004) size of the school.
Class
PP
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total
No. of Section
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
3
3
22
No. of Boys
31
23
25
47
39
31
25
36
35
49
101
442
No. of Girls
25
29
49
33
38
47
21
43
25
44
42
396
Total
56
52
74
80
77
78
46
79
60
93
143
838
The school has two academic buildings. One is a single-storey traditional Bhutanese structure
consisting of 4 rooms and the other is a huge concrete two-storey building which houses 14
classes, a staff room, a library room, two stores and two offices- principal’s and assistant
principal’s. The school also has 8 units of teachers’ quarters, a good multipurpose hall and
boarding facilities for 200 students- both boys and girls. The school has a small campus of 4
acres including a playground measuring 80mx50m. Planted trees surround the campus.
The school is centrally located. The bazaar and the Dzongkhag headquarters are just a few
metres away. The school caters to the villages like Bartsheri, Shumar, Japbrangsa,
Pangthangdaza, and Zobel under Zobel gewog. But now, students from other gewogs too enroll
themselves in the school.
The school is well-organized in its function. In the beginning of every session, teachers and
principal sit together to set the vision, mission, goals, aims, objectives and activities for the
school. During the meeting, various committees are formed, job delegation is done, rules and
regulations are discussed, and activities are planned and coded. All of these form a handbook.
The handbook serves and guides teachers and students towards the right direction in right
time.
Clubs are also introduced in the school to develop interest in vocational skills among the
students. They include Carpentry Club, Photography Club, Saloon & Cobbling Club, Home
Science Club, Arts and Craft Club, Literary Club, and Science & Nature Club. Inter-house
competitions are organized for games, cultural and literary activities. Cash prizes are awarded
to all the four houses accordingly.
Evaluation for promotion is done by summing up continuous assessment, monthly tests, midterm test, home works, class works and project works. The school has comparatively good
facilities. Students have access to sports like football, volleyball, basketball, table tennis,
cricket, caroms, chess and even taekwondo. Other facilities available are black-surfaced road,
electricity, telephone, microphone, TV/video, radio, computer, the internet, and good set of
furniture. But there is shortage of residential quarters for teachers as well as for other staff.
The school has enough staff. They are working tirelessly with zeal and enthusiasm towards
fulfilling the aims of the school.
The following is the list of school staff.
Teaching Staff
Sl.N
o.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Name of Teachers
Designation
Mr Yonten Jamtsho
Lop. U Thinley
Lop. D Phuntsho
Mr K. N. Mandal
Mr K. Kumar
Mr Gunjay
Mr Phuntsho
Mr T Phuntsho
Principal
Assistant Principal
ZLT
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
9
10
Ms Thanuja
Ms P Sharma
Teacher
Teacher
Subject taught & other
responsibilities
English
Dzongkha
Dzongkha
Eng., S.S., Cob.
Mathematics
His., English
Geo.,H. Master
Dzo.,
EVS,
Eng.,H.Master
Eng, Maths, His.
Eng.,
Maths,
Home
science
11
Ms Maya Kumari
Teacher
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Mr A Singh
Mr Srivastav
Ms Anupam
Mr Tshultrim Dorji
Ms Suman Dorji
Ms Ugyen Zangmo
Mr Dorji Samdrup
Ms Dechen Wangmo
Mr Rinzin Namgay
Lop. Sonam Jorden
Mr Santosh Kumar
Mr Muralidharan
Mr Tashi Dorji
Mr Sonam Chozom
Lop. Nima Tenzin
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
ZLT
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
ZLT
Eng., Maths, Arts &
Crafts
English & Maths
Chemistry
Chemistry
Geo.,Eng. & Games
English
Dzo., Eng., Maths
Eng., Dzo., EVS, Maths
Dzo., Eng., EVS, Maths
Bio., Chemistry
Dzongkha
Maths
Maths
Sci.,Maths, Eng.
Eng., EVS, Maths
Dzongkha
Non-Teaching Staff
Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Name
Ms Tshering Choki
Mr Budha Mani
Ms Tshering Zangmo
Mr Dorji Gyeltshen
Mr Pema Rinzin
Ms Ambika Ghalley
Mr Gembo Dorji
Mr Sonam Tobgay
Mr Pem Dorji
Mr Narbir Rasaily
Mr Sherab Daza
Ms Sangay Lhamo
Mr Tshewang Jamtsho
Responsibilities
UDC Typist, Matron, Mess,
Lib. Assistant
Lib. Assistant
Lab. Assistant
- do - do Cook
- do - do Caretaker
Sweeper
-doNight Guard
The school has so far enjoyed many special privileges. Every year, VIP's pay their visits to it. In
January 2002, His Majesty the King, accompanied by Their Majesties the Queens, visited the
school. Next, Lyonpo Sangye Ngedup visited the school in September followed by Dasho Dr
Pema Thinley in the same year. With their visits, the school has gained more strength and
popularity.
The school would like to inform all the past teachers of this school that the students who have
passed out of this school are doing well in their higher studies or in the service of the kingdom.
Although you all may be still teachers in different corners of the country struggling hard
against all odds, your students have become teachers, doctors, engineers and even ministers.
This is where your satisfaction lies, where your reward dwells. This must spur you on to
produce more and more of teachers, doctors, engineers…
Gonpasingma Lower Secondary School
The history behind the name
The area is a tableland. A gentle slope runs right down to the stream. It is at an altitude of
around 500 m above the sea level. On the slope there lie the two villages of Zobel and
Nangmalang. It is the centre of Zobel gewog under Pemagatshel Dzongkhag.
A long time back, there was a lama at Yonglagonpa who had many devoted disciples. The
devoted disciples from Nangmalang and Zobel built their hermitage on the tableland and
practised tantric religion for the benefit of all living creatures in the universe. Later, the wives
of the hermits began to make small kitchen gardens around the hermitage. Surprisingly, when
the hermits completed their meditation they did not return to their villages. Instead they settled
in the place with their families. In due course of time, the small community of gomchen began
to cultivate more and more land. More people joined the community and thus the settlement
grew into a village. This village was called Gonpasingma.
Gonpasingma Lower Secondary is located 2.5 km from the highway. It was established on
April 12, 1991 as a community school under the dynamic leadership of Dasho Pelden
Wangchuk, Dzongda of Pemagatshel Dzongkhag. At the time, few people of the village
understood the value of education. However, a few people took the initiatives to establish the
school. During the time, Pemagatshel Lower Secondary School was the only school of
secondary level. Since it is far away from this village, very few students could go to that school.
Mr Chhetri was the first head teacher of the school. He opened the school with 175 students
and three teachers. At the time, the classrooms were made of bamboos and roofed with
polythene sheets. We could understand very well that the teachers and the students had to
undergone a great deal of trials and tribulations. Mr Khagen replaced the first head teacher as
the teacher incharge in 1991.
Mr Indra Mani Gurung took over the charge of the school as the new head teacher in 1992. The
school had to function in the same huts even then. It was he who inspired the community
people to build a stonewalled two storey building. In 1995, the school was upgraded to a fullyfledged primary school with the provision of WFP supply. The number of students rose to 200
and teachers six.
In the mean time, the people undertook the construction works while the government provided
CGI sheets. We were able to run classes in the new building since 1993. On completion of the
new building, the hut classrooms were dismantled. Mr Indra Mami Gurung served the school
for five years. After him, many teachers took the charges of the school but their title was not
well defined as reflected below.
Head teachers and teachers incharge of the school
Sl.No.
1
Name
Mr Indra Mani
Gurung
Title
Head teacher
From
1/8/92
To
1/3/96
Period
5 years
2.
3.
4
Mr Khandu
Wangchuk
Late Tenzin Dorji
Mr Gunjay
5.
6.
Mr Gopal Pradhan
Ms Chandana Rai
7.
Mr Tek Bdr. Thapa
8.
9.
Mr Sonam Tobgay
Mr Lhendup Dukpa
Offtg. Head
teacher
Head teacher
Offtg. Head
teacher
Head teacher
Offtg. Head
teacher
Offtg. Head
teacher
Head teacher
Head teachers
10/3/96
28/2/97
11.5M
1/3/97
25/10/97
24/10.97
17/3/98
7.5M
4.5 Months
18/3/98
8/5/98
7/5/98
20/8/98
1.5 months
3 months
21/8/98
1/9/2001
3 years
2/9/98
16/4/91
30/3/2001
2 YRS
Running 4 years
Some of the successful alumni of the school are pursuing the higher studies as mentioned
below:
1. Ms Tshering Yangzom, completed ISC, 2003, joined B.Ed, NIE, Samtse.
2. Mr Kinzang Thinley, completed ISC, 2003, pursuing B.Com Degree Course at Sherubtse
College, Kanglung.
3. Mr Pema Namgay, completed ISC, 2003, joined polytechnic, Kharbandi, Phuntsholing.
Many students who passed out of this school are due to appear for the forthcoming BCSE in
Pemagatshel and ISC in Nangkhor Higher Secondary School. Besides, many of them have
already joined private organizations according to their capabilities and abilities.
In the past years, students who completed Primary School Certificate Examination (BCSE) were
placed in different Lower Secondary Schools. This was a great burden to the poor parents who
could not afford to bear traveling expenses of their children. Therefore, in order to ease the
burden of expenses on poor parents and to also to ease admission pressure on a few secondary
schools in the district, the DEO concerned proposed the education department that some of the
primary schools in the Dzongkhag be upgraded to lower secondary level. The proposal was
generously accepted by the education department. Thus, this school came to be upgraded to a
lower secondary school in 2001.
In 2002, class VIII and VII students who walk to school from 3 km radius of the school were
given stipend boarding facilities of Nu. 130 per head per month. Besides, students of class VI
and below too got WFP boarding facilities with a subsidiary payment of Nu. 20 for day scholars
and Nu. 40 for paying boarders and 6 kg of Kharang per month.
The present head teacher and the teachers are collectively working very hard to improve the
basic facilities and to enhance the academic achievement to the students. We are also
extremely happy that there has been gradual improvement in the learning process of the
students under the guidance of the teachers. We have been able to bring 100% results in class
VIII examinations within a couple of years. We stand assured that the same spirit will be
continued. At present, the student strength of the school is 351; teacher, 10; and non-teaching
staff, six.
Our Vision
The vision of the school is to produce productive citizens of the future who will serve the
community and the nation as a whole. We aspire to make each of the students stand on his or
her own feet in the foreseeable future. It is to this end that the teachers always strive hard with
limited resources to nurture our children through various activities. We hope that this school
would be upgraded to the level of middle secondary school before the end of the ninth Five Year
Plan. We are also looking forward to shifting the school to Nangmalang village which is 3 km
from the present site. We teachers, students and the community will make sure that the plans
are duly implemented for they are in the master plan of Gonpasingma Lower Secondary School.
Tsebar Lower Secondary School
Tsebar Lower Secondary School is located on a small tableland surrounded by villages on all
sides. It lies under Khar gewog in Pemagatshel Dzongkhag. It is roughly 4 hours walk from the
nearest roadpoint at Denchi. Before the establishment of this school, the children from this
locality used to go to Yurung which is half-day walking distance away. The problem of distance
coupled with other difficulties like that of food and lodge deprived many of the children of
education. During those days, only well-off families could send their children to school.
It was a great stroke of luck for the people of this village that Her Royal Highness Ashi Dechen
Wangmo Wangchuck visited the village. Ashi was kind enough to approve the construction of a
school in the village. Ashi even granted Nu. 6 per day to the labourers as daily wages until the
construction was complete. It was a time people were beginning to realize the importance of
education. So, they took up the construction of the school with enthusiasm.
The construction works began in the year 1979. It took almost two full years to construct the
academic building, kitchen and hostel. The academic session formally began on March 1,
1981.
The chronological order of the head teachers who looked after the administration of this school
are:
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Tshewang Norbu
Tshering Dendup
S.B. Rasaily
Sonam Tobgay (1996-1999)
N.P. Chamlagain (1999-2003)
Kinley
(April 1, 2003…)
Among the teachers, Mr Santosh Chowdhury, an Indian teacher, served the longest tenure of
11 years in this school. His long dedicated service to the school is fondly remembered by the
authorities and the community at large. He is now at Nangkhor Higher Secondary School,
Pemagatshel Dzongkhag.
Among students, Mr Tshewang Gyelpo from Bongman village under Khar gewog has topped
class VI Common Examinations in 1993 on national level. He is presently doing his engineering
course abroad. None of the alumni has reached the senior level officer post. It is learnt that
most of them have joined teaching and technical fields.
This school was initially started as a primary school. It was upgraded to the present status on
March1, 2001. It is known that since its establishment there has been admission pressure in
the school due to large catchment area. The number of students increased year by year and at
present we have 356 students and 11 teachers including an apprentice teacher. Our classes
range from PP-VIII comprising 11 sections. In the school, there is a library assistant, laboratory
assistant and an office assistant. There are 4 cooks, a caretaker and 2 sweepers.
In terms of infrastructure, we are still depending on the old buildings and facilities. The only
new infrastructure are Resource Centre building and a basketball court. The school is looking
forward to seeing new structures come up as soon as possible for there are many proposals
already put up. The other facilities that the school enjoys are continuous power supply through
rural electrification programme and new water supply. We have also facilities for volleyball,
archery, badminton, basketball and indoor games. We do not have a standard size football field
till now although the proposal for land acquisition for it is underway.
Due to its central location, this school was identified as Resource Centre by Dr Pema Thinley,
Secretary for Education Ministry, in 2002. There are six other schools under this cluster. Over
the years, the RC centre organized various workshops on different issues. These were done to
enhance professional capacity of our teachers which in turn will benefit our learners. The
Resource Centre is now well equipped with computers, laminating and paper cutting machines,
generator, camping tents etc. Officially, the vision of this school is to produce productive and
useful citizens. We have very strong vision and mission statements and the school is striving
hard towards fulfilling the set goals.
This school will not be further upgraded until motor road comes to the place. This is as per the
latest order from education headquarters, Thimphu.
Yurung Lower Secondary School
Located on a beautiful hillock, Yurung Lower Secondary School has an area of 21.5 acres of
land registered under the school Tharm No 901. It is situated at the base of Yurung village at
an altitude of 1400 m above sea level. We experience a moderate climate.
The steep incline that rises from a gorge dramatically gives way to a gentle slope a little
distance below the school. The gentle slope then rises to a small hillock. It is on this hillock
that the main academic block of the school stands among cypress trees. This main structure,
which was constructed in 1958, forms one of the special features of this old school.
The location of the school is one of, if not, the best. It is certainly the best among the schools
that I, Lam Dorji, have seen so far.
We have 346 students of which 150 are girls and 196 are boys studying in classes PP to VIII
with thirteen teachers.
How the School Came into Existence
On the royal command of the third king His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to
construct two schools in Zhongar Dzongkhag, one in Monggar and the other in Shumar
Dungkhag, the then Shumar Dungpa, Babu Tashi started to build Yurung School in 1957. It
took about two years to complete a two story building with six rooms (this structure still stands
in strong condition). Mr Tashi Penjor from Kengkhar looked after the construction as the lajab
(supervisor). Mr Namjang Wangdi, also from Kengkhar, was one of the chief carpenters. All the
people under Shumar Dungkhag including Kengkhar and Orong came to contribute labour
force for the construction.
It was only in April 1959 that the academic session began with three teachers. Mr Tshewang
Norbu from Chongshing Gewog (still alive) headed the school as the teacher incharge along
with Mr Sherub from Deothang and Mr Dorji Wangchuk (DLT) from Tshebar Thonphu. Hindi
and Chokey were the media of instruction in the school for the first five years. English as a
medium of instruction was introduced only in 1964. An interview with Mr Tshewang Norbu
reveals that there were about 138 students admitted in the first year. They stayed in their own
little sheds built by themselves around the school. They stayed in those sheds for 5 years after
which a hostel was built. The students also got food at the school from the sixth year. The
students did not pay any fees to the school but they had to pay Rs.1 if they broke a slate.
One of the most outstanding alumni of the school is Dasho Zanglay Dukpa, Vice Chancellor of
the Royal University of Bhutan. There are many other alumni serving in the civil service today.
There is at least a civil servant from every household in the village.
The school began as a primary school and I believe it was upgraded to lower secondary level
sometime between 1960's and 1970's. Again it became a primary school in between. Later in
1999, coinciding with the silver jubilee celebrations of our 4th king’s reign, it was upgraded to a
lower secondary school. It was inaugurated by Dasho Tshering Dorji, the then Dzongda of
Pemagatshel.
Some Information on Mr Tshewang Norbu
The first teacher incharge of this school is now 73 years old and lives at his home in
Chongshing in Pemagatshel. He had studied in SUMI (Scottish University Mission Institute). He
taught the children of Dasho Zhongarpa, the Monggar Dzongpon at Chungkhar, Pemagatshel,
for two years and tutored the Shumar dungpa’s son (the present Chief Justice) for two months
before he came to teach at Yurung.
He used to get 65 tekchung (may be a coin used as money during those times) per month as
salary and 5 tekchung as annual increment. The teachers used to collect their salary once a
year from Zhongar Dzong.
Chronological list of the heads of the school
Name
1. Mr Tshewang Norbu
2. Mr GM Mukharjee
3. Mr AK Das
Tenure
1959-1963
1964-1971
1972-1976
Present position
4. Mr Philip Rai
5. Mr Tshongpon Wangdi
6. Mr Sangay Dorji
7. Mr Ngawang Thinley
8. Mr Sonam Tshering
9. Mr Karna Chamling
10. Mr Kezang Wangdi
11. Mr Lam Dorji
1977-1980
1981-1984
July 1984-June 1986
July 1986-July 1987
July 1987-June 1988
July 1988-1993
1994-1998
1999-
Principal, NID, Khaling
(Late)
(H/T, Kalikhola)
(Retired)
(H/T, Gomdar LSS)
(H/T, Lungtenphu PS)
The current head
Chimong Primary School
The name of the present school is Chimong, but it was first named Senselling ECR (Extended
Class Room). It then had classes PP-II. It was in the year 1986 that the ECR was run in a
shack with a trained teacher, Mr Ngawang Thinley, as the teacher incharge of the school. The
school started with 65 children. Mr Ngawang worked in the school for only one year. He was
replaced by Mr NP Chamlagain, who worked till 1988. The school was shifted to a new building
built by the SCF and was formally opened on 26th September 1987.
The school has an area of 5.46 acres. Mr Setu Subba succeeded Mr Chamlagain who was
succeeded by Mr Tenzin Dorji in 1991. Mr Tenzin was followed by Mr I.M. Gurung after four
years. Mr I. M. Gurung worked for 3 years from1996 to1998. Till Mr Gurung's tenure, the
classes remained till class V. The students of higher classes were sent to the nearest boarding
school in Yurung. The school was finally upgraded to a fully-fledged primary school in 1999
when the present head teacher joined the school.
The first batch of class VI students will sit BSCE (class X examinations) this year, but only a
few students have made it to class X. The SCF has helped the school build quarters and
classrooms and procure furniture both for the school office and residence.
The WFP facilities were the main factor for the increase in student enrollment in the school.
The school has games facilities too. Chimong is officially 2 days walk from the Dzongkhag
headquarters. Of late, the enrolment in the school has started to drop. This year, the school
has122 students without any admission in class PP. It is mainly because this school is far that
the children go to schools in other gewogs.
Dungmin Primary School
Dungmin Primary School stands above the beautiful valley of Dungmin village and just below
the cliff of Zimzor.
Before the establishment of this school, well-off parents sent their children to schools in other
gewogs which is a day's walk from Dungmin. But, children from humble family backgrounds
were left behind in the village. That is why, today most people of Dungmin are illiterate, lack
hygiene and have poor living condition.
As proposed by the people of community, the royal government of Bhutan set up the school for
the betterment of the community.
Ever since this school was established, it has done a lot of work to uplift the community. Many
health messages including those of STD/AIDS have trickled down to the people through school
children. Besides, the community has also been made aware of many issues of their immediate
interest through awareness campaign, skit, exhibition and parents-teachers meetings. The
people are also taught values by the school indirectly or directly.
In the beginning, there were only 60 odd students and two teachers- Mr Sambir and Mr Dorji
Wangchuk. The school functioned in a single building. Gradually, with the overall development
of the country as a whole and the awareness of education among the people of the community
in particular, this school has progressed well over the years.
At present, this school has enough infrastructure of its own. It has a standard library room,
stationery store, separate dining hall for WFP beneficiaries and standard dormitories for boys
and girls. In 2004, there are 115 students and four regular teachers and one NFE instructor.
The class ranges from PP-VI. It is a sad thing for the school that the annual enrolment of
students has begun to decline lately. There could be many reasons for it. One of them could be
awareness of family planning among the people of this community.
In October 13, 2001, this school celebrated its 25 years of achievement (silver Jubilee). The
occasion was graced by the present education secretary, Dr Pema Thinley when he was
Director General of education.
Though Dungmin Primary School is far from the road, it is making a lot of progress through
various means and methods. So, in the near future, this school might develop into a bigger one
because it has a beautiful location, enough infrastructure and the people are aware of the
importance of educating their children. So far, this school has been doing all it can to cater to
the educational needs of all the people. From now on, it will try to be a brighter learning centre.
Heads of the institute in chronological order
Sl. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Name of heads
Mr Sambir
Mr Sangay Dorji
Mr P.G. Mathew
Year
1976-1981
1981-1985
1985-1990
Mikuri Primary School
Mikuri village is four days of walk from the Dzongkhag headquarters. This community has
about ninety households, enough to supply the school with consistent student enrolment.
Towards the end of the steep slope below the village lies Mikuri Primary School. It was
established in the year 1987 as an extended classroom. The school was upgraded to a primary
school in the year 2000. The children of different age groups (6-16) yrs are enrolled in the
school.
Students detail for 2004
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Grand total
Boys
13
8
14
9
19
13
11
87
Girls
13
6
7
9
12
6
4
57
Total
26
14
21
18
31
19
15
144
Staff details
PTC
ZTC
Apprentice Total Cooks -
4
1
2
7
2
School Infrastructure
Two double-storey traditional buildings serve as the academic block. The classrooms are all
spacious and well furnished. The school also has a separate library room to enhance the
reading programme in the school. The students enjoy WFP facilities. About 50 boarder
students get two meals a day.
The problem that the school has faced so far is that boys and girls do not have separate
hostels. The staff quarters and hostels are lighted by solar panels. No other school in the
Dzongkhag has better drinking water source as this school.
Moreover, for outdoor games, the school has a good archery range and a volleyball court. But,
football ground needs to be extended. The main source of income for the school is agriculture
products. The school area is well fenced.
Chronology of the head teacher
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Mr Sonam Norbu
Mr Sumer Uron
Mr Tshering Nidup
Mr Rinchen Dorji
Mr Rohit Sharma
Mr DN Uron
Mr Dorji Samdrup
1987-1988
1989-1990
1990-1991
1991-1992
1992-1993
1994-1997
1998-2004
Chongshing Community Primary School
Chongshing Community Primary School was established in the year 2001 in Chongshing gewog
under Pemagatshel Dzongkhag. Dasho Dzongda and village heads played a key role in the
establishment of the school.
The local name of the school is Yargongjor. The school is located in the south-west of
Pemagatshel Dzongkhag, and it takes two days walk from road point. The school was run by a
teacher-in-charge. It consisted of 30 students: 21 girls and 9 boys.
In the year 2002, the school was upgraded to Class I and enrolled 7 students in Class PP. This
year (2005), the school has a total of 55 students and 4 staff, two regular and one apprentice
teacher, and one caretaker.
The existing infrastructure facilities of the school comprise:
a) Main academic building consisting of 7 classrooms
b) Head teacher's and staff quarters
c) Toilets for students and teachers
d) Water supply under process.
Dagor Community Primary School
Ever since its origin, the community was called Dagor which has a very significant origin. Da
means the moon, gor means round or circle. It is believed that since the village bears the shape
of a full (round) moon, it was named Dagor. The village is snugly nestled on a gentle slope
overlooking a rivervalley. One can catch the first glance of this village just after crossing
Chungkhar. Descending further downhill, one can catch a bird's eye view of this village with
many gilded roofs as if it would tease us forever so close, yet so far. Legend has it that, the
original Dagor village lies somewhere in the extreme part of this village in a place called
Wanglung. The remains of the village can still be seen today.
Location of the school
The school is located on a beautiful slope between two moderately inhabited villages of
Gumrong and Dagor. It is at a distance of about five hours walk from the nearest roadhead.
The school has a pleasant outlook over a valley and deep gorges through which fast-flowing
streams roar and glide down singing an eternal song. The place also gives a vivid picture at the
outskirts of Trashigang Dzongkhag. Opposite the school lies Gonpasingma Lower Secondary
School and to the east lies Tshatse Primary School and further east lies Lumang Primary
School.
Brief history of the school
The history of the school is as new as the school itself. The school was formally inaugurated by
Honourable Dasho Dzongda on 18th April, 2002. There were 26 students and a single teacher.
Today, the one-year-old Dagor school has 30 boys and 24 girls and one teacher. There are 30
NFE (5 boys and 25 girls) learners currently undergoing the post literacy courses.
Just as every new school, this school also faced numerous shortcomings in its initial stage, but
the obstacles were solved due to the strong support and kind guidance from the Dzongkhag.
The school still looks forward to further support in the days to come. There exists a lively and
congenial relationship between the community and the school. The school’s mission is to
continue to enjoy the similar working atmosphere so as to achieve our cherished goals.
Since the school is a day school, it runs till 3 pm. It has three sections taught by one teacher.
The school is hopeful of receiving one apprentice teacher shortly. Mr Wangchuk of this locality
has been the caretaker since July, 2002. The school functions with a proper plan with many
curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities incorporated in the school calendar,
which means not a single child is deprived of wholesome education.
As we steer the school forward, we swear to improve a lot more every year for our children to be
intellectually sound, physically developed, emotionally stable, morally upright and socially
patriotic in the days to come.
Economic Status of the People
Dagor village is located at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level bordering Trashigang
Dzongkhag. It has wonderful weather and climate throughout the year. Perhaps this climate
seems to be a blessing for the native of this village. The people can harvest maize twice a year.
Besides, other food crops, rearing of animals and cash crops are also grown in abundance for
the community to exchange for cash in the nearest little market called Kherigonpa.
Khangma Community Primary School
Khangma Community Primary School is situated at the centre of Khangma village under
Yurung gewog. It is one day’s walking distance from the Dzongkhag headquarters. It was
established in the year 1991 to benefit the children of Khangma village who are cut off from
rest of the schools in the Dzongkhag, especially in summer.
Years before the establishment of this school, the children of the locality used to study at
Yurung Primary School to reach which the children had to negotiate many difficult terrains. It
was only in 1990 that the people realized the urgent need of a school within the locality. The
issue was discussed at a public meeting and the proposal put up to the Dzongkhag. Their
proposal was readily accepted by the Dzongkhag Education Sector. The construction works
were to begin by 1991. Mr Harka Bahadur Biswa, the then DEO of the Dzongkhag, was the key
player in the development of the school. He chose a suitable site for the construction. In the
end, all turned out as planned with the Dzongkhag officials and the community working hand
in hand with full cooperation.
When the school was inaugurated on April 10, 1991, there were only 72 students studying in
PP. The school started as an extended classroom of Yurung Primary School.
Later that year, Save the Children Fund (the United Kingdom) took the complete responsibility
of construction and other major works. It was Mr Rinzin Norbu, the then Project Officer of
SCF, who played a very crucial role in using the SCF in a very constructive way. The SCF
constructed a huge two-storey building with three classrooms, a hall, an office room and one
storeroom. It also constructed 3 staff quarters and furnished the school with furniture.
The following year, the school accommodated children till class three. Upon the completion of
class III, they were sent to Yurung Primary School. But in the year 2001, the school started
class four, and in 2002, class V and finally in 2003, class VI. Fourteen students took the BBE
class VI examination in 2003, out of which 12 students passed.
Till date, the school has changed only three head teachers: Mr Dil Bahadur Chhetri (19911994), Mr Setu Subba (1995-2002), and Mr Indra Kumar Chhetri(2003- …). Presently there are
four teachers and 106 students: 56 boys and 50 girls.
Looking back into the past, this school has benefited the community to a great extent. The
first batch of children who were admitted in 1991 has completed class XII and many of them
have joined various organizations in the country. Many of them have joined RBA, RBP and
RBG. They are playing an important role is safeguarding the security of the country. The
school continues to teach and train children to make excellent future citizens who will be able
to take care of the nation.
The school has a good prospect of being upgraded to a lower secondary school in the future.
The campus is big and the people are ready to work hard towards it. The enrolment rate might
increase in the future. Ten years from now, the school aims to achieve 100% literacy in this
locality.
Khar Community Primary School
Gewog:
Khar
Dzongkhag:
Pemagatshel
Founder:
Gup Karchung, Khar Gewog.
Establishment: 12th April 1991
Inauguration: Inaugurated by Dasho Penden Wangchuk, Dzongda, Pemagatshel
Purposes/reasons for establishment:



Large number of children who did not attend school
The nearest school was more than 2 hours uphill walk
More dropouts due to the geographical terrains
Location of the School
The school is located at a place called Sojkhar on a beautiful hillock facing north at the base of
the main Khar village. The school with three separate buildings stands beside the big and tall
mango tree which is over a hundred years old. The school is situated to the west of
Pemagatshel Dzong between Marung and Brongkhola rivers. The school has an area of 3 acres
of land registered under the Thram No. 1311.
Altitude: 1990 m
Climate: Temperate
Upgrading : Upgraded to Community Primary School in 2000
Classes: PP to VI.
Catchment area of the school
S.N.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Village
Gewog
Villages
Merburi
Khar
Sokhar
"
Yazur
"
Goseli
"
Abtang
"
Mongnadang "
Yetsawang
"
Yangtshatpo "
Chortenra
"
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Pangthang
Raythung
Bainangkhar
Bongman
Labar
Yalang
Denchi
Khothakpa
Thongsa
Gewog
Khar
"
"
"
"
Shumar
"
"
Chongshing
Chronological order of head teachers
Sl. No
1.
2.
3.
Year of Service
Name
Mr Setu Subba
Mr Dil Bahadur Chhetri
Mr Indra Mani Gurung
1991-1994
1995-1998
1999-Current head
Evolution of the school
Sl.N
o.
1.
Name of the head
Year
Facilities acquired
Total No.
Remarks
Mr Setu Subba
1991
1992
1993
Temporary Shed
Construction
of
school
playground
-Completion
of
School
building teachers’ quarters
3 rooms
---50 sq.m
5 rooms
Bamboo shed
--small
Permanent
2 units
Permanent
2.
Mr Dil Bdr. Chhetri
1 set
2 units
5 rooms
---
School use
Semi-permanent
Permanent
--Semi permanent
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
3
Mr
Indra
Gurung
Mani
1999
2000
2001
Installation of solar panel
Cement
flooring
of
classrooms
--Construction
of
head
teacher’s quarters
---Aditional classroom
Up-gradation of school
to Comm.Pry.School
----
1 unit
--3 rooms
--Permanent
-----
Classes IV-VI
----
2002
2003
2004
Administrative Block
-Renovation of Main School
building
-VIDP Toilet
-Flush Toilet
-Volleyball court
-Badminton court
-Water tap stand
-Electrification of HT.
Qtr. & teachers’s qrts..
-Electrification of school
building
-Maintenance
of
water
supply
-Library room
-Teachers’ quarters
-Extension of playfield
-Additional
land
for
expansion
of
school
area/construction
2 rooms
--5 Nos
1 No
standard
size
" "
2 Nos.
----------1 No.
2 units
Constructed
by
Dzngkhag Adm.
"
"
SemiPermanent
"
Permanent
Semi permanent
Semi Permanent
Temporary
Temporary
Temporary
Under construction
To be registered.
The development of the school
Initially the school started in a temporary shed in 1991 with three rooms housing class PP,
class I and school office-cum-store. The permanent main school building with five classrooms
was constructed in 1993 along with the two teacher quarters by the community of the
catchment areas, with the assistance from Save the Children Fund (SCF), U.K. It was
inaugurated by Dasho Penden Wangchuk, the then Dzongda of Pemagatshel.
Since then, there was no further construction of additional classrooms, except the construction
of head teacher’s quarters in 1998 through the community contribution. The school remained
as a community school till 1999.
The additional three-room building was constructed through the initiative of the community.
The Dzongkhag provided the roofing materials. With adequate classrooms, the school was
upgraded to a community primary school in the year 2000. It was inaugurated by Dasho
Tshering Dorji, the former Dzongda, Pemagatshel. The whole infrastructure of the school was
built by the community except for a two-room building which was built by the Dzongkhag. This
serves as the administrative block. The main school building was renovated in 2002 with
roofing materials provided by the Dzongkhag. The school has had adequate water supply after
its renovation in 2003.
Today, the school consists of three U-shaped buildings. The main school building comprises
four classrooms and a store, the second one three classrooms and the third building two
rooms. Besides the cypress trees on the school campus, there are 55 orange trees of which 20
trees have started bearing fruits.
Till now, the additional facilities are under construction. After the completion of additional
infrastructure and physical facilities, the school will have a conducive learning environment.
There is ample area for further expansion of the school infrastructure.
15
28
26
25
21
19
18
15
25
23
14
15
7
12
13
12
11
20
11
7
12
7
16
18
IV
B
18
15
19
21
13
G
15
8
11
11
14
V
B
15
14
15
19
G
13
9
6
9
VI
B
14
15
17
G
14
9
10
Total
B
86
105
121
133
93
89
101
95
84
100
106
118
116
109
G
36
59
54
39
47
52
51
62
49
65
81
95
88
88
122
164
175
162
140
141
152
157
133
165
187
213
204
197
Teachers
2
3
4
4
2
2
2
3
3
4
5
5
5
7
Kherigonpa Community Primary School
Location: Kherigonpa, Pemagatshel.
Status: Community Primary School.
Classes: PP-II
Teaching staff: 2 (1 teacher incharge and 1 teacher.
Student enrolment: 51 (26 boys and 25 girls.
Kherigonpa Community Primary School, which is located at the roadpoint some 100 metres
from Kherigonpa town and between Zobel and Shumar gewogs in Pemagatshel has an area of
200 m in length and 300 m in breadth. It has a single storey building consisting of 5
classrooms with each classroom with the capacity of 40 students. The school has a playground
measuring 40 m by 20 m. The new constructions including 3 latrines and a retention wall in
front of the school building will be completed soon.
The school was opened on February 21, 2005 with one teacher incharge, one teacher and 26
boys and 25 girls. This school caters to the educational needs of 50 households of
Shumarthang, Shumarjug, Kherigonpa, Chungkha and Bangtsho. Prior to the establishment of
this school, the children of this locality had to walk to Pemagatshel Middle Secondary School
and Gonpasingma Lower Secondary School which are about 5 km away. During monsoon
season, the children had to stay back at home for fear of landslides and road blocks.
Head
teach
er
G
Mr Setu
Subba
6
15
7
10
10
17
13
11
8
9
18
18
19
III
B
Mr DB
Chhetri
G
M
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
1004
Classwise enrolment
PP
I
II
B
G
B
G
B
76 24 16 6
32 25 57 28 16
24 13 51 19 31
16 5
29 15 40
21 13 17 11 29
23 15 20 15 21
33 12 29 11 18
29 17 25 12 22
19 15 26 12 21
18 22 20 13 29
14 20 19 19 18
16 17 15 19 17
20 10 17 18 14
17 8
12 10 15
Mr
I
Gurung
Year
Gran
d
Yearwise students and teachers statistics
Khothakpa Community Primary School
Location: Khothakpa, Pemagatshel Dzongkhag.
Status: Community primary school.
Classes: PP-VI
Teaching staff: 3 (1 teacher in-charge and 2 teachers)
Student strength: 98 (50 boys and 48 girls)
Type: semi-urban day school.
Khothakpa Community Primary School was opened on April 1, 2004. Initially, there were two
sections; PP and I. The teacher incharge and an apprentice teacher taught 61 students.
This year, 2005, the school has started class II. This school caters to 120 households in
Denchi, Bartseri, Yalang, and Khothakpa. Besides, this school also caters to the educational
need of the employees of Druk Satair Corporation. Prior to the establishment of this school, the
children of the above villages had to go to school in Pemagatshel proper (13 km), Shumar (9
km) and Khar (9 km approx.). During monsoon the children had to stay back at home due to
the danger of flashfloods and landslides on the way.
The school has recently constructed five units of academic buildings. One of them is used as
the office block and two as the staff quarters. The school is looking forward to increasing the
class to III in the next academic session to make it a fully-fledged community primary school.
The community plays a very important role in the school activities.
Laniri Community School
Laniri Community School is located at the lower edge of Laniri village under Dungmin gewog. It
is three days’ walking distance from the roadpoint at Khothakpa (gypsum mine).
The school was established on April 16, 1996 by the community of Laniri. The school started
with 56 students in class PP. Mr N.P. Chamlagain was the first head teacher. He was helped by
the ZTC Mr Pelden Gyempo. The classrooms were in a single storey building which has five
rooms. Presently, the school is run by the head teacher Mr Kuenzang Tobgay. There are a total
of 39 students in four classes ranging from PP to III.
The school has around 1.5 acres of land with 150 orange trees. The sale of oranges brings
some amount to the school. The money is used for the development of the school. Besides,
there are sports facilities like football, badminton, and volleyball. The school does not ignore
the literary aspect of the students. It has put up a wall magazine board where children display
their simple write-ups like news, stories, jokes, and pictures. It is a day school and it benefits
about 65 households of three villages in the area.
Though the school is only 9 years old, it got the opportunity to participate in quiz, art, writing,
and cultural competition in Tsebar Resource Centre.
The only problem that the school faces is that of water for the community and the school
shares the same source. The Public Health and Engineering Division, Thimphu, has agreed to
look into the problem very soon.
Nyaskhar Community School
Nyaskhar Community School is located at the extreme north-west corner of Pemagatshel
Dzongkhag. It is one of the remotest schools in the dzongkhag. It lies at the foot of a small hill,
not very far from the confluence of Kurichu and Gongrichhu which separate Monggar and
Pemagatshel Dzongkhags.
This school was established in the year 1991 with funding from Save the Children, UK, to
benefit the two villages, Nyaskhar and Chiphung, under Chimong gewog. These two villages are
far away from the centre of the gewog where there is a school. Thus, the children of the two
villages were deprived of education. Save the Children saw the need and established the school.
The two villages had a total of 60 households during the time the establishment of the school.
Today, the number of households decreased due to resettlement programme. The school also
had a good number of students in the beginning. But now, the number of students dwindles
year after year.
The school was first started by Mr Indra Mani Gurung as head teacher with 68 students in PP.
The school now has only 22 students of which only 8 are boys. The school has sent out a total
of 140 students in 14 years of its service to the community.
Nyaskhar Community School has an area of 2.41 acres of land as per the latest survey done in
February 2003. It is registered under Thram no. 972. The school has one academic building
which comprises an office, a hall-cum-library on the first floor and two classrooms on the
ground floor. The building is constructed in a traditional design. The school also has 2 of
teachers' quarters and a head teacher' quarter. It has a small football ground and a volleyball
court. In general, the school is equipped with adequate facilities to provide wholesome
education to our children.
Chronological list of heads
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Name
Year
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
April 1991 – June 1991
July 1991-1992
March 1993-Dec-1995
March 1996-Dec-1997
March 1997-2002
March 2003-2004
March 2004-
I M Gurung
Tshewang Lhendup
D R Thapa
D B Gurung
I K Chhetri
Chusang Wangdi
Dhendup Gyeltshen
Shali Community Primary School
1991
1992
1993
-
The school opens as a community school with classes PP and I.
Class PP = 102 students (2 sections)
Class I = 14 students (1 section)
Total = 116 students
Mr D. B. Gurung appointed as the first head teacher
Mr Lepo joins as DLT.
A C-shaped academic building constructed.
School upgraded to class II
Mr Lepo resigns
Mr Karma Geleg joins as the new DLT
School upgraded to class III
A 4-room staff quarters constructed
First batch of class III students passes out, placed in Yurung Primary School in
class IV
Mr Karma Geleg goes on transfer to Yurung PS.
Mr Chimi Dendup joins as the new DLT
Ms Sharmila Tamang joins the school
Mr D.R. Thapa takes over as the second head teacher
Mr D. B. Gurung goes on transfer to Nyaskhar CS
Ms Sharmila Tamang goes on transfer to Kanglung PS
Mr Dorji (M) joins the school
School upgraded to class IV
New academic block built by the community
Mr Dorji (M) leaves the school to join a private school
Mr Chogay joins the school
Mission of the school framed
School upgraded to class V
School upgraded to class VI
Head teacher’s quarters built through (RGOB) fund
Mr Chimi Chendup goes on transfer to Zilukha PS.
Mr Sonam Wangdi joins as the new DLT
First batch of class VI students passes out, placed in Nangkhor HSS and
Gonpasingma LSS.
Mr Sonam Wangchuk joins the school
Mr Dechen Wangdi (G/Tr) & Ms Babchum, DLT join the school
Staff quarters maintained and re-roofing of the old academic block done
-
1994
1995
1996
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
-
Students/Staff strength
Year
1991
1993
1996
Students
116
113
Class
I
III
III
Teachers
1
2
3
1997
94
III
3
Remarks
Temporary
- do -
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
103
115
141
169
202
199
186
III
III
IV
V
VI
VI
VI
2
2
3
3
3
4
6
Infrastructure
1991
1992
1993
1996
1999
2000
2002
Temporary huts
C-shaped academic block with 5 classrooms and a office built
Staff quarters with 4 rooms built
New set of furniture procured. Playfield developed
Two-storey academic building with 3 classrooms,
stationery store and a multipurpose hall started
Academic building completed
Head teacher's quarters built
Future Prospect
In the future, the school will be upgraded to lower secondary level. The first academic block will
be remodeled with additional class rooms. The library block and an additional staff quarters
will be built.
Location
Shali Community Primary School is located at a distance of about 3 hours walk from the
Dzongkhag headquarters, Pemagatshel. Shali is one of the six schools under Shumar gewog,
the gewog which has the highest number of schools in the dzongkhag. The school still has no
motor road and electricity.
The school is located in the middle of three villages, viz, Gamung in the north-west, Gonpung
in the north and Shali in the south-west. The exact name of the place where the school stands
is Gomtsang which means a stagnant pond in Sharchop dialect, but it was officially declared as
Shali Community School during the inaugural function in 1991, which was attended by the
then Dzongda, Dasho Thinley Yoezer; Mr D. B. Sinchieuri, DEO and other officials. However,
for the people around, it is more comfortable to call it Gomtsang School.
The place where the school stands today had been a haunted jungle used for meditation by a
few gomchen. The school was established by cutting the slope which shows how difficult the
construction works could have been. The total area of land under the school officially updated
in 2003 is one acre.
This school can be approached from Kherigonpa, Kothri or Nangkhor.
Site Selection: A Matter of Regret
A group called Education Tshogpa comprising a few local elders namely, Meme Tashi and
Lopon Kinzang Yeshi of Gonpung, ex-Tshogpa of Shali, Dorji Tempa, the then Shumar Gup
Dorji and the retired Shumar Chimi Tharchhen were officially authorized by the Pemagatshel
Dzongkhag to make the selection of site for the new school which would benefit the villages of
Gamung, Gonpung and Shali.
The tshogpa at first proposed the site at Nagpaiwong- a plain area about 10-12 minutes walk
from the present location of the school just above the newly opened farm road. But some of the
land owners were reluctant to give away their land for the construction of the school.
Moreover, the people of Gonpung and Shali protested that their children would have to walk
longer distance to the school than those of Gamongpas. They pleaded with the tshogpa that the
school should be located at such a place where all children would have to walk almost equal
distance from their villages. Meme Tashi, a member of the tshogpa instantly agreed to the
people and selected the present location of the school. Meme Tashi was very flexible because he
too owned some land at Nagpaiwong and he was, like other people, afraid that his land would
be lost.
Thus, the school was opened at Gomtsang as Shali Community School in 1991 with classes PP
and I. Today, it is upgraded to class VI. By the end of this year, 2004, the third batch of class
VI students will be passing out of the school. Many of the students pass out of the school very
young and immature. So, it is cause of worry for the parents to see their children go out of the
village. It is in this light that the people are eagerly looking forward to seeing this school
upgraded to a lower secondary school so that their children will have grown up by the time
they pass out of the school. Moreover, it would reduce their expenses on sending their children
to far off places.
Looking Back on How the School Began
It was the beginning of 1991. It was already decided that the school would be opened at
Gomtsang. Two young men, seemingly from college (people don’t remember), came to the village
and made house-to-house visit to enroll children in the newly opened school. The enrollment
story in the village was different from those narrated in the CALL, Stories of Yesteryears- CERD
or from that of other schools like Thongrong, Phongmey, Merak and Sakteng as recorded in
Rabsel IV (CERD) by Needrup Zangpo or from elsewhere in the country which remain untold.
Here, the parents were always enthusiastic about sending their children to school. And that
day, when the two young men came, their dream came true. So far, with a few exceptions,
there has been no parent trying to discourage their children from going to school in any way.
Prior to the opening of the school at Gomtsang, there were already many students walking from
Shali, Gamung and Gonpung to erstwhile Pemagatshel Junior High School. It usually took
about 3 hours for them to reach the school and because of the long distance they had to walk,
some small children of classes PP and I were sadly forced to stay at home. Parents lost hope on
them. But, when the new school was started at Gomtsang, their joy knew no bounds. They
rushed for enrollment. There were 14 students who had dropped out of Pemagatshel JHS. They
were directly admitted to class I. 102 children qualified for pre-primary. And that was beyond
expectation. PP was divided into 2 sections of 51 children each. But the class was still crowded.
This shows how education was rated by the parents here. 116 children for a start was great
indeed.
From a very humble beginning, everything came into place. In the beginning, a cluster of huts
on a small flat area which looked no more like chicken coops formed the physical
infrastructure of the school. Worst still, there was not a room better than those hut classrooms
to call an office. Yet, let us say, the school was ready.
Mr D. B. Gurung came as the first head teacher. Though untrained, Mr Lepo was recruited as
the DLT.
Inside the huts, the little children sat on bare earthen floor which was cold and hard. They had
nothing to support their partially broken slates except their dirty knees. The roof of banana
leaves and bamboo mat enclosure were no protection against cold during winter and rain
during summer. The rain water leaked and flooded the mud floor making it muddy and
slippery. Yet again, the teaching went on.
Towards Better Changes
In 1992 the school was upgraded to class II. At least, the need for a good building was acutely
felt to make the school look better. A meeting was held whereby all the parents agreed to
contribute a certain amount of money for the construction of a one storey C-shaped academic
block comprising 5 rooms. The construction work was contracted out. The school received a
grant of some CGI sheets and an additional amount of Nu. 15000 for the carpentry works from
Save the Children Fund (SCF). Thus, with the new building, this school assumed new looks- it
started looking like a real school.
Since then, the school gradually began to conquer new heights. In 1993, class III was added to
it and in the beginning of 1994, the first batch of class III students were sent to Yurung PS.
Many of these alumni took ISC Examination in December 2003. Out of them, a few
outstanding ones deserve a mention here. Mr Thukten Tshering from Gamung Nangar, a
science student who studied in Nangkhor HSS, qualified for Pharmacy in India and Mr Sonam
Tshering from Gonpung Kheri, a Commerce student who studied in Jigme Sherubling HSS in
Khaling, is in Hyderabad, India, undergoing B.Com. There are many in Sherubtse College in
degree II year while a few of them have joined monastic order at Rangjung Yoesel Chholing,
Trashigang under His Holiness Dungzin Garab Rinpoche. Mr Chhoinying Sherab, who joined
the school in 1991 as a cowboy-turned-student, has come back to the cradle of his education
as an apprentice teacher. There is no bigger pride for the school than to welcome him as a
different man.
During his tenure as the head teacher of the school from 1991-1995, Mr D. B. Gurung
repeatedly requested the community to construct a staff quarters. A generous grant of 80 CGI
sheets from the UNICEF was sanctioned in 2000. So, a four-room staff quarter was constructed
in 1993. But, the teachers still had to run to the nearby bushes to answer the nature’s call.
The period from 1993 to 1995 can be interpreted as "stagnant period" because no new changes
took place in the school during that period. The school did not grow from class III. There was
no change in the leadership and no new infrastructure was added.
It was only in 1996 that the school saw the change in leadership. Mr DR Thapa, the head
teacher of Nyaskhar CPS under the same Dzongkhag took over the office as the second head
teacher. After he joined the school, the school playground started taking new shape, school
toilets were constructed and school agriculture work, then called OXFARM gained new
momentum. In 2000, the school was upgraded to class IV and with this additional classrooms
were felt necessary. This time too, parents contributed a certain amount of money and a twostorey new academic block was constructed. This block now houses the head teacher’s office, a
stationery room and a multipurpose hall on the first floor. Classes IV, V and VI occupy the
ground floor.
The School at Present
Although the school is now a fully-fledged primary school, it is still called a community primary
school. This name gives a sense of pride in the people because they worked and contributed a
lot towards attaining the present state of what we might term as a "good school". Since its
inception in 1991 people have benefited lot too. They have been in a position to send their
children to the school which is right in their village. Parents too are educated in many fields. In
the course of their interaction with the teachers, they have come ot learn the developments in
the education system. Sometimes, teachers share national policies with them which help them
refine their narrow views. Thus, unlike in the past, they now know what kind of celebrations
take place around the country in a year. They also never miss any celebrations that take place
in our school. Ask them, for example, when Coronation Day is celebrated and why. The answer
is on their lips. During conversations too, they mix some foreign terms besides Dzongkha, for
instance, 100 Rs., head master, teachers, rules, class competition, text books- the list is long.
Moreover, Shali School is also an NFE centre for the people of Gamung, Gonpung and Shali
have contributed to minimize the illiteracy rate in the gewog since 2000. But at the moment,
NFE programme is being suspended.
Since the beginning of the 9th Five-Year Plan, many better changes have taken place in the
school. Now we have a separate head teacher’s quarters with newly installed solar panels. The
old four-room staff quarters has been renovated and it is now being occupied by 4 teachers.
The old C-shaped academic block has also been re-roofed while the playfield has been made a
little better. All in all, now the school has two academic buildings, a good football field,
separate toilets for both boys and girls, staff quarters and flower gardens with a variety of
flowers which add to the beauty of the school environment. A class VI student has rightly
written in his notebook: School is my temple and teachers, my God.
This year, 2004, number of regular teachers in the school increased to six, the highest in the
history of Shali School. They include one female DLT, and Mr Choinying Sherab, an alumnus
of this school.
This school has so far sent out two batches of class six students to Gonpasingma LSS and
Nangkhor HSS. The first batch is in class VIII and the second in VII. We are constantly
receiving good compliments about our students. They are excellent, some teachers remarked.
They are the source of our pride an inspiration for the coming batches.
Thus, with pride, we would like to say that our school is known for producing excellent
students both in terms of academic and co-curricular activities and we would like our school to
be remembered thus. Though things might change with time, we will keep our hopes high for
the vision of our school says: School will be a place of harmony. Through multiple
opportunities, students will be prepared to become fruitful citizens of the country.
Outstanding Teachers
Since its establishment nine regular teachers have served the school besides many temporary
teachers and apprentice. Karma Geleg, the first Dzongkha teacher was a well-disciplined
teacher who made every effort to discipline and mould young students. The community recalls
him as a good teacher.
The school has seen only two heads. The first head teacher, Mr D. B. Gurung was transferred
while the school was still young. It was only after Mr D.R. Thapa took over the charges as the
second head teacher in 1996 that the school saw drastic change in administration,
infrastructure and the performance of the children. This is clearly exhibited by the students'
performance in academic field. Under the dynamic leadership of the present head, the school
gained rapid promotion and it was with his farsighted vision that the school came up with its
vision which is mentioned above.
2004 is the ninth year of his stay here as the head teacher. Through all these years, he has
been making every effort to compete with the rest of the schools in the dzongkhag. In short,
whatever the school has achieved so far can be attributed to his unwavering effort and
dedication. The school will not remember him by the years he had spent, but by his priceless
legacy.
Shumar Community Primary School (upgraded to LSS, 2006)
Initially Shumar Community Primary School was started in 1992 with 94 students and two
temporary teachers in the lhakhang of Shumar village. It is under Shumar Gewog in Pemagatshel
Dzongkhag. Prior to the establishment of the school, the children of this community had to go to
Pemagatshel Junior High School which is three hours journey on foot. They were admitted as
boarders right from class PP. It was very difficult for the small children to stay as boarders far
from their homes. The people of the community proposed to the dzongkhag authorities for a school
in their community.
In the beginning, the classes were conducted in the lhakhang by two temporary teachers. They
were paid by Save the Children project. In mid 1992, Mr Rana joined as the first teacher
incharge of the school. He ran the school till 1993. In the meantime, the people constructed
additional classrooms since more children were enrolled in the school.
Later, Mr N P Chamlagin joined the school in 1994 as the second teacher incharge. He ran the
school for two years. The school added class III in the year 1995. In 1996, Shumar Community
School was shifted to one of the buildings of Nangkhor Junior High School because its own
infrastructure was under construction. It was also because the building of the community
school was not in good condition and it had no scope for expansion. The second teacher
incharge ran the school in the new building for a few months and went on transfer.
Mr Tenzin Dorji joined the school in 1996 as the third head teacher and he ran the school for
one year. In the year 1997, Nangkhor Junior High School started functioning under the
headship of Mr Sonam Wangyel. The primary classes and lower secondary classes functioned
together for three and half years in the same compound. In mid 2000, the primary classes were
segregated from the Junior High School to the present location. The Junior High School was
upgraded to a middle secondary school.
Mr Tshewang took over the charge of the school as the first head teacher. He worked in this
new school till December 2002. Mr Karma Dorji, the present head teacher joined the school in
the beginning of 2003. After his arrival to this new school, he prepared the school policy
document.
There is no plan that this school will be upgraded to a lower secondary school in the near
future. But, the number of school-going children has increased. Now, the parents know the
importance of educating their children. The life of the people of this community has become
very easy. Their children do not have to walk for a very long distance and get free education.
After their children complete primary education, there is enough opportunity for them to
continue their education till class XII in Nangkhor Higher Secondary School.
The vision of the school is academic excellence and wholesome education. The mission of the
school is that it will produce dedicated and committed students through effective delivery of
education by competent and supportive teachers.
Though the school is located in Nangkhor village, it is called by its old name, Shumar
Community Primary School. It will be more appropriate if it is called by its location or place
name, Nangkhor Community Primary School.
Thongsa Community School
The story of the village goes back to almost 500 years when different pockets our country were
ruled by numerous land lords. At that time, the place where the school is located today was
occupied by a land lord called Ngashingma Zepo. Ngashingma Zepo’s area was under Yurung
gewog. As the time passed by, Ngashingma Zepo formed a new gewog called Chongshing. Still,
this area is under Chongshing gewog.
There was a lonely village called Shalimelong towards the west of Ngashingma. That village
was ravaged by the tiger and the wild boar. The people’s hope and peace were shattered. So
they descended towards the east in search of a better agricultural land. They found a land and
name it Kochiminangri.
Since the land was small, some people continued their search towards southeast by crossing a
small stream. Finally, they came to a hilltop which which offered a big stretch of fertile gentle
slope. The very next day the people found that there was a spring nearby. So, they settled
there and named the place Thongsa which in Sharchop dialect means the land that was seen
or found.
It is in this village that a school was opened in a small hut in the year 1991. The hut was
constructed by the community. The school was established for the benefit of Thongsa and
Mendi villages. Mr Rajesh Rana was the first teacher. The location of the school in Thongsa
was not centrally located and was therefore unsuitable. Hence, it was moved to Ngashingma in
1992. But, the school retains its former name.
Today, the fourth head teacher of the school is running it with 82 children from Thongsa,
Mendi and two adjacent villages of Regi and Puncheri of neighbouring Khar gewog. The classes
range from PP to V taught by six staff members. The school, through its five-year plan and
community support, has tried many times to upgrade the school to a boarding school. But,
every effort failed due to student strength. This school might, however, be upgraded in the
future for this is the only biggest school in Chongshing Gewog with suitable extension area.
PUNAKHA DZONGKHAG
Punakha Higher Secondary School
The school is located to the south of the historical Punakha Dzong by the confluence of the
mighty Phochhu and the Mochhu. The school has a sprawling campus of 60 acres of land most
of which is forested. Her Royal Highness Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck, the representative
of His Majesty in the erstwhile Ministry of Development, inaugurated the school on May 13,
1973. It began with a modest enrolment of 103 students from class LKG to class III and with
eight teaching members. Father Jack Coffey, a Jesuit priest from Canada, was the founding
principal of the school. The members of the teaching faculty in the beginning comprised mainly
of Jesuit Fathers, Brothers and Sisters. Mother Peter Claver, a nun from Switzerland, was
another pioneering stalwart who helped Father Coffey establish the school. The era of the
Jesuits came to an end in 1989 when Mr Tashi Norbu took over the school as the first
Bhutanese principal. For almost two decades, the Jesuits were at the helm of school affairs.
They laid the foundation of what was to become a premier school in the country.
The school initially started in temporary blocks by the riverside along the banks of the
Punatsangchu. These semi-permanent structures were later handed over to the Education
Department to function as Regional Education Office. The present academic block was
completed in 1975. Gradually, hostels for boys and the girls were built along with some
quarters for the teachers. Subsequent principals expanded the facilities of the school to develop
into a sprawling and beautiful school campus. The school has a massive and an impressive
academic block which houses 20 classrooms, offices, library and stores. The school has also a
multipurpose hall, prayer hall and kitchen complex adjacent to the academic block.
A four-unit science block was constructed when the school was upgraded to a higher
secondary school. The school has a boarding capacity of 600 students, 400 boys and 200 girls.
The boys’ hostel complex consists of 4 blocks of double-storey structures with 8 units, each
unit with accommodating capacity of 50 students. The girls’ hostel complex comprises a hostel
block and an extended residential block where Jesuit Sisters used to stay. The school has two
playfields, two basketball courts and 2 volleyball courts. The school has about 20 units of
residential quarters for the staff of the school.
The school began as a public school and was small initially by any standard of a public school,
with about 100 students and 8 teachers. Students appeared at the All Bhutan Class V
Examinations in 1975 for the first time. The first batch class X students appeared at the ICSE
examinations in 1981. There were 17 children who sat the examinations. The school was
upgraded to a higher secondary school in 1996; initially to start with only Science and Arts
courses. The Commerce stream was introduced later in 1999. The enrolment today has
touched 800 students enrolled in grade 9 to 12 with more than 600 students as boarders.
A chronology of principals of the school
Sl.No.
Name
Nationality
Period
1
Father Jack Coffey
Canadian
1973-1975
2
Father Pekady
Indian
1975-1981
3.
Father John Perry
Canadian
1981-1982
4
Father Killorin
Indian
1982-1983
5
Father Miranda
Indian
1983-1989
6
Mr Tashi Norbu
Bhutanese
1989-1993
7
Mr Thubten Gyatsho
Bhutanese
1993-2001
8.
Mr Phuntsho Dukpa
Bhutanese
2001 – till date
The Coffey Days
Extract from an article written by Mr Chogyal Tenzin in Sherub Yoesel, 1998.
Father Jack Coffey was the founding Principal of the then Punakha Public School. He was very
strict when it comes to discipline, and expected high standards. Missing a period was taken
with a scorn. Hair had to be kept short and the service of Wangdi Military's barber was sought
to ensure this. Market was out of bounds and so was the river side. There used to be surprise
roll-calls to ensure that everybody was in place and kept on toes.
He used to teach us Brighter Grammar and Mathematics. He frequently kept tabs on our
learning by surprise tests. Students were expected to do well in any test. A score of only above
70 was satisfactory for him or else for those souls a pilgrimage to his office was a routine affair.
Examinations were conducted under very strict rules. Any slight breach would mean either
expulsion or the answer script being torn in half
Father Coffey would make regular trips to Thimphu in his Mahendra Jeep. On his return he
would come with meat and bread for the school and occasionally sweets for the whole school.
All would wait for the father like children waiting for the return of a parent laden with gifts,
expectantly.
Father Coffey had a passion for Chinese checkers. He would often call some of us for a game or
two in the evenings. The Coffey days ended at the end of 1975.
Some of the present challenges that the school faces are the upkeep of the aging structures of
the school. Time seems to have taken a toll on the buildings. We need not only to upkeep and
renovate but perhaps to remodel a few facilities like the hostels, kitchen and the dining spaces.
The provision of quality education is one big issue that we are always concerned about. Our
aim in the present circumstance is not to look at the figures in terms of percentages of
students passing out but on the qualitative output of the result. Besides the school has the
past reputation to reckon with which sometimes guides our perception even though the
variables have changed over the years.
Hundreds of students have walked past the corridors of this school. Today, we find Punap in
every nook and cranny of the country, in every sphere of life, working and contributing to
nation building. In its passage through time, this school has gone through several stages of
metamorphosis and has many stories within a story. The school has gone through the best of
times and the worst of times. For the hundreds who have journeyed through this school,
Punakha has provided the opportunity to come full circle in life, to realize dreams, to give them
confidence and dignity. For more than three decades of its existence, the school lived up to the
aspirations of its founding fathers and provided knowledge for service to the king, country and
the people.
Ugyen Academy
Background
Name:
Establishment:
Logo:
Official Colour:
Type:
Class Range:
Streams:
Capacity:
Ugyen Academy
2002
Khen-lop-Choesum
Red and Yellow
Co-ed with residential facility
IX to XII
Arts, Commerce and Science
700 students
Nestled in a picturesque setting between the lush green fields of Talo and the mesmerizing
beauty of Punakha river is Ugyen Academy, an abode of wisdom. Ugyen Academy was born out
of honorable Yab Dasho Ugyen Dorji's vision and deep interest in imparting quality and sound
education to the young people who carry the hopes and dreams of our Kingdom. The School
located in Khuruthang made a humble beginning in the year 2002 with a small number of
dedicated teachers and enthusiastic students. The school began with 14 teachers and 154
students. Within a short span of two years, the school has already carved a niche for itself in
the educational scenario. Today the school boasts a total strength of 31 teachers and 601
students - 285 girls and 316 boys. The School has distinguished itself not only by providing
free IT literacy classes to all students but also by being the only school in the country to offer
optional subjects such as Art and Physical Education.
Recognizing the urgency to equip our students with effective tools to meet the challenges of a
competitive and demanding environment, a strong career guidance and information technology
programme has been incorporated as an integral part of the learning process. The year 2004
has seen the school grow from strength to strength with the inclusion of Science as one of the
streams offered. Again, it stands out as the only private school to offer Science with all the
optional subjects.
The school provides a congenial environment for the students to develop self-reliance, selfconfidence, self-discipline, communication skills, an understanding of the value and ethos of
Bhutanese society and a deep sense of pride and love for the country. The verdure of the
sprawling campus with shady trees, carefully tended flower plots and bushes create an
atmosphere where education becomes an enjoyable experience. The School Cafeteria with
telephone booth and subsidized stationery further adds colour and vibrancy to the campus life.
The students also have access to full time medical facility.
The grand multipurpose hall acts as a venue for many extra curricular activities like debates,
extempore speech, poetry recitation, dramatics and other literary and cultural activities.
Besides, the school also has standard football and cricket fields, basketball, volleyball and
badminton courts and a swimming pool. Thus, the school encourages high intellectual pursuits
as well as physical fitness as means of developing the best that is latent in the students. The
school is always alive with healthy competitions between classes and the four houses, viz.
Nobgang, Kuengachoeling, Phuentshopelri and Sangachoekor. Various clubs like Art Club,
Nature Club, Science Club, Football Club, and scouting are operating actively and engaging
students in programmes conducted after academic hours.
There are separate four storied residential buildings for boys and girls. Each hostel has eight
cubicles with separate rooms for the student office-bearers. Each cubicle is provided with basic
amenities like -shower rooms, washbasins, and toilets at the ratio of 1:5 lockers and study
tables are provided to each student. The inmates of each cubicle are collectively responsible for
their respective cubicles. Besides being a lesson on responsibility and hygiene, it also nurtures
amity, respect, love and camaraderie amongst the students.
At Ugyen Academy, teaching and learning happen in a caring and purposeful environment
where each and every member of the school community is valued. We are privileged in that we
have students from all over Bhutan including students from abroad. This creates richness and
diversity within the school. Students experience a variety of teaching styles within which there
may be formal teacher-led lessons, group works, an investigative style and student-centred
approaches.
In the present milieu, with erosion of values and lowering of standards in most institutions,
Ugyen Academy stands out as a school with strong value system and a code of conduct and
discipline which is based on mutual respect. We uphold our founder's vision and stress on
total development -head, hand and heart. Thus we are deeply committed in instilling in our
students, positive traits like self-discipline and social harmony those that will culminate to
Gross National Happiness and Global Peace.
Jibjokha Lower Secondary School
Initially, the place was known as Bidungkha. At one point in time, it was called Bitokha. As
per myths and legends, Bitokha means the place where the snake was cut into two. However,
over time, the name changed into the present name- Jibjokha.
The school started with the name Bidungkha. It was started as an ECR (Extended Classroom)
in the year 1989. Mr Sonam Phuntsho was the head or the incharge then. It was not a big
school. It was a school of three teaching staff and 157 students of which 94 were boys and 63
girls. Mr Sonam Phuntsho was succeeded by Mr Norgay Dukpa in the year 1993, who in turn
was succeeded by the present head teacher, Mr Phurba Tenzin in the year 1999.
Over the years, the school has been developing and still there is a chance of it growing further
into a middle secondary school. The school at present has 326 students with 161 boys and 165
girls along with 11 teaching staff, one library assistant, one laboratory assistant, one office
assistant, and one office messenger. It was a blissful moment for the community when the
school was upgraded to a lower secondary school in the year 2003.
To throw some light on the physical environment of the school, I would like to admit that the
school is in such a secluded place that there is no chance of getting mingled with other
villagers or people. The school is located on top of a hill at about 1400 m above sea level with
trees and green plants all around. The place is spacious with only two academic buildings. The
school is well equipped with a medium-sized football ground, two volleyball courts (one each for
boys and girls), a badminton court and a table tennis facility.
The school also has an auditorium which can accommodate around 150 people. Although
there is no source of electricity in such a lovely and peaceful place, the school is well facilitated
with solar panels. The school is also fortunate enough to have two water taps with water
supply 24 hours. As we enter the mini school gate, we can very well feel and see the hard effort
of the students put in beautifying the school campus.
As for the present activities in the school, it is quite different from other lower secondary
schools. To attain good physical fitness, a PE (Physical Education) class is conducted once in a
week. With good and sound health, the students work hard in their respective clubs. To
acquire different skills and knowledge, there are 5 clubs- nature club, literary club, cultural
club, health club, home science club. All the clubs play an important role in the development
of the school, starting from the nature club which creates a friendly and peaceful environment
to home science club which caters to the appetite of the students and staff. There is no club for
games and sports but there is a separate programme created at the end of the school after the
evening prayer to cater to the needs of the future sportsmen and sportswomen.
The school caters to the educational needs of three gewog- Chubu, Twang and Zam. The village
closest to the school is Jibjokha. Like hostel, there are more than 10 small huts which
accommodate around half of the students. These students come from far away. To reap the
fruit of education, they have come to school leaving behind their homes and parents. Due to
less number of schools here, the community or the society over here takes full advantage of the
existing schools. We give full support and cooperation in educating the future citizens of our
country.
We the staff and other members of the family of Jibjokha Lower Secondary School would like
the school to be remembered as a school which caters to the needs and goals of every
individual learner in the delivery of wholesome education.
Kabesa Lower Secondary School
It was in the year 1966 that the first school of this gewog was opened. The 30-35 students
were taught in the big monastery at Chotenibo by two teachers (one DLT and head teacher).
The student enrolment decreased as the time went by. The school infrastructure was very poor.
These resulted in the closure of the school. However, it was reopened in the year 1974 with Mr
Sangay Tshering as the head teacher and a DLT (Lopon Wangdi). Slowly, the student number
increased to 80 and classes went up to three.
The first batch of class three students (three boys and a girl) were sent to Trongsa Junior High
School in the year 1980. The school had been already shifted to the present location in the year
1977. The same old traditional house still stands reminding the students of that time. The
relocation of the school in Eusakha made it easily accessible by community. As a result, the
enrolment increased.
The main school building was then a farm house.
In 1979, the present class II block with three units and a separate kitchen were built for the
staff. The present kitchen and WFP store were also built at the same time. The head teacher’s
quarters, now used as girls hostel, was built in early 1980’s and some more construction like
boys hostel and 2 additional classrooms came up in 1991.
In the year 2000, the construction of one three-unit classroom block was started by the
community people.
From the year 2000, the School Management Board has met twice a year and even more when
need arose.
Chronology of head teachers
Name
Mr Tamang
Mr Sangay Tshering
Mr Narad M. Sharma
Mr Leki Tshering
Mr T. B. Gurung
Mr M.P. Gurung
Ms Thinley Wangmo
Mr Jurmey Drukpa
Year
1966-1973
1974-1982
1983-1986
1986-1990
1990-1997
1998-2000
2000-2003
2003—
Khuruthang Lower Secondary School
Introduction
Khuruthang Lower Secondary School is a newly constructed school and the only Lower
Secondary School in the Dzongkhag with boarding facilities for class VII and class VIII. The
need of this school was felt when Punakha HSS was earmarked for plus two courses phasing
out class VII and VIII. This school was established with the main objective of accommodating
all class VII students of Punakha Dzongkhag who were previously placed in Punakha HSS.
Built atop an imposing spur overlooking the new Khuru town, the school is located at a
beautiful site. The majestic Puna Tshangchu flowing beside it makes the school location look
more beautiful.
Background
The construction of the school got underway from 1994 with financial assistance from the
World Bank under the project named Primary Education Project. A cluster of buildings was
constructed that spread all over the spur: four academic buildings comprising four classrooms
each, one administrative block, one science lab-cum-library, one multipurpose hall, one
kitchen-cum-food store, two girls’ hostel, one boys’ hostel, one caretaker's quarters and a head
teacher's quarters. As the construction progressed, the landscape underwent a considerable
change. With dry spur covered by cactus foliage everywhere and some ramshackle remains of
houses, this place looked haunted before the construction project started. The construction
work progressed so well that the two years of contract work were over well ahead of time and
consequently, the school started functioning from March 1996. Thus, Khuru Lower Secondary
School was born.
The consecration of the school was presided over by the Venerable Lopon Tse of Punakha
Dratshang on 26th and 27th of March 1996. Eventually, the school's foundation day was
marked on 16th November the same year amidst lots of guest and parents of the students.
Since the inception of this school, Mr Lekey Tshering was at the helm of school administration.
It is only this year, the beginning of 2004 that Mr Lekey Tshering got transferred and Ms Haki
Wangmo came in as the new head. Under the dynamic leadership of Mr Lekey Tshering, the
school has grown up gradually in all respects. Much has been done pertaining to the landscape
and campus development. With a plethora of once cactus-covered dry land with steep terraces,
the school vicinity was no less than a desert. The land bereft of green plants was full of dust
that blew in gust in summer storm. A good vision and a better planning by the head teacher
and dedication and hard work of the teachers and students of first few batches have
transformed this school slowly but surely into a beautiful centre of learning. It has been just
seven years now and the school can boast of having a beautiful campus dotted with canopy of
trees everywhere. There are avenues of Thuja plants and flowers of all the hues beside the
concrete footpaths that connect buildings spread around the campus.
Developmental Activities
The developmental activities of the school infrastructure have always been incessant. The
school road got black topped and the parking made for the first time in 1999. In the same year,
the road was extended to connect firewood store and further beyond the girls hostel. A
retaining wall was built above this road. Acquisition of land was another remarkable work done
that year and now our school stands in an area of 7.6 acre of land. Again in the year 2000, a
new classroom with retaining wall at its back was built at the expense of RGOB below the new
parking. This has lessened the classroom shortage problem to a great extent.
The year 2001 marked the constructions works taking place simultaneously on the school
campus. Funded by the RGOB, one more new head teacher's quarters was built on a
commanding slope facing the school. In the year 2002 -2003, a retaining wall in front of the
head teacher's quarters was built. The construction of drainage above the school that runs
through the upper boundary of the school and another one that runs between boys hostel and
agriculture garden is yet another long awaited work the school undertook that year. The third
developmental activity carried out in 2001 was the construction of GTZ-funded animals farm
sheds for pigs and poultry birds.
The progress and achievement in the academic field has been no less remarkable. The
academic session that began in 1996 with 584 students from class PP to class VII and with 20
teachers has since grown to a school with over 1026 students and 38 teachers in the year
2003. The first batch of class VIII students of this school sat the LSSCE examinations in 1997.
The year-wise results of all the succeeding years are summarized below
Year
1997
Total std. appeared
257
Total std. passed
183
Pass %
71.2
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
162
200
198
283
262
257
148
188
172
242
246
222
91.37
94.07
86.8
85.8
93.8
86.38
The students graduating from this school normally join Punakha HSS for further studies.
Games and Sports
In the field of games and sports, this school has made history when it won Woman's National
Volleyball Championship for three consecutive years in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Our Boys' team
came runners up in the Regional Football Tournament held in Wangdue in the year 2000.
Again, in the year 2002, the school came runners up narrowly missing the Boys National
Volleyball Tournament.
To facilitate the games and sports activities, the school has its own basketball court and a
volleyball court. A football ground that is commonly used by the Ugyen Academy and our
school is in the process of being developed to a standard size.
Physical Education is given equal importance in the school. With PE incorporated in the school
curriculum, a Japanese volunteer assisted by a Bhutanese counterpart conducts the classes.
To uphold the so-called "a healthy mind in a healthy body" dictum, regular morning physical
training is conducted for the boarders.
School Agriculture Programme
This school is included in the list of pioneering schools undertaking school agriculture
activities since 2001 with an emphasis on inculcating in children dignity of labour and new
farming system. Needless to mention, the programme is going on very well with students
engaged in agriculture on every Wednesday evening and Saturday after the school hours. The
activities under this programme include: piggery, poultry and vegetable cultivation.
So far, we have conducted programmes such as experts coming to school and helping students
in the farm, taking children for visits to agriculture research centres and successful farmers in
the nearby village. The school has a trained teacher in the field.
Scouting Programme and Others
Scouting programmes started since 1997 and presently we have 76 scouts with two troops,
Karma and Mindu and four patrols under each troop. Cultural, Literary, Nature &
Environment club, Health club are other groups which carry out the activities effectively till
date.
Statistical Details
In a nutshell, the school, teachers, and students details including that of auxiliary staff from
the time the school began to function in 1996 till the year 2002 is given below
Year
Students
Boys Girls
Total
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
321
383
406
451
474
530
531
505
584
743
805
876
973
1059
1061
1026
263
360
399
425
499
529
530
521
Teachers
Bhutanes
e
11
14
14
18
18
19
25
27
NonBhutanese
9
9
9
9
10
10
11
12
Total
A/staff
Male
Female
Total
20
23
27
27
28
29
38
39
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
10
10
1
1
2
2
5
6
Developmental Scope
This school has a number of developmental plans in the offing. The most prominent of all will
be the construction of causeway along the stream that flows between Ugyen Academy and
Khuruthang Lower Secondary School. The stream has a very high level of faecal contamination
and suspended material. So, with the construction of this impressive causeway, it will help not
only to do away easily with the waste but the stream will remain clean and will invariably add
beauty to the school campus. The improved drainage system and footpaths are coming up in
the financial year 2002-2004. The extended road leading to the head teacher's quarters and
behind the girls hostel will be black topped. To this effect, work tender is already awarded, and
the work started in earnest.
Mission and Vision: The school has a vision of creating a good learning atmosphere and to be a
resource centre both in terms of materials and professionals to cater to the need of all other
sister schools within the Dzongkhag. Eventually, it will pave the way for upgrading itself into a
middle secondary school.
The school endeavours to provide quality wholesome education and thereby produce
productive, dedicated and self-reliant students. A glimpse at what has been achieved within a
short time will surely succeed to achieve its goal in a few years time.
Shengana Lower Secondary School
Shengana Lower Secondary School is located on a plateau overlooking the Shengana valley
above the Lhaga mini market-place. The school was established in 1979 on the request of the
locals of Shengana. The former Gup Nakchung was the main player in initiating the
establishment of the school. While the infrastructure and the construction cost was borne by
the government, three local people including Gup Nakchung had contributed 1.20 acres of land
free of cost. The people of Shengana made labour contribution (woola). The inauguration of the
school was done by Mr Dorji Namgyel the R.E.O of this zone. The school started with about 90
students and three teachers. Mr Lakey Tshering was the first head teacher of this school.
Lopon Toeb Dorji was the Dzongkha lopon and there was a general teacher.
The school started as a day school, but as the villages under Shengana Gewog are scattered
and the students found it difficult to walk, boarding facility was introduced and the Royal
Government started the sanction of WFP. It has for a long time benefited the students of
Lungkha, Dado Gyenpa, Sinchime Manikha and even the students of the nearer locality.
However WFP was stopped by the government from 2000, seeing the proximity of the walking
distance of the students and also following the policy of the government to prioritize the WFP
facility in order to cut down on too much external dependency.
In 2001, the government dismantled all the old structures of the school and on the same spot
the new lower secondary school buildings were constructed with the World Bank assistance.
The new infrastructure with their unique architecture are one of the best models of a modern
school. There are a total of four buildings encircling a spacious concrete courtyard just made
in traditional way of building a dzong. Two units consist of ten classrooms where one consists
of magnificent library room and a science laboratory and the last unit houses a staff-room, a
store, a general office and a head teacher's room and two classrooms and two sections of
toilets. The new construction consists of one head teacher's quarters and a building with four
units of teachers' quarters. There is a spacious stadium overlooking a basketball court and a
volleyball court. The school has plenty of footpaths surrounding the school campus. The
school has the provision of children’s park with concrete slabs used as seats. In other words,
the school is child-friendly and an enjoyable place.
The school has recently taken up serious steps towards greening and beautifying the campus
with ornamental plants and flowers. One of the quarters is well furnished. This is the bonus
for Shengana teachers as there was some leftover budget from the estimated cost of
construction. The new Lower Secondary School was opened in June 2002.
But against all the good features, the school has a drawback. Here, the enrollment is very low,
some classrooms are lying vacant. Some children leave the school halfway through the
sessions.
At present, we have more student strength of 233 students. As such, the government facilities
are under-utilized. The ministry authorities have realized this shortcoming and have proposed
to built hostels for boys and girls in the beginning of the ninth five-year plan itself so that the
hurdle will be hopefully overcome. Recently, the public has identified the areas for the
construction of hostels and other infrastructure and forwarded to Dzongkhag though GYT.
The head teachers- Mr Lekey Tshering, Mr B.B. Gurung, Mr Lhagay Tshering, Mr Phuntsho
Drukpa and the present head teacher Mr Yeshey Wangdi- headed the school in succession.
The school has not produced the officials of high status. However, to name a few in the list we
have the Executive Engineer Mr Namgay, Joint Director of Department of Revenue and
Customs, and Dorji, an engineer in Chukha. A number of alumni of this school have become
head teachers and teachers in various parts of the country. Of late, the school has produced
some students of marvelous achievements such as Buddi Krishna who got scholarship this
year in Ugyen Academy from Punakha Higher Secondary School and Mr Tharchen, who is the
top scorer of Punakha Higher Secondary School and Shiva Lal. They are the product of
Shengana Lower Secondary School.
With the acquisition of additional land by the Gewog Tshongpa and the inclusion of various
infrastructure like four units of hostels, one multipurpose hall, one dining room, one kitchen,
two quarters for warden and matron, a football ground and an additional basketball court, the
school has the scope of upgrading itself to a middle secondary school in the near future.
Logodama Primary School
Logodama Primary School was the first school in Punakha Dzongkhag. It was established in
the early 1950’s at a place called Lingkanaor Punagom. The school was initially known as
Punakha School and did not seem to have any permanent structures. The classes were said to
be conducted in a temporary shed constructed through labour contribution from the public. It
is also said that during summer the school used to be shifted to Chamagang, a place on the
hilltop above Habesa, to avoid the unpleasant heat in the valley. The school did not have any
boarding facilities, so each student had his/her own guardian to help while shifting the camps
and a cooking their meals. Some say that the school was roofed with banana leaves and the
classrooms were created with the partition of bamboo mats. The medium of instruction was
Hindi and Dzongkha. Classes mainly consisted of teaching and learning of prayers. The
teaching was said to be memory-based. Till the year 1968, the school did not have any
permanent location. It was once known to be shifted to Nobgang with late Mr Sonam
Wangchuk as general teacher and his wife Ms Dechen as Dzongkha language teacher.
It was in 1968 that the school was shifted to the present location with Mr Kurup as the first
head teacher. Late Mr Sonam Wangchuk was a general subject teacher and Mr Tshewang, the
only Dzongkha language teacher. The classes were said to be conducted in the small huts for
some years. The school rules seemed to be very strict and gave barbaric punishment to the
students who failed to cope with the rules. The teaching was mostly lecture method and
contents of the text were purely based on Indian curriculum. Some alumni said that many
Indian teachers had joined and left the school in a decade and most of them were found to be
very helpful. They even initiated the activities like classroom construction, improvement of
pathway, providing first aid services to the sick students and some of them had even
introduced games like volleyball, basketball and badminton for the students to play during
leisure hours. Later on, the school started boarding facilities, which lead to the construction of
permanent structures to be used as hostel, kitchen and classrooms etc. According to local
sources, almost all the registered households from the seven gewogs were involved in the
construction work, but only a few could have availed themselves of the education facilities due
to longer distance.
Through admission details, it is understood that a majority of the students enrolled in the
school was from the nearby villages. Only a few parents with broader mind had their children
enrolled. So as a result, most of their children are still holding a good post both in the
government and private sectors.
In the year 1992, during the tenure of head teacher Mr Yeshi Chendu, a private building was
hired at Punakha to be used as classrooms for the smaller children studying in classes PP to
class III. This arrangement was said to be made for the welfare of smaller children who were
not able to walk uphill, especially during summer seasons. And in the year 1996, a set of
teachers along with 300 students got transferred to Khuruthang Lower Secondary School to
start the new school. But due to more number of students seeking admission, the education
department had to retain it as a fully-fledged primary school.
The school had WFP meals facilities till 1995. Since the school does not have adequate land for
further expansion, the school was proposed to be relocated in a more convenient place. So, all
the capital works were dropped and age old buildings were used as classrooms by renovating
them frequently. Very recently, with the visit of Honorable Education Secretary, this school
was earmarked to be upgraded and construction of additional classrooms was approved. The
old building, which was built in the early 1970’s, was also decided to be dismantled for the
expansion of playfield.
The farm road connecting the school with old Punakha town is also under construction. The
school has already acquired 5 acre of dry land for expansion. At present, the school has
almost 847 students with classes from PP to VI. Due to the inadequate classrooms at
Logodama and the problem the small children are facing in walking uphill during summer
season, the lower classes are conducted at Zhinchey (Punakha old town) in a private building.
Besides normal teaching, the school initiates a lot of co-curricular activities like health and
physical, games and sports, cultural competition, arts and crafts, scouting programme etc.
The parent-teacher meeting is being conducted twice a year and the SBIP is organized as and
when the need arises.
As a pilot school for Supplementary Reading Programme (SRP), we initiate a lot of reading
activities like observing national and local reading week, and daily 15 minutes guided reading,
reading during assembly and maintaining reading log by individual students. The school also
has actively participated in Dzongkhag Celebration and competitions. At the same time, the
school strives for academic excellence and all the teachers put in a lot of effort to prepare the
children for the future.
Chronology of the head teachers of the school
Till 1967
Unknown
1968-1972
1973-1974
1974-1978
1977-1978
1979-1986
1987
1988-1991
1992-1993
1993-1995
1996 till date
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Mr
Kurup
Hari Das
Late Sonam Wangchuk
R.P. Gupta
P.B. Tamang
Tshering Nidup
Ganesh Chhetri
Yeshi Chendu
Lekey Tshering
Karma Jurmi
Tshochasa Primary School
1.
2.
3.
4.
Name of the school:
Village
:
Gewog
:
Dzongkhag:
Tshochasa Primary School
Dompala
Lingmu
Punakha
5. School established:
6 Altitude:
7.Distance from the main road:
1985
1990 m
20 km
Tshochasa Primary School is located in the middle of six gewogs in Lingmu Gewog under
Punakha Dzongkhag. The chewog under the gewog are Lingmukha, Dompala, Nabchey,
Umteykha, Gumkarmo and Eusakha.
The school was established as a primary school and it is still a primary school. Initially, the
school catered to the needs of the rural families. The school has a beautiful site of 25.10 acres
of flat land. It is on a small plateau surrounded by chirpine trees. The climate of this place is
neither hot nor cold throughout the year. The school enjoys the facilities like feeder road,
electricity and telephone. The walking distance from the Dzongkhag Headquarters to the school
is 3 hours.
The main players responsible for the school to come into being were the public and the Royal
Government. The school was started as per the request made by the local community. The
manpower was contributed by the public and materials were provided by the Department of
Education, (Ministry of Education).
Name of head teachers who ran the school
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1st Head Teacher :
2nd Head Teacher :
3rd Head Teacher :
4th Head Teacher :
5th Head Teacher :
6th Head Teacher :
Mr Kaka Tshering
Mr Late Namgay Tshering
Mr D.N. Uroan
Mr Phurba Tenzin
Mr Norgay Dukpa (present head from 1999)
Under the above heads teachers, the school has developed and benefited the community very
well. Many alumni of this school are today serving the Royal Government different ministries
in good posts. Some have even become good businessmen. Some are still studying in high
schools/college inside and outside the country.
The vision of the school is that one day this school will grow into a boarding high school or to a
college due to its location, area and climatic condition for an institute.
The school can be remembered for its natural beauty, properly selected site for the well-being
of the people in and around the place for the present and the future education programmes.
Laptsakha Community Primary School
Laptsakha Community Primary School in Talo gewog under Punakha Dzongkhag
was established in 1991. It is about 20 km from the dzongkhag headquarters. The
construction of the school was jointly carried out by the dzongkhag and the
community. The school has an area of 2.5 acres. At the moment the school has a
block which consists of 10 rooms that houses offices, store and library. The classes
range from preprimary to VI. The first head teacher of the school was Mr Rabten
Jogi. He was succeeded by Mr Sangay Choedra, Mr Kuenley Tshewang and Mr
Yeshey Wangdi, the present head teacher.
The school is given good care by the community as and when required. The school
at present has 7 teaching staff, 169 students and one caretaker.
In the beginning, the school had only one hut. There was no play field. Later, the
hut was replaced by a good academic building and the play field was properly
leveled. The main academic building houses three big classrooms, the office and a
storeroom. The school also has good games and sports facilities like volleyball,
football, basketball, badminton etc. The school has good vegetable garden and a lot
of flower gardens on the school campus. Some cyprus trees, which had been planted
in the earlier days, are as tall as three-storey buildings.
The school has participated in the inter-dzongkhag competitions and won some
trophies. In 1999, the school boys’ team won runners-up cup in the khuru
competition and the girls won runners-up cup in the throwball competition held at
Kuruthang LSS. In 2002, the school brought home winner's trophy in boys’ khuru
competition.
The following table shows student and teacher enrolment since the establishment of
the school.
Year
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Enrolment
Boys
Girls
24
15
26
15
28
18
36
19
25
20
32
27
30
25
27
22
20
20
36
26
Total
39
41
46
55
45
59
55
49
40
62
Teachers
including HT
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Mendagang Community Primary School
Mendagang is the name of a village under Dzome Gewog in Punakha. According to
the local elders, it was the battlefield during a war between the Tibetans and the
Bhutanese. The house in which Jigme Namgyel, father of the first king of Bhutan,
stayed during the war is on the verge of falling. It is said that Shengap Damchhoe
Rinchen's family of twelve members were captured by Jigme Namgyel’s men and
imprisoned in the ground floor of the three storey Bhutanese building. Also the
exchange of fire with ancient guns called mendha took place at this place. So the
name Mendagang.
The only building of the school was built by the local community towards the end of
the year 2001 with the materials supplied and skilled labourers paid by the Royal
Government of Bhutan.
The enrolment started only in the academic year 2002 with classes from PP-II. The
initial enrolment in the school was 108 students with 3 regular and 2 apprentice
teachers. In the academic year 2003, there were 119 students, 3 regular teachers
and 1 apprentice teacher with classes from PP-III. This year, 2004, we have 146
students and 5 regular teachers with classes ranging from PP-IV.
It was former Gup, Mr Thinley, who recommended the present sites when Dasho
Dzongda rejected the sites at Lungkha and Okhading. If the school were established
at the previously chosen site, it would have benefited only a few villages of the
gewog. At present, the school is located at the centre of six chewogs benefiting all of
them.
Mr Karma Dorji has been the head teacher of the school since its inception. Ms
Chimi is an outstanding teacher because, besides her full teaching loads of eight
periods in a day, she also shoulders other responsibilities like that of store-incharge
and library incharge. She also stays late after school to teach scouting programme.
Since the school was established recently, the first batch of the school is in their
fourth standard.
Development activities in the school are taking place gradually. At present, we have
a mini playfield, three toilets and the construction of four-unit classroom is in full
swing.
Without this school, the students from the six chewogs would have to climb up to
Logodama to obtain their primary education. This school has helped minimise the
admission pressure at Logodama Primary School. If the school had not been
established, the nation would not have fulfilled its desire of "education for all".
Although the community needs a lower secondary school nearby to retain their
young children within their reach, it seems less possible. Looking at the present
situation, the school should be up-graded till class VI.
Nobgang Community Primary School
Nobgang is the abbreviated form of Norbugang, which means the mount of precious
jewels. It is said that His Holiness lam Gyalwa Nima had discovered a norbu
(precious jewel) from the place where the Nobgang Lhakhang stands today. The
lhakhang was built by the lama.
Nobgang Community Primary School, which is located below the Nobgang
Lhakhang, is under Talo gewog with an area of 12.5 acres of land. The school is
about 10 minutes walk from the road head. The BHU is only 2 minutes walk from
the school. The school is located in such a way that a beautiful bird's eye view of
Punakha Dzong can be seen from it. The elephant-head shaped hill can be seen very
clearly along with Shelngana, Samdingkha, Tshoshasa etc.
The school was established in the year 1991 by His Excellency Lyonpo Sangay
Ngedup. The people of the community requested the lyonpo for a school in their
community since the villages around Nobgang faced a lot of problems sending
children to school in Logodama and Laptsakha schools which are far away. The
school was initially known as Samdrup Goenphel Community School since it was
constructed in the name of His Excellency's uncle Samdrup. The school is taken
care jointly by the government and the community.
Since its establishment the school has changed five head teachers. Mr DB Sharma
was the first head teacher of the school and remained as its head till 1996. In 1997,
Mr Ugyen Lhendup took over the charge of the school. Then came Mr Karma Dorji
(1998-2001), Mr Bongo Tshering (2002-2004). In 2005, the present head teacher
took over as the next head.
Regarding the school's alumni, many of them have joined different ministries while
some are still continuing their studies in middle secondary and higher secondary
schools.
The school's mission or vision is to be a model school- an institute of excellence,
efficient in the delivery of wholesome and quality education and in producing
meaningful individuals and competent citizens.
The school has a dream that in the near future there will be many buildings in the
campus surrounded by flower gardens and beautiful trees so that children from
different parts of the country will enjoy studying here and achieve their goals.
Wolathang Community School
According to village elders, what is now known as Wolathang was a piece of
neglected land because of its odd location. Because the place was located on the
river bank, people were afraid of catching malaria if they went there. Further, they
also partly believed that the place was haunted. Over the years, as the government
started the developmental activities, the discarded piece of land turned into a
treasure, for the place is suitably located at the centre of four chiwogs of Khatey,
Khamey Tamidamchu and Thamjee under Toewang Gewog, Punakha. As the people
started taking initiative for their own development, they came down to the place
(they still do) to make their labour contribution (woola). So, the people started
calling this place Woolathang, meaning the plain where they make their contribution
of labour (woola). Gradually, Woolathang became Wolathang. Today, the place is
officially known as Wolathang.
Wolathang Community School is located near the bank of Phochu. It is about three
hours walk from the Samdingkha. The school is in a deep valley surrounded by hills
on all sides. The location is secluded and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of
the town. The only sound that one always hears is of the river gushing, spluttering
and splashing.
The school was opened on Friday, 17th May, 2002.
The school being recently established, Mr S.B. Baraily (1988, PTC, NIE, Samtse) has
been the head teacher since its establishment.
In the beginning, 2002, the school had only 39 children- 26 boys and 13 girls- with
2 teachers and classes from PP to I. In the very next year, 2003, the number of
children almost doubled. In total, there were 61 students: 36 boys and 25 girls. The
class was increased to II, but the number of teachers remained only 2. The classes
were somehow manageable because classes I and II were taught in multi-grade
system. The head teacher could barely manage class PP and other administrative
works.
Today, 2004, the school has 89 children- 48 boys and 41 girls- and classes range
from PP to III. But, the regrettable story is that the number of teachers remained
stagnant and stable. Classes PP and I are combined and classes II and III are also
combined, forming 2 sections in all. We teach them throughout the day. The task is
tiresome and very challenging.
The construction of four more additional classrooms is on the verge of completion.
The upgradation of the school to class VI has already been proposed. The school has
enough scope for expansion and growth. The student strength is also expected to
grow in the years to come as well, but the genuine problem lies in the shortage of
teachers.
The students from villages like Kewana and Tamidamchu attend the school. These
two villages are at a distance of minimum 3 hours walk from the school. Everyday,
the children walk nearly 6 hours to attend the only nearby school at Wolathang.
Every child, therefore, comes to the school with packed lunch. The school does not
have WFP meal facilities.
After the establishment of this school, the local people from the four chiwogs of
Khatey, Khamey, Thamjee and Tamidamchu are in a relaxed mood for it has greatly
eased their burden in various ways. Before, their children had to walk more than 7
to 8 hours daily to attend the only nearest school, Jibjokha Lower Secondary School.
It was surely a difficult time for their children. Smaller children, especially of PP,
could not walk that distance. So, the parents, who knew the value of education, put
up their children with their relatives or makeshift huts built near the school
campus. The older people in the family, usually grandparents, looked after their
school-going grandchildren. The grandparents were thus actively involved in
cooking, washing, dressing and all other household chores in the huts. This meant
an additional expense on the parents and a painful separation of young children
from their parents. Some of the parents were, therefore, discouraged from sending
their children to school.
Today, after the establishment of this school within their easy reach, the parents are
happier to send their children even before the children come of age. Yet, the school
accepts the underage children in the view of fairly poor enrolment.
The vision of the school is to up-grade itself and to create a good learning
atmosphere on the campus through school greening programme, formation of
different clubs, park, fishery and so on. Above all, the vision is mainly focused on
imparting quality education to the children. The school being newly born has to go a
long way in shaping an ideal learning place.
The school covers a vast area of land with enough scope for expansion. Plans and
proposals are already drafted. The only problem is that the school has to wait and
see in the years to come for financial and technical assistance. Once all the
implementation takes place, it is definitely going to be a dreamland. The location is
ideal, beautiful and lonely. It will all be like adding flavour and scent to already
valuable and glittering gold.
The school being lately established, the student strength is comparatively small. The
activities that are appropriate for young children like drawing, handwriting, degor,
khuru, storytelling, volleyball, football, throwball etc. are incorporated in the school
calendar, and are held on a regular basis. Though the school is deprived of a
playfield, it is manageable in a small open place for our children are small and few
in number. We strongly believe in the wise saying, "Where there is a will, there is a
way." We do not expect the best, but at least we dream big. The only teacher helping
the head teacher, Ms Sonam Zam, is doing all she can to promote every aspect of
education delivered to the children.
Lastly, I humbly request my teacher colleagues to never ever be discouraged by the
hardships of the more remote parts of our country. We must take heart from the fact
that "a disadvantage has numerous advantages."
SAMDRUP JONGKHAR DZONGKHAG
Dewathang Middle Secondary School
Dewathang Middle Secondary School is located on the Trashigang-Samdrupjongkhar
highway just below the Royal Bhutan Polytechnic (currently occupied by RBA). It is
18 km from the Dzongkhag headquarters. The school is 2 km away from Dewathang
satellite town. Therefore, it is peaceful and serene. The school caters to the
educational needs of the children of government servants, nearby villagers, business
community and army personnel.
The combined population of all these communities is approximately 7000. Some
students cover a distance of 14 km to come to school. The present student strength
of the school is 840 of which 429 are boys and 411 girls. They are between the age
range of 6 to 18 years. There are 22 teachers and 7 support staff.
A Brief History of the School
Dewathang Middle Secondary School was initially established as a primary school in
1962 with classes from lower kindergarten to V. It was upgraded to an interim
middle secondary school in the beginning of this academic session, 2004. Soon, this
school will be bifurcated into lower secondary and higher secondary schools. While
the higher secondary classes will be moved to a new site which is 4 km from the
present location, the lower secondary classes will remain in the same place.
Head teachers of this school have taken an active part in shaping the school.
Students too play an important part to shape the school into a utopia. The following
are the head teachers in chronological order:
Ms Sonam Choden
Mr Gupta
Mr Rigzang Wangdi
Mr Velu U. Nathan
Mr K.G. Nair
Mr Ghosh
Ms Sakuntala Chhetri
Mr Lobzang Dorji
Mr Sha
Mr Pema Dawa
Mr Tandin Gyeltshen
Mr Jurmin Kunga
Mr Lhendrup
Mr Rinzin Dorji
February 25, 1962-December1, 1963
February 25, 1964-December 1, 1965
February 2, 1966December 1, 1967
February 25, 1968-December 1, 1969
February 25, 1970-December 1, 1973
February 25, 1974-December 1, 1978
February 25, 1979-December 1, 1982
February 25, 1983-December 1, 1984
February 25, 1985-December 1, 1986
February 25, 1986-December 17, 1987
March10, 1988-December 17, 1991
March 1, 1992-December 17, 1995
March 1, 1996-April 10, 1995
April 11, 2001-
Vision of the school
Our school's vision is to make itself a learning centre where every Bhutanese citizen
will enjoy coming and learning in it. It will provide both formal and non-formal
education for personal development of every individual which will ultimately fulfill
the aspirations of our beloved king.
In the future, our school will grow into a larger institute with sufficient
infrastructure and ever increasing number of cheerful students and teachers. The
school is looking forward to providing wholesome education to make our students
just, loyal and productive citizens of the country.
Distinctive Feature of the School
The school has a unique culture of celebrating all national and international
occasions. It observes School Sports Day, auspicious days in the Bhutanese
calendar, global events, School Picnic, Annual Cultural Show. Besides, it also
conducts religious rites and teacher-parent meetings. The school would like to
cherish our past successful programmes and would like to further build upon our
system so that they became part of school culture in the long run.
The head teacher and his colleagues make incessant efforts to shape the school. Ms
Rao and Ms Reddy, wives of the GREF Chief Officers in Dewathang, played active
and enthusiastic role in constructing the school's pavement and campus
beautification. They are still remembered as dedicated teachers who were committed
to their profession. Ms Satnam and Mr P.K. Roy, who still serve the school, deserve
to be sincerely acknowledged for their valuable service to the school.
Earlier on, there was paying boarding system in the school for students coming from
faraway places. It was phased out at the end of 1999 because the urban schools'
entitlement for WFP items was discontinued from then.
Some of the alumni of this school hold important positions in the government as
well as private sectors. The two illustrious ones among them are Dasho Mingboo
Drukpa, the Managing Director of BBS and Mr Ugyen Tshewang, the Director of
Pension Board.
Samdrupjongkhar Middle Secondary School
Samdrupjongkhar Middle Secondary School is surrounded on three sides by gradual
hills covered with teak and shisu trees, and a clear frontal view of the Zangdopelri.
An avenue of silver oaks and shisu trees leads to the old academic block from the
main gate. The old academic block is separated from the new academic block by a
stream and connected by a romantic arch bridge.
The school today has strength of 1157 students, 43 teachers and 11 members of
non-teaching staff with classes ranging from PP-X. The school was built in its
present site in 1984 as a primary school with a single building. The following
teachers have since then served as heads:
Mrs Chhetri, 1984 - (Primary)
Mr Gopi Nathan, 1991-(Primary)
Mr Tsongpon Wangdi, 1991- (Primary)
Mr Nima Gyeltshen (Primary)
Mr Karma Wangchuk, 1994-1995 (Primary)
Mr Dawa Tshering, 1996-1999 (Lower Secondary)
Mrs K.C.Dorji, 2000 - (Middle secondary school)
Prior to 1984, the only school stood about 100 m from the main gate on the border.
Today it is occupied by the RBP residential quarters. The present school was
upgraded from a primary to lower secondary level in 1997, and in the year 2000, it
was further upgraded to a middle secondary school.
Despite numerous problems of it being located on a sub-tropical boarder, the school
has not lagged behind in any respect, be it in academic or other spheres of activities.
What we have witnessed over the years is a gradual metamorphosis of little boys and
girls, who are equipped with right knowledge and attitude to face the many
challenges of their future and the world at large.
Presently, Samdrupjongkhar MSS has a number of committees formed to ensure
smooth functioning and to cater to wholesome education for an all-round
development of every child. Committees like Academic Committee, (further broken
up into subject committees), Disciplinary Committee, Management Committee and
Primary Committee with their own specific agenda, goals and sessions not only
assist smooth functioning of the school but also enhance scope for wholesome
education and collective responsibility.
Moreover, every member of staff is a member to a house and has a club to attend to.
Each of four houses (Taag, Seng, Chung, Druk) has a house master, house mistress,
two captains, staff members and student members. The school has following clubs.
1. Cultural Club
6. Home Science
a) Dance
7. Art Club
b) Chaam
8. Needle Work Club
c) Music
9. Carpentry Club
2. Literary Club
10. Nature Club
a) Dzongkha
11. Scouts...
b) English
3. Information Club
4. Science
5. Computer Science
Every club (club activities time is on Saturdays, 11 :00 am to 12:30 pm) has one
teacher in-charge, staff members and student members. Clubs like Cultural and
Chaam Clubs shoulder the responsibility of presenting dance and Chham items for
Dzongkhag level occasions besides competitions amongst themselves. Arts and
Needle Clubs exhibit and sell their items during children's day. The other clubs
produce and display their skills throughout the year through various meanscompetition or exhibition.
Keeping the primary children at par with senior students is in itself another task
altogether as their little steps cannot keep the rhythm of their elders. Care is taken
to ensure ample opportunities for them in inter-class variety shows, football
competitions and academic competitions. They are an active group of participants
during annual Sports meet winning hearts year after year.
Dechheling Lower Secondary School
Location
Dechheling Lower Secondary was established in 1964 as a primary school. It was
formally inaugurated in 1965 and admitted children from class LKG to class VI. Mr
Peshar, the Gup of Dechheling Gewog, and Mr Dorji, the Chimi played an important
role in the establishment of the school. The land for the construction of the school
was contributed (free of cost) by Mr Tenzin Wangchuk, the present Senior
Agriculture Extension Officer at Nganglam. The school is located in a valley about
100 m from Peling stream, surrounded by villages. The main footpath connecting
Pemagatshel, Monggar and Zhemgang passes through the school. It is 6 hours
uphill walk from the nearest roadhead at Sankari near Nganglam.
Head of the school in chronological order
1. Mr Banser1964-1967
2. Mr K. N. Mandal1968-1971
3. Mr Tandn Gyeltshen1972-1976
4. Mr K. N. Mandel1977–1982
5. Mr Purna Bahadur Tamang- 1983-1986
6. Mr Sonam Norbu
1983-1990
7. Mr Kezang Chophel1991-1994
8. Mr Lhakye Dorji1994-1996
9. Mr Rinchen Gyeltshen- March 1997
10. Mr Sherab Dorji (present)
Some of the outstanding alumni of this school are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Mr Khandu – Assistant Auditor General, Thimphu.
Mr Gembo Dorji, Director, Bhutan Power Corporation, Thimphu.
Mr Dorji Norbu from Rezimo, Secretary.
Mr Lungten Norbu, DFO.
Mr Sonam Norbu, DFO, Bumthang.
Mr Dechen Chophel and Mr Tashi Norbu, doctors, Thimphu.
Mr Tshongpon Wangdi, Principal, NID, Khaling.
Evolution of the school
The school which started as a primary school in 1964 was upgraded to junior high
school in 1998. The year 1999 saw the first batch of students sit LLSCCE (VIII) and
bring 95% pass results. Five batches of students have already sat the LSSCE and
secured above 87% pass results in different years except in1999. The school
achieved one hundred percent pass results in 2001 and 2003. In terms of
infrastructure, the UNCDF funded the construction of seven blocks of classrooms
(14 units), an MP hall, office- cum-staff room, a WFP store and kitchen, two blocks
of ten-unit toilets for students and head teacher’s quarters replacing the dilapidated
old buildings. The school materials, furniture and play grounds were developed
through the government fund, SDF and cultural programmes.
Currently, the school has an enrolment of 454 students (249 boys and 205 girls)
including 53 boarder students (30 boys and 22 girls). 219 boys and 183 girls are
provided one WFP meal. The eleven regular teachers are assisted by 8 support staff
including three cooks, a caretaker and a sweeper. The 115 NFE learners (6 males
and 109 females) are taught by four NFE instructors.
The school places importance on quality education and wholesome education. All
the experienced and qualified teachers work selflessly and unwaveringly to make
children productive and responsible citizens. The organization of competitions
between different houses, classes, clubs and open inter- and intra-school contests
enable children to develop physically, mentally, socially and culturally in all spheres
of their lives.
Vision for the future:
The school will become a learning centre for children of primary, lower secondary,
middle secondary, and higher secondary students in all the fields producing
academic toppers, social animators, and role models in learning through friendly
and homely environment and team work. The current secluded lower secondary
school will change into a middle secondary and then into a higher secondary school
with road, communication and transport facilities.
Distinctive features of the school:
The ideal location with moderate and favourable climate is pleasing to the dedicated
and hardworking group of teachers in this school. The school is known for teamwork
and cooperation amongst the society. Every passing student would remember his or
her teacher as parents and school as home.
Every teacher thinks that the future of the nation lies in the hands of today's youth
and now is the right time and place to help the children in every aspect of their life
in school. "We are here because you are here."
Gomdar Lower Secondary School
Ever since its establishment in 1981 as a primary school with 164 LKG (lower
kindergarten) students, Gomdar Lower Secondary School has been growing slowly
but steadily in academic excellence and co-curricular activities.
Although it is difficult to say exactly as to who played key roles in the establishment
of the school, gup Dungkhar and Chimi Tshewang Tenzin of the time must have
certainly played important roles along with the education department and the
community people. Initially, an impressive eight-room main school building, a
spacious dining hall, hostels for boys and girls and teachers’ quarters were built.
Mr Tashi Tobgay, a former gup donated the land for the construction of the school
when Gomdar was under Trashigang Dzongkhag. Now, worn by time, the school
buildings look like skeletons. But the ministry has a concrete plans in the offing to
construct a chain of buildings in the sprawling 16 acres of plain land (Thram No,
575).
In addition to the existing sports and games facilities like full-sized football ground,
two volleyball courts, badminton courts and archery range, ample land is there to
construct basketball court, lawntennis court etc. The school’s proximity to Nyerama
river provides us with swimming facilities. Well-organized business community of
more than ten retail shops provides necessary things to the public and the school.
The school, which is located in the northern edge of Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag,
was upgraded to a lower secondary school in 2004.
At present, there are no electricity and motor-road facilities. But we are expecting
them in a couple of years.
Though Gomdar school is in its infancy as a Lower Secondary School, we hope that
it has the potential to evolve into a leading educational centre in the future. This is
primarily possible owing to its peaceful and ideal location on the lap of nature.
Able leadership and good guidance combined with concerted effort of the education
authorities, local authorities and a strong commitment of the communities can take
this school to the higher realms of education related activities attracting talented
students from far and wide.
The school has made the village communities here more vibrant and productive.
The increased number of educated, qualified, and employed people over here show
that this village school has played a vital role in realizing the ambitions and
aspirations of the people here. Literacy rate has gone up. Of course, the credit goes
to the head teachers and dedicated teachers who worked here earlier. Till date, a
total of 3130 students have enrolled their names in the school.
At present, the school has 331 students and seven teachers including the head
teacher. There are two apprentice teachers, one lab assistant, two non-formal
education instructors.
Names of head teachers who guided the school, in the chronological order.
1. Mr Francis
2. Mr R.L.Sharma
3. Mr J.N. Sharma
4. Mr S. B. Pradhan
5. Mr Karna Chamling
(1981
(1982-1984)
(1985-1986)
(1987-1993)
(1994- ……)
)
Names of some of the alumni
1. Mr Ugyen Lhendup
2. Mr Chundi Dorji
3. Mr Ugyen Dorji
4. Mr Karma Dendup
5. Mr Dhendup Tshering
6. Mr Lhendup Zangpo
7. Mr Sherab Zangpo
8. Mr Chonga Zangpo
Lieutenant, RBA
Teacher (PGCE), HSS
Employment Officer, RCSC
Engineer
DEFO
LLB
Probationary Officer, RIM
BBA-studying in Australia
Some of our outstanding teachers
1. Mr Ramesh Rao
2. Lopon Jimba
(1982 – 1993)
(1991 – 1995)
Martshala Lower Secondary School
Estd.:
Gewog:
Dungkhag:
Dzongkhag:
September 9, 1999
Martshala
Samdrupjongkhar
Samdrupjongkhar
Actually this school was upgraded in March, 1998. In September, 1999, the primary
section of the school was segregated and relocated to a site which is 30 minutes
walk from the old school. The school was constructed with the help of UNCDF.
This new school was initially started with 6 teaching staff and 2 non-teaching staff
(cooks). The school had 5 sections in classes VII to VIII. There were 162 students:
123 boys and 39 girls. The first batch of class VIII students sat the LSSCE
Examination in December, 1999. The pass percentage was 92% . The current
strength of students is 275: 160 boys and 115 girls.
Location
Spread over a total campus area of 17.91 acres, the school is located between two
villages- Martshala and Gorthogma under Samdrup Choeling Drungkhag. It is 5
hours walk from the road point at Kawaipani (Tsangchuthama). The school currently
has 9 teaching staff and 10 non-teaching staff (office assistant, laboratory assistant,
library assistant, cooks, peon, caretaker and sweepers).
This school was formally inaugurated by Samdrup Choeling Dungpa Kunzang
Samdrup on September 9, 1999. Every year, this day is observed as the School
Foundation Day-cum-Fete Day. It is celebrated with varieties of exhibitions and
cultural show.
Our Vision
We commit to ourselves to achieving academic excellence in terms of quality
education.
Our Mission
Our mission is to impart wholesome education to every student.
What We Value
Dedication, innovation, intuition, dignity, self-reliance, perseverance, co-operation,
social and cultural conventions, works ethics, patriotism.
Our Goal
Our goal is to realize the mission and set vision through various creative and
productive activities in and around the school.
School Co-curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities form a necessary part of the wholesome education.
Cultural Activities
Most cultural activities are conducted as per the School Tentative Calendar on the
basis of house competition. The students are divided into four houses: Tag, Singye,
Chung and Druk. Each house is responsible for organizing a cultural programme
once a year.
Games and Sports
Apart from the various competitions in volleyball, football and traditional Bhutanese
games (khuru + archery), the school organizes the Annual Sports Meet every year on
November 12 to keep the students physically fit.
Clubs
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Home-Science Club
Nature Club
Art and Crafts Club
Health Club
Vocational Club
Literary Club
Scouting Programme
Club activities are carried out every Wednesday after the school hours under the
supervision of the club incharges.
School Agriculture
School agriculture work is done twice a year, once in Spring and once in Autumn.
The school agriculture area is divided among the different classes and sections. The
work is done under the supervision of class teachers and the school agriculture
incharge. We cultivate vegetables like radish, spinach, beans, pumpkins and
sometimes cabbage and cauliflower. These products are sold to the Hostel Mess and
the amount received is deposited in the School Agriculture Fund.
Social Forestry Day
In order to make the new campus green and lively, we are planting a variety of
saplings on June 2 every year with the help of nearby Forest Office staff.
Minjiwoong Lower Secondary School
Minjiwoong Lower Secondary School is located on the lap of Lou Phu, the sacred
peak. The school occupies a land of 15 acres on a gentle slope among lush maize
fields, just above the Jomori stream.
The school was constructed in 1992. The villagers enthusiastically built the houses
with banana leaves for the roof. Since most of the villagers were very far from
Minjiwoong, the students stayed in temporary sheds built by their parents around
the school. Life then was very difficult for the children as well as for the teachers.
The school was run by Lopon Ugyen Tshewang as the teacher incharge with another
Indian teacher, Mr D.K. Chanda. In the same year, Mr Penjor joined as the new
teacher incharge of the school. He stayed as the head of the school till 1994 when
Mr Tashi K replaced him as the head teacher. In the same year, he school was
upgraded to primary level.
During Mr Tashi K's tenure, the school saw many changes in various fields. Most
notably, the games and sports were started as important extra-curricular activities.
The school was upgraded to lower secondary level in 2000. In December 2001, the
first batch of class VIII students sat the LSSC examinations.
Mr Tashi K remained as the head teacher till January 2002. Ms Lemo, a B.Ed
graduate of 1996, took over as the new head teacher. She initiated the present
school greening programme which the school keenly carries out every year. The
school also saw a remarkable performance in class VIII board Examinations. 2003
LSSCE result was 100 percent pass. In February 2004, Ms Lemo got transferred to
Gaselo Middle Secondary School as an assistant principal.
Mr Chimi Chewang, the head teacher of Lauri Primary School, joined the Minjiwoong
family as the new head teacher April 12, 2004. The school has initiated many
innovative programmes. The school level monitoring and support services have been
institutionalized. Among its many programmes, the students keenly initiated the
construction of footpaths connecting the main academic buildings and hostels. The
paths are adorned with many exotic flowers and bushes. Recently, the NFE Centre
has started with 41 learners (mostly female) and two instructors. The school is also
in the process of becoming a Resource Centre.
School Information
Name of School
Gewog
Dzongkhag
Name of head teacher
Year of establishment
No. of teachers
No. of support staff
Office Assistant
Lab. Assistant
Care taker
Wet Sweeper
Cooks
Distance from the nearest
roadhead
Area of the School
Compound
Thram No
Existing students
Enrolment
Boys
Girls
NFE Instructors
Male
Female
NFE Learners
Male
Female
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Minjiwoong Lower Secondary School.
Serthi
Samdrupjongkhar
Mr Chimi Chewang
1992
11
07
1
1
1
1
3
:
1 day walk
:
:
25 Acres.
409
:
:
:
347
203
144
:
:
:
:
:
:
2
1
1
41
10
31
Nganglam Lower Secondary School
Introduction
The Nganglam Lower Secondary School is ideally located on the foreground of the
two great isolated hills to the north and south and on the right bank of Kerong river.
This school was established as a primary school in 1976. Late Father William
Mackey, the then chief inspector of school remarked: “Nganglam has made a solid
beginning with the cement project growing bigger and bigger. The school must grow.
The Department can see that the day is not too far when your school will have
become a junior high school”. Father Mackey’s thought- provoking words and his
dreams of this school becoming a “junior high school” hane come true. The school
was assisted by UNCDF, a United Nations project from the year 1995 onwards. Our
school is quite new at present with 15 regular staff and 720 students (2004).
His Majesty’s vision, "Instilling in them a deep sense of loyalty and dedication to the
country, not just providing academic education," is covered under the school vision,
goals and policy.
Background
Nganglam-this term is derived from the local dialect (Sharchopkha). Ngang means
not knowing what to do, referring to Kerong River on its way to the Indian lowland to
the south. There is a belief that instead of taking its course directly to the Indian
land, the river formed a large pool; it "did not know what to do and where to go".
The message was later received from the Manas River welcoming Kerong River to
take its course (Lam) to southwest towards Manas. This place came to be called
Nganglam on account of this story.
In the year 1987, the administration was taken over by head teacher Mr Nima
Gyeltshen with 13 regular staff and two non-teaching staff. Binay Thapa, class V
(1989), wrote: "My school is big and beautiful," in his article, "My School." He
concludes, "there were 350 students."
A regular enrolment of PP-VI continued till1997. The construction began from 1995
onwards by the UN assisted project in Bhutan. Later in the year 1997, the primary
school was upgraded to a junior high school. The following year, the primary school
was shifted to the newly constructed school. Mr Phuntsho took over the charge of
the school from 2000-2004 with 16 regular teaching staff and 9 non-teaching staff.
A total of 200 students are boarders and 100 are half-boarders from a total of 720
students. However, temporary arrangements are being made by the students
themselves to put up outside the school campus.
Location and Access
Nganglam is located in the southwest of the country. The school is ideally located
quite near the Dungkhag Office.
At present, the school has no access by road. Therefore, the journey to the school
has to be on foot via Chorkhorling, for two days. The school is in need of electricity.
The light from Dungkhar generator is supplied only for a short time in the evenings.
Communications have to be made from the Bhutan Telecom Office (PCO).
Management Principles
1. Faithful execution of national spirit of education
2. Setting an atmosphere for diligent study for students
3. Guidance of students daily in:
a. Classroom for search of knowledge and values
b. Playground- place for the training of mind and body
c. Agriculture and social work
d. Inculcation and practice of knowledge, skills and values for life.
e. Dining hall- adoration and respect for nutritional food practice.
Academic Facilities
Textbooks, notes, pencils etc. are provided by the school for students. The period is
55 minutes long. The school library keeps books including journals, newspapers,
and magazines. A 30-minute reading period is observed every Monday. As per the
daily study schedule, separate morning, evening and night studies are being kept.
Teachers do duties appropriately and necessary helps are provided to help students
achieve academic excellence.
Co-curricular Activities
The school has the following clubs as of 200-2004.
1. Literary club
2. Science for protection of nature club
3. Scout
4. Cultural club
5. Barber club
6. Cobbler club
7. Carpentry club
8. Campus beautification club
9. Science club.
10. Arts club.
One or two staff member(s) are(is) allocated to give necessary advice and help. Club
attendance is taken compulsorily. Clubs are marked on attendance, participation
and proficiency. The staff advisor with the help of students has to organize
presentations of club activities at the end of the second term.
Cultural Activities
Cultural activities are carried out houses-wise. The students are divided into the
following houses-Tag, Singye, Chung and Druk. Each house should present a
cultural programme on competition basis. The purpose of organizing any cultural
programme, however, goes beyond the house competition.
Students learn
traditional values of dancing which are being imparted by their respective house
advisor. Attendance, participation and proficiency in cultural activities form the
criteria for awarding marks to respective houses.
Games and Sports
Games and sports are organized houses-wise as well as class-wise. Physical
education teachers are nominated for conducting and organizing games and sports.
However, every Monday and Tuesday, class-wise games and sports are organized
separately.
Agriculture and Social Work
The school agricultural works are carried out houses-wise and assessed for prizes to
be given at the end of the year.
Other Programmes
Apart from the above activities, the school also organizes the following programmes.
a. School Cultural Nite.
b. Annual sports.
c. Celebration of auspicious occasions.
Prayer
Prayer is compulsory for all students (boarders and day-scholars). It is conducted at
the end of the classes. The Kunyer or Omzey presides over the prayer. Strict
attendance is taken.
Morning Assembly
Morning assembly is conducted everyday by reciting Jamyang Seldop and National
Anthem, and speeches by two students. Important announcements are also made
in the Assembly by the teacher on duty (TOD) and the head teacher.
Dechen Primary School
With the approval of the then Ministry of Health and Education, Thimphu vide
ministry's approval No. PD/VI-(1)2003/289 dated 4th December 2003, the school
was established on March 10th 2003 which was officially inaugurated by the then
Hon’ble Dasho Dzongda, Pelden Wangchuk. The main purpose of the establishment
of this school is to meet the urgent requirement of nursery and primary school for
the Bhutanese children in the region. The school is one of the first private schools in
the region to meet the growing demand of the Samdzong beneficiaries. The school
will go a long way in helping our own growing children achieve a good foundation of
education and develop into confident life-long learners.
Location
The school is located in the heart of Samdrupjongkhar town. It protects children
from security threats and hazardous industries and provides all supportive and
caring environments.
Our Aims
Our aims and objectives are to provide quality education in an environment that is
enriching, stimulating, nurturing and safe. We have used our training and
experience to adopt the best practices for pre-school care and education. Our
classes are child-centered, small and developmentally appropriate and educational.
The staff and teachers in the DPS are respectful, kind and enthusiastic. Our
primary aim is to make children feel safe, confident and comfortable which will help
the child develop an excellent foundation for creative learning through various
activities.
Our Philosophy
Each child is born with a unique personality and unique potential. We believe that
learning is an active process. From birth, they possess an intense desire to explore,
grow and gain mastery over their environment. Children learn by doing and
experimenting. The teacher's role is to provide an environment that is exciting to
explore. The teachers in the DPS guide children's developments by providing
activities that allow children to discover and make conclusion of their own. We
believe a programme for young children should respect their individuality and
recognize their unique needs. The school will serve as a congenial environment, a
second home where the child will receive love, care and guidance of a teacher,
considerable freedom to learn and play at his/her own pace and evolve his/her
social skills. The child will be taught through play and, more importantly, works, on
all development in a manner that sustains the interest of the child, challenges
him/her to do more and give him a sense of achievement, thereby building self
confidence. The staff and teachers of DPS are there to provide all required support
and assistance in developing the needs of each and every growing Bhutanese child.
Enrollment
DPS enrolls children between the age of 2 ½ -6 years. They are taught language
(vocabulary writing and reading), good manner, order and sensorial refinement.
After the age six, the absorbing mind begins to diminish as rational and abstract
thinking emerge. Understanding this importance, DPS endeavours to provide each
individual child what is needed when it is needed. During the course of the school
year, the children and teachers work together to build a miniature, but very real,
community.
Curriculum
We also provide a developmentally appropriate curriculum that challenges and
enriches each child in which children are free to develop their own skills and
abilities. In DPS, we also provide varieties of exercises, singing and dancing
including (Outdoor & Indoor games) besides their studies. Our school organizes
field trips to local places for educational interest.
Parent Day Celebration
The children in DPS celebrate Parents Day to prove the performance of their child
with different activities.
Commitment
DPS is committed to providing many opportunities to every child for a better future.
It is our mission to develop the academic potential of each child and to cater to the
social, moral, physical and spiritual rights of the individual in a happy and secure
environment. We firmly believe that a strong and active partnership exists between
home and school. We encourage every parent and family to support their child’s
educational needs and allow them to lead their life in an independent manner. The
education in DPS is firmly based on traditional standards using proven method of
teaching.
Staff
We in the DPS are fortunate to have such an excellent team of staff who work
together with the parents to achieve a dedicated partnership for the benefit of
children. Here in DPS, children are given freedom to develop according to their own
needs and tendencies within certain limits.
This allows them to develop
independence, good working habits and self discipline. The management and staff of
this school will do their best and ensure the best possible start in life and help them
develop academic skills.
As education is an important asset for the economic development of the country, we
in the private sector can contribute our services by providing reliable and better
quality of education to the children.
Concerted efforts, learner-friendly and
coordinated approach are being kept in the scope of planning, design development of
education for the common benefit of the region. It is our belief that DPS can
contribute to the development of growing children in the long run to meet the
objectives of the Royal Government of Bhutan.
Jomotsangkha Primary School (upgraded to LSS, 2006)
In the early 1970’s, the inhabitants of Lanchenphu Gewog thirsted for modern
education to break the chain of ignorance. The Royal Government of Bhutan
approved the proposal for a school.
The construction of the school was enthusiastically started by the people of the
community in1978 with materials support from the Royal Government of Bhutan
which included the wages for the carpenters and masons. The works were
supervised by the gup, Mr Subbir Subba and Mr Kritiman Bhattarai from
Langchenphu. The construction work came to an end by the end of December, 1978,
with the infrastructure of one main academic building comprising eight classrooms,
a head teacher quarters, a staff quarters and one semi-permanent building. In 1984,
the community with the materials from the government constructed a dinning hall.
In 1986 winter, one two-unit semi-permanent building was constructed. In the
beginning of 1992, Dasho Dungpa's office, which was on the school campus, was
handed over to the school as the head teacher quarters. In 2001, the Dzongkhag
supplied tube light sets, bulbs with holders, and fans. In 2002, the government
constructed a two-unit latrine attached to the staff room in the main academic
building. At the end of the 2002, the main school building verandah was repaired
and roofs of all the building were painted.
The school is located at the heart of the community. At present, the school has an
area of 17.30 acres of registered land with plot No. 25/A, sheet No. Q23/23 and
Thram No. 281. It has a spacious football ground, volley courts, badminton court
and adequate agriculture land. The school has sufficient areas for the expansion of
school infrastructure and it is accessible by motor road.
The first head teacher, Mr Tara Pradhan, served the school from1979 to 1980. Mr
P.M. Nair, the next head teacher, worked until 1984. Mr K.H. Nathan, who
succeeded Mr Naire, ran the school in1985. Next, Mr Parshuram Nepal, the first
Bhutanese head teacher, took over the school and and worked till 1987. Then, Mr
Nawang Tenzin took the charge and worked till July 1990. Mr Nima Gyeltshen took
over as the next head teacher and worked till December, 1990.
Unfortunately, the school had to be closed down for one year because of the political
unrest in the south. But in 1992, at the request of the people of Langchephu Gewog,
the Royal Government of Bhutan reopened the school.
The reopening of the school was on March 1, 1992 was attended by Hon’ble Dasho
Dungpa of Jomotsangkha Dungkhag. There were seven teachers headed by Mr
Sonam Dorji. Mr Sonam rendered his sincere service till 19th May 1997 when he was
relieved by Mr Tandin Gyeltshen. Mr Tandin contributed his fruitful service till April
2, 2001. He was succeeded by Mr Sonam Tobgay, who worked till December 11,
2001. Mr Sonam was followed by Mr Choney Dorji and Mr Zung Dorji, the present
head teacher.
With a team of ten committed teaching staff against 392 students, we are trying our
level best to fulfill our set vision, mission and goals.
Vision
We want our school to be a well-established learning centre, which can provide all
the basic skills to produce well-balanced, productive, innovative, creative,
competent, self-reliant and dedicated citizens of our country.
Mission
Our mission is to impart quality wholesome education to all our students.
Goals


To produce students with a sound academic background.
To help develop the physical, mental and social faculty of the child through
various co-curricular activities.
Lauri Primary School
Lauri Primary School is located to the northeast of Jomotsangkha Dungkhag under
Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag. The school was established in the year 1977. It is
three days of official walk from the Dungkhag. The school was mainly initiated by
Her Royal Highness Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck, the representative of His
Majesty in the erstwhile Ministry of Development, and Dasho Thinley. The following
villages contributed their labour force to bring the school to present shape.
1. Khanduphung
2. Mingiwoong
3. Serthi
4. Barkalongnang
5. Monmola
6. Tashithangjey
7. Rebaling
8. Benphu
9. Phakchu
10. Suskar
11. Deptsang
12. Patpanadang
13. Lauri
14. Momring
15. Dungmanma
16. Zangthi
17. Phajogonpa
18. Taktsang
19. Renang
The two gewogs felt the need of the school and they provided voluntary service till
the construction was completed. Previously the school was known as Shingkhar
Lauri Primary School, but now it is called Lauri Primary School since Shingkhar is
under Trashigang Dzongkhag. The enrolment in the initial year was 162 students
with 2 teachers. Now the number has risen to 312 students with 7 teachers. The
total number of students enrolled so far is 1343.
2. The chronological order of the head teachers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mr Sangay Pasang
Mr Kezangla
Mr S.C. Nag
Mr Karma Tshering
Mr Pema Wangdi
Mr Dawa Tshering
7. Mr Samdrup Wangdi
8. Mr Chimi Tshewang
9. Mr Dechen Lhendrup.
3. The school and the community
The school has played a vital role in the community to promote education for all by
providing free education to the people. The school has also benefited the community
by bringing an improvement in the hygiene of the local areas. The number of
students and government officials from the villages has increased dramatically. The
school has produced doctors, judges, police officers, teachers and many more. Thus,
the school has benefited the community, the society and the nation as a whole.
4. In the 2004 GYT meeting, a proposal was put up for the upgradation of the
school to a Junior High School. The vision of the school is to produce good
learned students and to provide wholesome education. The main goal is to
improve overall academic performance of the students and to look into the
welfare of the students.
5. The school celebrated its Silver Jubilee in the year 2002 and we would like to
remember it as one of the old schools in a remote area where talented citizens are
moulded for our nation.
Martshala Primary School
Martshala Primary School was established in 1964. It lies at the heart of Martshala
village. It is in the south-east of Samdrupjongkhar Dzong. From the Dungkhag
headquarters, Martshala can be seen in the north-west above the Bara Nadi on the
foothills of Brokpula. The school is the centre of learning for 12 villages of
Martshala, Gorthongba, Thrizore, Kakpadung, Keptang, Richanglo, Tsholingkhar,
Shemshem, Kakani, Dingshingzore, Wangphu, Galingkhar and Sangshingzore.
Some of the villages are a day’s walk and most are 3-5 hours’ walk from the school.
The school was opened when Martshala gewog was under Trashigang Dzongkhag.
According to the village sources, there was no dzong in Samdrupjongkhar long time
back. Trashigang Dzongkhag was under Nynerchen Babu Khotsa, the father of
Rongthong Kuenley. Lyonpo Tamshing Jagar was also serving in the Dzong as the
Thrimpon. Gup Norbu Gyeltshen from Gorthongba village was the main person to
carry out the order of the Nynerchen to set up a school at Martshala.
The school was started by Lopon Chompa, the son of Babu Khotsa. He was the
main founder of the school. Being the only educated person in the village, he
focused his attention on the public affairs such as settling disputes and punishing
the guilty at his own will. He even built a chhorten in the village which is still
known as Lopon Chompa’s chhorten. After staying for 4-5 years in Martshala, he
became mad and left the village.
From 1968 till 1970, Lopon Rinchen from Bartsham substituted him. He was fondly
remembered by the people as a lopon who gave sweets to school children. He would
coax children into coming to school by giving them sweets and biscuits. He also
actively participated in the public affairs as his predecessor did.
From 1971 to 1973, Mr K.K. Nair served as the first Indian head teacher. He was
popularly known as Abu Sep. He started teaching English subjects. He earned little
respect from the public not because he did not deserve it but chiefly because he was
not as popular as the former head teacher. It was during his tenure as the head
teacher of the school that the present secretary of National Assembly, Dasho Jigme
Zangpo, joined the school as a teacher. The school sent three of its graduates to
Yangchenphu School. One of them continued his studies and the other two could
not because of some problems. Mr Pelzang Wangchuk is the only alumnus of this
school who holds a high post. He is currently working in the PPD Section of the
Ministry of Agriculture.
Mr A.P. Nirola from Kalimpong succeeded Mr K. K. Nair. He worked from 19731976. It was during his time that the school was on fire and everything went up in
smoke. Mr A.P. Nirola was succeeded by Lopon Neten Dorji from Chaskar, Monggar.
He is at present the Administrative Officer in Samtse Dzongkhag. The community
remembers him in connection with the WFP meals for it was during his tenure that
the school got the WFP supply. He served the school for roughly one year.
Thirty-five years after its establishment, the school was upgraded to junior high
school level in the year 1998. It was very difficult to accommodate all the students
in one campus. This gave birth to another school on September 9, 1999. While the
higher classes were transferred to the location of the present middle secondary
school, Martshala Primary School was taken over by Mr Thinley Dorji.
Till 1991, the school functioned at a mediocre level. There were no plans and
policies. From 2000, I have focused mainly on the school greening, scouting, CCA,
games, values and agriculture programmes. I set up a long-term plan, short-term
plans, aims and goals and action plans for the school. Now, we have adopted the
written policies within our limited capacities to run the school. The power and
responsibilities are being delegated among the teachers. The head teacher just
monitors and supervises the activities. From May 1, 2003, NFE was started in the
school with 62 learners. All the 62 learners will be completing their basic literary
course in due course of time. Then, they are expected to participate in the school
activities like cultural show, debate and quiz competitions and so forth.
Head teachers in chronological order
1. Mr Chompa
2. Mr Rinchen
3. Mr K.K. Nair
4. Mr A.P. Nirola
5. Mr Neten Dorji
6. Mr R.L. Sharma
7. Mr Philip Rai
8. Mr Tshering
9. Mr Dorji Sangay
10. Mr Karma Tshering
-
1964-67
1968-70
1971-73
1974-1976
1977
1978-80
1981-83
1984-88
1989-91
1992-93
Orong Primary School
Orong is a scattered settlement located on a gentle slope in the north-west of the
district, ten km from Samdrupjongkhar-Trashigang highway. The village comprises
170 households. The inhabitants are Tshangla and maize is their staple food. Orong
is hot and wet in summer but cold and dry in winter. Stormy weather is a common
phenomenon in the spring season.
According to an oral account, there is a enormous rock at a neighbouring place
called Bayul which has the letter ‘A’ (the last letter of the Dzongkha alphabet)
inscribed on it. The place was, therefore, named Adrong which literally means the
village of 'A'. Drong in Dzongkha literally means a village. However, later, Adrong
became Orong through people's mispronunciation.
According to Wangchuk, an old man from Orong village, Mr Khawjey, a junior clerk
from Monggar Dzongkhag visited the village prior to the establishment of the school
to discuss with the people the plan to establish a school in the village. Later in the
same year, Dasho Geden Thinley inspired the people of Orong to immediately
establish the school. Thus, Orong Primary School was established in the year 1982.
Till date, the school has changed six head teachers. The first head teacher was late
Mr Pema Dorji. He served the school from1982 to 1987. Mr K. B. Sinchuri was the
second head teacher who ran the school from 1988-1989. The third person to take
charge of the school was late Mr Jurmi Kinga (1990-1991).
Mr Jurmi Kinga was replaced by Mr M. B. Pradhan who served the school for five
years from 1992-1996.
The non-formal education centre was opened in the school during the tenure of Mr
Pradhan in 1996. From 1997 to 1999, Mr Lobzang Dorji, the present ADEO of
Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag, headed the school. He was followed by Mr Nima
Wangchuk whose tenure lasted for four years from 2000 to 2003. He is now the
principal of Phuyum MSS, Lhuntse.
I, Mr Yeshi Dorji, took over the charge of the school from Mr Nima Wangchuk as the
officiating head in the year 2004.
The school has a total enrolment of 487 students of which 249 are boys and 238 are
girls. The school has 13 teaching staff and ten non-teaching staff. The names of
some outstanding teachers are: Mr B. B. Chhetri, Mr Jamtsho Dukpa, Lopon Dorji
Rinchen and Mr Robin Gurung. The names of some outstanding alumni of the
school are: Rinzin Dorji, the best scout student who was awarded a trip to Geneva
with the Crown Prince Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck; Ugyen Tsheten,
the best student in games, who has currently joined the national police team;
Rinchen Penjor, the best student in academic performance, who is doing B. Sc.
Degree at Sherubtse College in Kanglung; Sherab Phuntsho and Karchung, civil
engineers both; Kintu who is in the third year engineer training course at RBTI,
Phuntsholing; Kezang Dorji, who is doing MBBS; Rinzin Dorji, who is the present
head teacher of Lingmethang School, Monggar. Besides, there are many other
alumni who have joined the teaching profession.
Orong Primary School was eventually upgraded to a lower secondary school in the
year 1999. In 2003, a concrete double-storey academic block comprising six rooms
was built through the UNICEF funding. The old academic block was renovated
during 2003 winter. The renovation works were strictly supervised by the former
head teacher, Mr Nima Wangchuk, chimi and mangap.
The establishment of the school has definitely benefited the community, society and
the nation. It made education easily accessible to the poor and the rich alike. The
student enrolment in the school has witnessed a steep rise in the recent years. As of
today, there are equal number of boys and girl studying in the school indicating the
fulfillment of His Majesty’s vision of Education for all. We anticipate that girls will
outnumber boys in a few years time.
Between 50 and 60 students pass out of the school each year. While most of them
pursue higher studies, some of them join training institutes. Most of the alumni of
the school, who have already joined public or private sector, have become the pillar
of financial support for their parents back in the village. Apart from 170 households,
the school also benefits Wooling Community Primary School and Gomdar Primary
School.
The government has a plan to open a middle secondary school at Thongkorong, 15
minutes walk from the school. The site has been surveyed and it is believed that the
construction would begin once the farm road from Shegpashing reaches Orong
village. This would ease admission pressure on other middle secondary schools in
the dzongkhag.
Team work and the practice of decentralized system of school management is a
distinctive feature of the school. Every individual shoulders equal responsibility with
utmost commitment. The school is famous in games and sports in
Samdrupjongkhar district. The school won several trophies in inter-school games
competitions. The school is equally good in academic sphere.
Non-formal education centre is yet another distinctive feature of the school. School
dropouts and adults who did not get an opportunity to study in the prime of their
youth are blessed by the NFE centre. As of now, there are 67 students enrolled in
the centre who make up three categories of learners. Most learners are now in a
position to read, write and speak in Dzongkha fairly well. Stage performances such
as dances, songs and skits are an annual feature of the NFE centre.
The school would like to be remembered for providing quality education and
producing students who are competent, responsible, sensible, dedicated and loyal.
Pemathang Primary School
Pemathang is a fairly vast plain, with many terraces of paddyfields carved on it.
Pemathang Primary School is located in the heart of resettled settlers. The school
was founded on an area of 11 acres 40 decimals. There are over three hundred
households lined up at the periphery of the school. People from more than four
villages make up the population at present.
It is interesting to dig the history of this school. But it is most unfortunate that all
written documents were lost during the problem of 1990. Nonetheless, Mr P.R.
Dhungyel, the gup and Mr Devi Charan, a retired teacher from this locality, have
much to say.
According to them, the school was first established in 1957 by Mr J. B. Pradhan,
father of former Minister for Trade, Lyonpo Om Pradhan, at a place named Nainital.
As he was popularly known by the name “Neoli Babu”, the school was also named as
Neoli Primary School. A few years later, the school was shifted to the present site.
Mr Lepcha from Kalimpong was the head teacher then, in 1967. Mr Bhim Kumar
Rai from this place served the school at the time when the school was renamed
Dalim Primary School. It is believed that Dalim came from ‘Dal’, a place full of
lentils.
It is worth mentioning that Mr Rinchen Dorji from Nangla, Zhemgang, was the head
teacher from 1989 to 1990. It was during his tenure that the severe problem in the
south led to the closure of the school which lasted for thirteen year till 2002.
The school reopened in 2003 with a new name Pemathang Primary School. It started
with two teachers and one hundred forty-four students in classes PP-II. The school
was inaugurated on 22 March, 2003 by Dasho Penden Wangchuk, who is presently
serving as a secretary of Home Ministry. At present, there are two hundred eightyeight students with five teachers. The class ranges from PP-VI. The school has two
academic buildings housing eight classrooms, the office, the staff room, science
laboratory and library room. A big multipurpose hall is underway. An educational
activity ground lies in front of the academic building. We have a separate football
field.
The school is a day school. It has to face a lot of admission pressure due to huge
population.
The school is connected with six-kilometer farm road from the Dungkhag. This
provision has lifted the morale of the school. We can now hope for the expansion of
the school to a lower secondary school in the near future. Everyone of us here
strives with all our heart from dawn to dusk to fulfill our set vision: To be an
exemplary school in the country by providing wholesome education and practising
good values. The school also has its mission, goals, objectives and long-term
development plan. The school has institutionalized all the new policies of the
division like SLMSS, Remedial class, SRP etc. We have also started training scouts
and club scouts for lower age group. To proliferate and strengthen our literacy rate,
we support NFE learning in the school.
The basic problem that the school faces is teacher shortage. We have eight sections
with five teachers. This problem has set us to stand precariously over providing
quality education and ensure timely coverage of the syllabus. As it is a day school,
some children have to walk more than two hours daily from places such as
Dungkailing, Deklai and Nainital. And also as it is a new school, it is deprived of
many facilities.
However, the school conducts all activities like co-curricular activities and extra
curricular activities to supplement wholesome education. We ensure that all
students get to take part in activities conducted in the school. CCA’s are carried out
housewise. Like any other normal school, we celebrate all national occasions.
So, here is one school that does its services at its best: Pemathang Primary School.
The school did all it can to serve the communities when it was known as Dalim
Primary School. The school produced a good number of people, who readily lent
their helping hands and vibrant minds to the society and the nation. A few of the
most prominent ones are:
Mr N. B. Pokhrel
Mr D. K. Nirola
MrR.L. Pokhrel
Mr B. M. Dungyel
Ms Meena Dungyel
Mr Sangay Dorji
Mr Thinly Dorji
Mining Engineer
Psychiatrist
Engineer
Doctor
Junior Engineer.
1994-99
1999 …
Yarphu Primary School
Yarphu Primary School is located in the middle of Yarphu village under Gomdar
gewog, Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag. The school is approximately 24 Km away
from its nearest roadhead at Tokrong between Samdrupjongkhar and Trashigang. It
takes seven hours to reach the school and almost one day with the family.
The school was established in 1987. As said by Mr Duba, the former gup of Gomdar
gewog, the proposal for the new school was put up through the DYT in 1986 when
the gewog was under Trashigang Dzongkhag. However, it was approved and started
in 1987. It seems that the school was started without proper planning as the first
teacher-in-charge, Mr Sangay Dorji, started the school with much hardship. The
story from the old villagers reveals that the classes were taken in the open and in
village temples for a few months. The teacher resided in a hut of a villager.
Mr Sangay Dorji served the school from 1987 to 1990. Mr Kelzang Chopel joined the
school in 1991 as the head teacher. I took charge of the school as its fifth head
teacher. The chronological order of the head teachers of this school is as follows:
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name
Mr Sangay Dorji
Mr Kezang Chopel
Mr P.B. Tamang
Mr Ganesh Chhetri
Mr Chimi Tshewang
Designation
Teacher-in-charge
Head teacher
Head teacher
Tr-in-charge
Head Teacher
From
1987
3.4.1991
2.3.1992
1.3.1996
1.7.1998
To
1991
1991
1995
1998
1998
The school continuously started its classes PP, I, II and III from 1987 to 1990. From
1994, the school started class IV. The first batch of class VI students (9 boys and 3
girls) sat for the Board Examination in 1997.
The school received mid-day meal from the WFP in 1991. The present Hon’ble Home
Minister, Lyonpo Jigme Y. Thinley, then the Zonal Administrator of the Eastern
Zone, while on a tour to the village was approached by the former chimi, Mr Duba,
and was requested for the sanction of the WFP provision to the school. This is how
the school became a beneficiary of the WFP. In 1987, the school faced the problem
of classroom and teacher quarters shortage. The classes were taken in the open for
many days. The teachers had to put up in the huts of the villagers. The construction
of school office after a few months solved classroom problem. Even after its
upgradation to a primary school the classes were taken in a temporary shed till
1999.
There was a good improvement of school infrastructure from the year 2000 with the
construction of four-unit semi-permanent classroom. Many of the office and
classroom furniture were procured using the SDF. There was also a gradual
improvement in staff quarters compared with the past years. We also received some
pieces of furniture from the Dzongkhag. All these made the school function
smoothly.
From 2004, the school has started the construction of the school office and dining
hall with the budget of two lakhs from the gewog. The community is making labour
contribution. Once the construction is over, the school will solve its main problem.
Staff quarters will, however, remain a problem. The school is striving to overcome its
problems as soon as possible.
In 1987 the school enrolled 14 boys and 6 girls with one teacher. Today, the student
strength is 205 with 124 boys and 81 girls from classes PP-VI. In class PP, 19 boys
20 girls were enrolled for the year 2004. There are five teachers including the head
teacher and three cooks. From 2004, the school has started new NFE centre with
two instructors and 48 learners.
With the establishment of this school in 1987, the community has benefited a lot.
Earlier on, many children of the community remained uneducated. Most of them did
not know the importance of education and they were backward in many fields. Now
there is more number of children coming to school. The school has changed the
living standard of the community. The vision of the school is, ‘Making the school a
model school in the Dzongkhag’. The school has set up mission in line with the
vision. Keeping its vision and mission in mind, the school has long-term and shortterm plans. The whole family of the school is working hard to achieve its vision and
make its dream come true.
In the process of writing this history of our school, I have tried to put the
information as correctly as possible in line with the records maintained by the
school over the years. I have also collected information from the village people who
were actively involved in the establishment of this school. I, however, regret missing
out some information which could be helpful. But I am confident that this write-up
would at least give some idea of how the school came into existence.
Barzor Community Primary School
Barzor Community Primary School is located under Gomdar Gewog in
Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag. The school has an area of 1.5 acres. It is officially
three days walk from the nearest road point.
The construction of the school was initially undertaken sometime in 2004 and was
completed at the end of 2005. The community built the physical infrastructure free
of wages. However, the materials like CGI sheets and cement were supplied by the
Dzongkhag Education Sector. At present, the school is has six classrooms and three
teachers’ quarters. The school also has three toilets. The school was formally
inaugurated by the public of the locality and local governor on 8th of March 2006.
The main purpose of opening Bazor Community Primary School was to benefit the
children of four different
villages,
namely
Barzor,
Frimi,
Brumi
and
Chedungkhar. Not many children reside near the school area. They walk long
distances to come to the school.
The catchment area of the school is neither wealthy nor poor. People grow maize as
their principle crop. They also grow other crops like paddy and barley.
The climate condition of the school is neither cold nor hot for most of the time.
However, it gets a little colder towards peak winter.
Presently, the school has a total strength of 75 students in pre-primary class. Mr
Dawa Gyeltshen is the first head teacher of the school. The school has only one nonteaching staff.
Choekhorling Community Primary School
Choekhorling Community Primary School is located on a gentle slope right at the
end of Choekhorling village. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides. It is totally
cut off from other villages by natural barriers. The school was initially called
Kulicatta Community Primary School. It was renamed Choekhorling just a couple of
years back by the royal command. It is located in the southern extreme of the
country next to Bhutan-India border at an altitude of approximately 750 m above
sea level. It takes only 1 ½ hours to reach Indian plain from the village. The school
is under Nanglam Dungkhag, Norbugang Gewog. It is one day from the Dungkhag
headquarters and 1 ½ days from Dewathang.
The school came into existence due to consistent and untiring effort and initiative of
Mr Sangay during his tenure as the village tshogpa. It was he who proposed the
establishment of the school in the community. After securing the approval of the
Education Ministry, he voluntarily spared his own land for the construction of the
school. Later, he initiated the construction of two additional buildings for
upgradation of classes. He also initiated the establishment of BHU in the
community. Thus, he brought a lot of changes in the lives of the people of this
community during his 9-year tenure.
Mr Sangay, now 63, says, "I am very proud to see that my little effort and hard work
is really benefiting the community and the nearby villages. It will remain as part of
my legacy."
The school was established in 1991 with a total strength of 109 students in class
PP. Mr Gep Tshering was the first teacher incharge of the school. Mr Renji was a
teacher then. There were two sections of PP class. Mr Gep says that they had to take
a lot of trouble to start the school. There was no classroom. Classes had to be taken
in the open around the village temple. They bore unbearable scorching sun and
heavy rain. After three months of struggle, the community finished the construction
of temporary classrooms.
The classes were taken in those ramshackle classrooms for one and half years. The
construction of the main academic building was completed only in mid 1992. The
first batch of class III students graduated in1993.
In 1997, the school was upgraded to class IV, then to V, and then to VI. The school
has so far changed only one head teacher. Mr Gep has been in this school for the
past thirteen years. He was transferred to Dotey Lower Secondary School, Paro, in
April 2004.
At present, the school has 110 students and five teachers including two apprentice
teachers. The school is trying to bring the best out of it through involving students
in various activities like, games and sports, quiz, plays, debate, songs and dances
and club activities on every Saturday.
The establishment of the school in the community has enormously benefited the
community and the nearby villages. In the past, children had to be admitted in
Dechoeling School which is two days walk from the community. Later, they took
their children for admission in Nganglam, which is also one day away. One of the
parents had to stay with the child as caretaker for whole year. It was because of all
those problems that dropout rate among the children of the village was particularly
high. In short, the problems of parents and children were many and real.
The establishment of the school has not only eased their problems, but also changed
their attitude towards education. Now, many of the parents in the village proudly
say that their children are studying in college and high schools.
The school has a good catchment area comprising 150 households. The school also
has 6.84 acres of land, which is enough for the future expansion of the school. The
survey is underway for electricity supply to the school.
There is a possibility of Nganglam and Dewathang being linked by road owing to
border problems. If this happens, the school would be able to avail itself of motor
road facility. This would enable the school to upgrade itself to middle secondary
level.
Dungmanma Community Primary School
More than 500 years ago, a few people of Ozorong, Barshong and Sali under
Trashigang Dzongkhag left their homes to find their own comfort. They are believed
to be the lawless people and they ran away as they were not able to pay the tax
imposed by the government.
Out of them, a couple, upon arrival at this place, came across some ruined walls
and stone-made pounding equipment believed to be used by some people in olden
times. They, therefore, named this place Dungmanma (which means an old village)
and settled here.
The people were deprived of civilizing influences and they tended to run away from
strangers visiting their place. Later, some important people visited this place and
tried to convince them of the importance of modern education. But the people were
reluctant to admit their children in school. They either eluded visitors or requested
them to spare their children from being taken to school.
After having been encouraged, a few people understood the value of education. Out
of them, Mey Mey Thin Jatsho was the one who requested the government for a
school to be constructed for the welfare of their village children. But the other
people blamed and heckled him for doing so. Thus, the establishment of the school
was suspended and the opportunity was offered to the other village which is
approximately three hours walk from this place. The people of that village capitalized
on that opportunity.
Later, the people of this village bemoaned their previous foolishness. They blamed
themselves for letting a golden opportunity skip out of their hands. Some of them
even sent their children to the school in the other village.
But, the children encountered a lot of difficulty in crossing big rivers and cliffs on
their way to the school. The parents were anxious about their children's safety. So,
many of their parents grew reluctant to send their children to the other village.
This concern gave rise to Dungmanma Community School in 1993.
Though the physical structure of the school was built, it did not have any teacher
for a year. The village headman made several request to the government and by the
year 1995, the school got a teacher. Thus the school started surveying the children
and enrolled the first batch of PP students.
Presently, there are 78 students in the school making up classes from PP-V. Other
developmental activities are being initiated within the school’s capacity and it has its
vision to make the environment green with everlasting peaceful atmosphere to create
good learning environment.
Kerong Community School
Kerong Community School is in Nganglam Dungkhag under Samdrupjongkhar
Dzongkhag, one day’s walking distance from the roadhead at Dungkhag
headquarters. It is located below the main Kerong village on a lovely gentle slope
with Kerong river flowing past the village and the school. The village is surrounded
on all sides by mountains, and so is the school. So, being at this place is a feast to
the senses. The school was established in 1991. Now the school has classes ranging
from Pre-Primary to V.
Initially, the school had been established just below the village. Since this site had
no scope for expansion, it was shifted to the present site.
The present location is well planned and established. The school has covers an area
of 10.66 acres.
Before the establishment of this school, the children of this village had to go to
Nganglam and Dechheling to study. Since the schools in these areas are far and
wide, many children could not go there. So they used to be deprived of education.
His Majesty's vision of Gross National Happiness and Universal Education gave birth
to Kerong Community School.
Mr Nangtse Wangdi, the then Mang Ap of Dechheling Gewog was the key person
responsible for the inception of the school. The Gup, Dungpa, and Mr Minjur Dorji,
the then District Education Officer, were also equally involved in the development of
the school. As was the norm, the labour was fully contributed by the community
while the government provided the material resources.
The academic session commenced with a total of sixty students and just two
teachers.
The table below shows the chronological order of heads of the school:
S/No
Names
From
To
01
Mr Kinley Namgay
1991
1993
02
03
04
Mr Wangchuk
Mr Karma Dorji
Mr Pema Gyelpo
1994
1996
1998
1995
1997
-
Mr Sanjay Dorji joined the school as a teacher in 2003 after completing his Primary
Teacher Certificate Course. His joining the school has made a great impact on the
school. Mr Karma Dorji also joined the school later. They jointly shoulder various
responsibilities of library, games and sport, and teaching songs and dances to the
students. Besides, the school also recruited a caretaker in 2003.
The school is just a decade and three years old. Many students have graduated from
the school. A few have completed class-XII. A lot of them are undergoing job
trainings and some have already joined the services such as Library Assistants, NFE
Instructors, soldiers, policemen and so on.
The table below shows the annual enrolment of the school since its establishment
against the number of teachers.
Year
Boys
Girls
Total
Teachers
1991
39
21
60
02
1992
45
19
64
03
1993
44
12
63
03
1994
38
21
59
02
1995
27
14
41
02
1996
24
14
38
01
1997
46
28
74
01
1998
47
26
73
01
1999
40
28
68
01
2000
45
35
80
01
2001
41
35
76
01
2002
40
38
78
02
In
the
beginning,
the
community had constructed a
three-room building. As the
need arose, they constructed
another building with two
rooms to house the office and
storeroom. Yet again, the
community had to build
another building to serve as
teachers’ quarters when the
school was upgraded to class
IV.
Till mid-1998, the classrooms
had only a few pieces of
furniture on the mud floor
2004
41
37
78
02
when they were furnished
with the wooden planks
collected from the immediate beneficiaries of the school. In the year 2000, the school
procured classroom furniture through School Development Fund. A small amount
for the procurement was collected from the community.
2003
43
38
81
02
The school has received solar lighting facilities from the Dzongkhag. The school is
properly using these facilities. Apart from these, the school has also received many
pieces of furniture and type writers.
For thirteen long years, the school had been struggling with the problem of proper
drinking water supply till it came in November 2003. Earlier on, the children had to
go down to the stream to fetch water which was dangerous when the stream swelled
in summer. Now the fear of children being washed away by the swollen stream is
gone.
The presence of the school in the locality has helped local people admit their
children without difficulty. Although all the children of the village come to school,
some of them drop out when they reach classes IV and V. However, the school has
helped develop the community in terms of health, hygiene, and many other aspects
of life.
The school participates in various competitions such as arts and essay writing. In
2002, we participated in Festival of Children's Arts of Bhutan. Out of three entries
two got consolation prizes of Nu.1500 each, for the first time in the history of Kerong
School.
Although the school could educate only a few children, it adds to the literacy rate of
the nation for even a drop counts in the making of an ocean. The students shall
serve the Country, King and the People (TSA WA SUM) with dedication and sincerity.
Vision
To develop the school into an attractive learning centre with continuous community
participation and to provide wholesome education.
Mission
To produce basic skills acquired children and develop school into beautiful and
clean environment with sufficient infrastructure within a decade.
Goals




Enable students to develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally.
Enhance teaching-learning strategies.
Have continuous community involvement in developmental activities.
Have stimulating physical environment.
Strategies




Conduct competitions in various activities amongst the ‘houses’.
Stage Annual Variety Show.
Carry out School Level Monitoring and Support Services strictly.
Write and document School Policy.
Monmola Community School
Monmola Community School is a small school established in the year 2002. It is
located in Monmola village under Serthi gewog. On Bhutan map, it is in the far east
of the country near Bhutan’s border with Arunachal Pradesh. It is under
Jomotsangkha Dungkhag, formerly Daifam. It is at walking distance of 8-10 hours
from the road head.
The school infrastructures were built by the community people with material help
from the government. The children of over 150 households study in the school.
There is no electricity but to compensate this problem, we have been supplied with
two sets of solar panels.
The catchment area of the school includes four villages: Monmola, Barkalangnang
(1/2 hr distance), Serthi (1/2 hr. distance) and Tashithang (1 ½ hr. distance). At
present, we have 193 students with two general teachers and one NFE instructor.
There are also 43 NFE learners.
Details of the school
1.
Location
1.1
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
Village
Gewog
Dungkhag
Dzongkhag
Distance
People
:
:
:
:
:
:
Monmola
Serthi
Jomotsangkha
Samdrupjongkhar
8-10 hours walk from Jomotsangkha (Daifam)
Sharchokpa
2.
2.1.
Year of establishment
Key person involved
Samdrupjongkhar
Teachers appointed at
the time of establishment:
:
:
No. of students-2002
No. of students in 2003
:
:
86 boys, 77 girls-total=163.
93 boys 79 girls – total=172.
Mr Monlal Thingh, HT, Mr Karma
Wangdi,
Mr
Chandra
Bahadur,
apprentice teacher, Mr Yonten Thinley,
NFE Instructor, Mr Tashi Wangdi, NFE
Instructor.
2.6. No of students in 2004
:
103 boys, 90 girls, Total=193
2.7. Teachers in 2004:
Mr Monlal
Thingh, HT, Mr Karma Wangdi, Mr
Tashi Wangdi, NFE Instructor.
3.
3.1.
NFE Learners in 2003
NFE Instructors in 2003
:
:
3.2.
3.3.
NFE Learners in 2004
NFE Instructors in 2004
:
:
31 males, 40 female
Mr Yonten Thinley,
Mr Tashi Wangdi
16 males, 27 females
Mr Tashi Wangdi.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
March 2002
Mr
Sonam
Wangyel,
DEO,
Mr Monlal Thingh, the head teacher and
Mr Duba Tshering, temporary Dzongkha
language teacher
Our Vision
“To be an excellent learning centre to impart quality wholesome education based on
the strong culture and tradition of Bhutan”
Although there is teacher shortage problem, we are working hard for the benefit of
the students and the community at large. We hope that the authorities concerned
will always help us to overcome the difficulties.
Rezimo Community Primary School
Rezimo Community Primary School is an extension of Dechheling Lower Secondary
School. Currently, the school has four classes and one teacher.
The school was inaugurated on February 21, 2006, by hon’able Secretary of
Education, Dr Pema Thinley. The people of the community were overjoyed with the
establishment of the school and took an active part in its inauguration. Besides the
chief guest, the inaugural ceremony was attended by Nganglm Dungpa, the District
Education Officer, head teacher of Dechheling Lower Secondary School, gup, chimi,
and tshokpas.
The school has an area or 3.3 acres. Presently, the school has not started the
agricultural work since much of the area might have to be kept aside for volleyball
court, football field, badminton court etc. However, the school has around 25 fruitbearing orange trees and around 40 non fruit-bearing trees. The school has also a
plan to extend the orange orchard in the years to come.
Student enrolment
At present, the school has 35 students. The details are shown below:
Class
PP
I
II
III
Total
Section
I
I
I
I
4 section
Boys
3
5
4
3
15
Girls
8
4
2
6
20
Total
11
09
06
09
35
School Infrastructure
The school has four classrooms and one administrative office. Each classroom has a
total capacity of 20 students. The head teacher’ quarters is on the verge of
completion. The school has also a few toilets but it does not have water taps. The
school is coping with a temporary water pipe connection. But the school is expected
to have proper water facility soon.
The catchment area of the school with walking distance to the school
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Rezimo (1hour)
Mongar (2o minutes)
Barzor (1 hour)
Phunsharang (1 hour)
Yangmalashing (3 hours)
Kharbari (3 hours)
Ngorbari, Shershing Jab, Ngondari (5-10 minutes )
The nearest roadpoint is around 18 km away and takes 4 hours to reach. The
nearest health facility is in Dechheling, which again is around 2 and half hours
walk from the school.
The villagers had proposed for the NFE Centre in this school but due to various
reasons, the school could not start an NFE programme this year. May be if the
school gets an instructor, it is prepared to take up the programme as soon as
possible.
Rikhey Community Primary School
Location and origin
Rikhey Community Primary school is situated on a gentle slope in the north-east of
Rickhey village above the Samdrup Choeling-Deothang highway, 7 km away from
Deothang town and 25 km from the Dzongkhag headquarters. It is under Orong
Gewog.
The name of the village was derived from the local dialect (ri means stream, khey
means twenty). The village is the source of twenty small streams which join to form
a small river called Jigtangri that flows towards Samdrupjongkhar.
Rikhey Community Primary School caters too 115 households of Rikhey, Domphu,
Khairi, Martang, Ashi Khar and Gurwa.
Rikhey Community Primary School was inaugurated by Dasho Dorji Wangdi,
Dzongda, Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag, on 7th July 1991 with two teachers and 40
students enrolled in pre-primary class. The first head teacher was Mr Jamtsho
Drukpa who served from 1991 to 1994. He was succeeded by Mr Sangay Wangchuk
(ZLT), who served till April 2000. Mr. Sangay Wangchuk was succeeded by Mr
Ngawang Tshering on 15th April 2000.
The number of students increased in the following year from 40 to 58. Class I was
added. Between 1991-1996, student enrolment increased to 159 and classes from
PP-V. Due to acute shortage of infrastructure and teachers, the school could not run
Class VI. The class five passed students were sent to Deothang to continue their
education. They had to walk 8 km from home to school daily (to and fro16 km) till
2003. The first batch of students from the school is now studying in degree second
year in Sherubtse College in Kanglung.
As time passed by, parents, teachers and the Dzongkhag authorities came to realise
the difficulties faced by the students. The community was, therefore, encouraged to
contribute towards the construction of one four-unit classroom block to house class
VI. In 2004, the first batch of class VI students was placed in Orong Lower
Secondary School. Now it is much easier for students to continue their higher
education. At present, the school has 167 students and five regular teachers
including the head teacher.
Facilities
The school has motor road and electricity, but it does not have computer and
telephone facilities. We hope that we will have them sooner or later. At present, the
school is run in three academic buildings constructed by the community. There is
no separate head teacher’s quarters. Head teacher shares his quarters with three
staff. The rest of the staff stay in a similar condition.
The location of the school was not properly chosen to accommodate future
expansion. The school does not have a playground. But, we are making the best use
of the existing facilities to impart quality education to our children in spite of
various shortcomings including teacher shortage. We conduct various co-curricular
activities, and games and sports with the limited facilities that we have. The school
teaching staff are fully committed delivering wholesome education to achieve our
beloved King’s farsighted vision and to serve the Tsawasum.
Sarjung Community Primary School
Sarjung Community Primary School was established on March 1991. Initially
located on a mountain slope, the school was then known as Tsholingkhar
Community School. Later in 1993, due to some geographical reasons the school was
shifted to a beautiful small plateau surrounded by interlocking mountains. The
school was renamed as Sarjung Community School after the name of the village in
which it was shifted. In 2000, the school was upgraded to Class VI.
Location
Administratively, the school is under Martshala Gewog under Samdrupcholing
Dungkhag. Geographically, it is in a remote part of the dzongkhag and takes two
days of walk from the nearest road-point. It is officially three days from the
Dzongkhag headquarters.
Area
The school has an area of 5 acres of which about 3 and a half acres is forested.
Infrastructure
The school has two academic blocks built with public contribution. The CGI sheets
were provided by the government. Later in 2005, the gewog allocated Nu 200,000 for
maintenance work. Consequently, the two academic blocks were cement-plastered
and properly floored. Their ceilings were improved and they were whitewashed. In
2003, a small two-room semi permanent building was built as head teacher’s
quarters. Later in 2005, it was also cement-plastered, the ceiling was improved with
ply board veneering and it was whitewashed.
Unfortunately and pathetically, teachers are still residing in huts although the
roofing was done with old CGI sheets. The school has four pit latrines and two water
taps. The campus is fenced with wood and bamboo.
Headships
The founding head teacher of the school was Mr Kinley Namgay, who headed the
school till 2004. The present head teacher replaced him in March 2005.
Teachers
Currently, the school has three general teachers including the head teacher and a
non-teaching staff. The school suffers from an acute shortage of teachers year after
year. This is compromising the quality of education in the school. To make the
problem worse, the school has not had a Dzongkha teacher for last two years which
is hampering the development and promotion of our national language.
School administration
The school is managed by school management team (SMT) and school Management
Board (SMB) under the umbrella of education policies in general and the school
policy in particular.
Apart from daily academic schedules, the school is also carrying out curricular and
extra-curricular activities like school agriculture, cultural programme, clubs
activities, games and sports activities etc. to inculcate wholesome education to our
children.
Future Plans
The school plans to build three unit concrete staff quarters and a multipurpose hall
in the years 2006-2007. The school is also planning to introduce WFP mid-day meal
as the community is extremely poor.
Conclusion
In spite of a lot of hardship, the school is functioning well in imparting wholesome
education to our children. This is mainly made possible by hardworking
teachers and good working spirit of the school. Come what may, the school will
continue to strive to deliver quality education to our future citizens for “drops of
water makes an ocean”.
Tshotsalo Community School
There was a small red lake when the inhabitants of this village first came to this
place from Gomdar under Samdrupjongkhar district in the 1960s. Therefore, the
place was named Tshotsalo, meaning red lake in Tshangla.
Tshotsalo Community School has an area of about 1.1 acre. It is officially three days
walk from the roadpoint and is
one
of
the
remote
schools
under
Samdrupcholing Dungkhag.
The climate of this place remains foggy most of the time. However, when the weather
is clear, one can see from the school the beautiful valley of Pemathang, Nanital,
Wangphu, and most of the small towns of Assam in the south. One can also see
Capthang temple towards the west.
During monsoon, transport becomes very difficult for the people of this place
because of swollen rivers on the way to the nearest town of Samdrupcholing.
The school was initially established in 1990 during the tenure of Mr Minjur Dorji as
DEO. The school was initially run in a temporary shed. Mr Kuenzang Gyeltshen,
ZLT, started the school with only 9 students in pre-primary level. There after, the
student strength kept on increasing year after year. In the year
1993,
the
construction of school was undertaken by the public of Tshotsalo free of wages.
Construction materials like CGI sheets were supplied by the Dzongkhag. The main
purpose of taking such an initiative was due to the closure of Pemathang School
during 1990s problem in the southern part of the country.
By the year 1994, the school was quite well-equipped in terms of physical
infrastructure. Mr Pemba took over the charge as the teacher-in-charge. A few
members of staff worked under him. The classes ranged from PP to III. The school
was upgraded from classes III
to V when Mr Rinzin Dorji took over the charge
as the teacher-in-charge in 1995. When Mr Rinzin was finally transferred in 2001,
Mr Toujay, who had been a teacher in the same school, became the first head
teacher of the school.
During Mr Toujay’s tenure, student strength drastically went down due to the
resettlement of three villages in Pemathang. Therefore, classes were run in a
multigrade system.
Even today, the school follows the same system of teaching since it has only 58
students and classes from PP to V. Although the school has been able to make
progress in many areas, it still needs improvement in water facilities, toilets and
football ground. We are hopeful that these improvement will come true in the future.
Wooling Community Primary School
The Wooling Community Primary School is under Orong Gewog, Samdrupjongkhar.
It was started in Wooling Lhakhang in 1987 with 50 students led by the head and
one local Dzongkha teacher. After the two years, the school was shifted to Bumpazor
with the support from the Dzongkhag and under the initiative of late Pema Wangdi,
the former head teacher or Orong Primary School. But, the new site was found to
offer very little scope for expansion since it was located on a small hilltop. Then,
again, with the SMB and the Dzongkhag support, the school was relocated to the
present site in 1993 with 95 students.
The present school is located on a small flat land measuring 8-10 acres. It is 2
hours walk from the motor-road. Most of the villages are located away from the
school. From the school, we can see only valleys and small rivers flowing in front of
the school. During monsoon, the river swells and creates lots of inconveniences to
the students and the school. Yearly, the school needs to be suspended for two weeks
or a month.
The first and the foremost head teacher of the school was Mr B N P Sharma. Due to
less degree of cooperation from the community, he could not bring about much
development to the school. Yet, he served the school with full commitment and
dedication for four years with effect from 1987 till 1991.
Mr B N P Sharma was replaced by Mr Tara Sharma, who served the school with
sincerity, loyalty and honesty for four years from 1992 to 1995. Under his guidance
and unwavering leadership, the school formed the new SMB with Dzongkhag
support and tshongpas. He could convince the people to shift the school to the
present location. He built an academic block with 3 units.
The next head teacher was Mr Zung Dorji (1996 to 2001). Under his farsighted,
dynamic guidance and leadership, he brought unprecedented changes in the school
like increasing student enrolment, upgradation of the school, improvement of
physical infrastructure like safe drinking water supply, academic building and so
forth. He also built one concrete head teacher's quarters, which was funded by the
Royal Government. He also initiated to nurture an orange orchard and other fruitbearing trees. He is still remembered for his hard work in the interest of the school.
Mr Rinchen Dukpa, the present head teacher, took over the school in 2002. The
present head teacher is also trying his level best to make the school into one of the
best under this Dzongkhag. He brought up one-unit additional classroom and
opened an NFE centre in 2003 with 60 learners. There are 3 NFE instructors at
present.
The school has put forward many proposals for developments in the field of
academics, physical infrastructure, human resources, material resources and WFP
assistance. The school has electricity supply. It is praying for computers, and
communication and transportation facilities.
Once our long-term five-year plans are achieved, we expert that this school will grow
into one of the best model schools under this dzongkhag in terms of academics,
infrastructure, discipline and so forth. Further, in the long run, we would like to
upgrade our school to higher secondary level. The school has adequate space and
children for the same.
The people of this village are sensitive, kind-hearted, loyal and cooperative towards
the developmental activities. About 60% people rely on business and weaving. Most
of them directly or indirectly depend upon agricultural activities. The people mostly
weave kayra and pangkhep out of silk.
With the wise initiatives of the former head teachers and other wise teachers, the
school has a good orange orchard and other fruit bearing trees. Once the trees start
bearing fruits, the school would be able to raise fund to buy its supplementary
needs. At present, we have planted around 1000 sapling of oranges and other fruit
bearing trees, but due to incessant rains and floods, around 500 of them were
destroyed on Tuesday July, 6, 2004. The whole of Wooling village was adversely
affected by the flood.
Anyway, if there is a will, there is a way for the school to develop. The responsibility
of nurturing and caring for the orchard is delegated to Nature Club. We, the
members of the school family, keep on reminding ourselves that loyalty and
patriotism we have shown towards the school will never be forgotten by the school
and the community.
Last but not least, we would like to say that the school will untiringly strive hard
towards the fulfillment of the school goals with full commitment, dedication,
sincerity and loyalty so that all of us will be a step closer to our national goal of
Gross National Happiness.
Zamtari Community School
Zamtari Community School was established in 2005. It started on the 24th day of
the third month with three sections (78 students with
one teacher). Zamtari is
located mid-way between Jomotshangkha Dungkhag and Lauri Gewog. The school is
located by the side of river Jomori (Dhansari), which flows from Jomo Kuenkhar,
somewhere in Merak. The school started with little or no stationery. The school has
a very small campus.
Infrastructure
The school had a building consisting of 5 rooms with a small head teacher’s
quarters in the initial year. Now it has a separate head teacher’s quarters and an
administrative block with three rooms constructed by the community. The school
also has toilets and teachers’ quarters constructed by the community.
Catchments area
The school caters to the educational needs of five chiwogs. The villages with their
walking distance to the school are given under:





Junemey
Phakchu
Deptsang
Denphu
Sushar -
1 hour
4 hours
3 hours
3 hours
2 hours
Student strength of the school
The student strength of the school has increased to 92 from 78 in the year 2006 (40
boys and 52 girls, 2 teachers).
Games and sports
With the help of students winter temporary work, 2005, the school made a very good
volleyball court and a football ground where children could play and refresh their
minds. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Ministry of Education for providing such
an opportunity. The school has a one-hour games period after school hours to help
students develop a sense of team spirit and to teach the ways to play.
Gardening
We now have a very good flower garden and kitchen garden which were started this
year. We work on them every Saturday afternoon. This is done to teach students
dignity of labour and self-reliance.
Plans
The school has a long-term plan such as to construct a house consisting of 2 rooms
by the year 2008 when the school is up-graded to class V and VI. The immediate
plan that the school has is to make a badminton court. The school also plans to
increase the school area and fence it properly.
Zamtari Community School has a very good learning atmosphere by the side of a
river. The wind blows very swiftly in the afternoon when the day becomes very hot
during peak summer season.
Zangthi Community Primary School
Zangthi Community Primary School is one of the remotest schools in
Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag. It is under Jomotsangkha Dungkhag. It is three
hours’ walk from its gewog headquarters at Louri, but it takes 3 days to reach
Zangthi from the road point. It was established in the year 1992. For a few years,
the classes were from PP-I. After passing class I, students were sent to Louri Primary
School. The school was constructed by the community of Zangthi.
Names of the head teachers of the school in chronological order
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mr Babu
Mr Rinchen Dukpa
Mr Karma Wangdi
Mr Choney Dorji
Till 2003, the school had classes upto V. For the next higher class, the students
went to Louri Primary School. It is only after the arrival of the new head teacher that
a lot of developments have taken place. The was made a fully-fledged primary school
with class VI. Five units of classrooms have been constructed. In the past, the
school had a problem of classroom shortage. Now many of the problems have
gradually been addressed by constructing five units of academic buildings and five
toilets for the students and two for the staff.
Every year on 2 June, students plant saplings. After a few years, the school
compound will become a beautiful place to live in. Our school has plenty of water. A
few metres away from the school, a perennial stream flows by.
The establishment of the school has greatly benefited the children of the seven
villages. They are: Gonong, Serjong, Tashiphu, Tshothang, Tshephu, Taktagpa and
Gorphu.
Before the establishment of this school, very few children were sent to school at
Louri as they had to walk a long distance. Moreover, the parents had to carry loads
of stationeries and ration. Till 2002, the children went to Louri Primary School after
completing class V. For the lower secondary school, the children of this school go to
Minjiwoong Lower Secondary School.
Since people of the community have no other income other than the sale of Cheratta
to India, it is a problem for them to buy even uniforms for their children. Therefore,
with the proposal put to the Dzongkhag Education Officer, the school was upgraded
to class VI. The first batch of the students from this school has completed their PU
courses. While some of them have joined the NIE's, others have secured admission
in Sherubtse College.
The total strength of students and teachers this year is 236 and four respectively. All
the teachers are young and who have freshly graduated from the two teacher
training institutes. But our head teacher is a senior and well experienced in the
field of teaching as well as managing the school’s day to day affairs.
Every year, the enrolment is increasing. So, there is a possibility of this school being
upgraded to a lower secondary level after a few years provided that the communities
construct additional infrastructure and the Education Ministry sends more
teachers. Till now, the school has been grappling with shortage of teachers.
One of the distinctive features of this school is that, till now school compound is
used for mask dance. The villagers, therefore, do not call the school a school, but a
Chamkhang. The teachers are known as Chamkhang lopons. The lower floor of the
two-storey building is used to keep masks while the upper floor houses the office.
SAMTSE DZONGKHAG
Portrait of an Institution: the National Institute of Education, Samtse
Name of the institute: Teacher Training Institute (from 1968-1983). With the
introduction of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) Secondary programme in 1983, the
erstwhile TTI was renamed the National Institute of Education (NIE).
Established: 29th May 1968 as a Teacher Training Institute (popularly known as
TTI) with an initial enrollment of 41 students. Our beloved Late King, His Majesty
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, inaugurated the institute.
Location: Spread over a total campus area of 25.72 acres, the National Institute of
Samtse is situated in a thickly wooded grassy slope from whose many vantage
points one can take contemplative views of the mighty Indian plains. The campus,
located at a convenient distance in the east of the small Samtse town, has the
reputation of being aesthetically and intellectually congenial to learning and growth.
Although geographically inconspicuous, thanks to the Internet, NIE Samtse can now
communicate globally.
The institute currently has a total number of 35 full-time lecturers teaching a wide
variety of courses. Of this, 17% are expatriates.
Our Vision
 To nurture development-oriented citizens through an education that is
qualitative, relevant, equitable and humane and one that prepares the students
not only to lead a productive life but also to play effective roles in the
development of the country.
Our Mission
 To provide facilities for quality teacher education, curriculum development
and educational research aimed to promote the effective advancement of
learning and knowledge in the field of teacher education.
 To provide an education that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of the
Bhutanese children.
 To engage in research activities that will contribute to the development of
innovative classroom practices.
Our Logo
Sgra Snyan, the traditional guitar: This symbolizes the goddess
Lha Mo Dbyangs Can Ma who, it is believed, is a perfect representation of the
supreme knowledge and wisdom of the Buddha of three times – past, present and
future. The sacred and mellifluous tunes of Lha Mo Dbyangs Can Ma’s guitar
generates in the hearer’s mind extraordinary feelings of joy and delight that all
obscurations that imprison the mind in ignorance are expelled. It, therefore,
reminds those who teach that inspired teaching is the best form of transmitting
knowledge and wisdom; and to the ones who are here in search of knowledge, it
teaches that knowledge and wisdom are acquired best through patient devotion to
the music-like nectar inherent in the act of learning.
The Sgra Snyan’s dragonhead: This symbolizes the far-reaching influence of the
perfectly blended four major and eight minor forms of the `Brug pa bk` brgyud
school of Buddhism from which the country’s name derives. It is a constant
reminder to the ones who teach that the transmission of knowledge and wisdom to
the students should consistently be inspired by the spiritual and secular aspirations
of the country and that the educative process should be to prepare the learners to
actively participate in the larger process of nation-building.
Chos kyi gLegs bam, the volume of scriptures: This symbolizes the secular
and spiritual components of human knowledge and how it continues to fuel the
intellect to pursue knowledge and wisdom without rest. Also, knowledge and
wisdom, so aptly represented by the book, as the very foundation of the human
quest for peace and happiness, continues to spread far and wide. As a symbol of
both the spiritual and secular components of knowledge and wisdom, the book
constantly reminds the ones who teach that an unfailing devotion to the book
(symbolized by its being so firmly tied all around by the pure bright girdle) as the
primary source of knowledge, wisdom and truth is indispensable if one wishes to
teach well and teach with the heart. And to the ones who are here to learn, it
teaches that the love of learning, the quickest way to cultivate which is to love
books, must imbue deep down in their thoughts and in their feelings; it should be a
passion. The divine book bound horizontally across the Sgra Snyan is a constant
reminder of the need to be passionate about learning.
Dar cha mdud phod, the white girdle (scarf): The knotted girdle symbolizes the
unwavering, unconditional devotion that should be pledged to the supreme
knowledge and wisdom emanating from Lha Mo Dbyangs Can Ma’s celestial
guitar and the book of dharma. As well, it teaches the students and teachers of
this institute that one must view the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom with
absolute faith and binding devotion, and with purity of mind and heart, which the
intertwined silken girdle represents.
Dar gyi tshos gzhi dkarp, the white colour of the girdle: This symbolizes
purity of mind and heart necessary in the task of both teaching and learning. If
the transmission of knowledge by the teacher is done with purity of intentions, it is
thought that the result will be positive; also, if the pursuit of truth, knowledge and
wisdom is done with chaste and unsullied intentions, the result of learning will be
positive. It reminds the ones who teach of the need to maintain purity of
commitment to the task of producing teachers whose knowledge, wisdom and
devotion should be as high and wide as the sky (symbolized by the logo’s
background colour) and as firm and reliable as the silken knot. It also reminds the
institute of the need to produce teachers who are courteous, gracious, soft and
gentle as the silken girdle.
Sa gzhi honm, the blue background of the logo: The sky-blue colour of the
logo’s background symbolizes the vastness of the sky which teaching as the
sacred act of transferring knowledge to the students and learning as the act of
seeking truth, knowledge and wisdom shall aspire to reach.
Nus shugs, the inner energy: The word Nus Shugs, innate power, expresses the
soul of all the six symbols - sGra sNyan, the traditional guitar, sGra sNyan’s
dragonhead, chos kyi gLegs bam, the divine book, dar cha mdud phod, the white
girdle (scarf), Dar gyi tshos gzhi dkarp, and Sa gzhi honm, the sky-blue background
of the logo. The innate power of all that these symbols represent
shall continue to inspire teachers and students alike to pursue truth, knowledge
and wisdom in the service of the three foundations of the Bhutanese nation-state.
Inception and growth
The National Institute of Education (NIE) was founded as the first Teacher Training
Institute in the country in 1968. It was inaugurated by our beloved late king, His
Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck on 29th May 1968. The day is observed every year
as the institute foundation day and is celebrated with much festivity and a lot of
academic, cultural and literary fervour.
Over the years, the institute has grown from a small institute of some 41
students with modest facilities comprising 3 classrooms, small library and 3
other office cubicles in 1968 to the present one of 12 classrooms, 1 language
laboratory, 3 separate science laboratories, 1 geography laboratory and a science
resource room. It also has a dining hall with a seating capacity for 210 persons. NIE
Samtse boasts of having perhaps one of the best auditoriums in the kingdom that
has a seating capacity for over 300 persons. The institute sports complex is among
the best in the kingdom.
TTI’s first principal was Mr. M.K. Modak, a Bengali gentleman from B T College in
Darjeeling. He had a short tenure of about one year and was succeeded by Mr. K R
Shivadasan, an Indian teacher from Kerala who had already been working in
Bhutan as a headmaster and inspector of schools. He served the institute as its
second principal till August 1970. Mr. S. T. Dutt, from the Indian state of Punjab,
who had earlier taught English at the Mayo College of Ajmer became the next
principal and he continued in the post for about a year. Mr Dutt was succeeded by
Mr Basu Mallick from West Bengal. Mr B S Sharma, from Uttar Pradesh in India,
who had earlier worked as headmaster of Damphu Junior High School and later as
lecturer of TTI, became the institute’s fifth principal, holding perhaps the shortest
tenure in this post.
Ms C K Gurung was the first Bhutanese to be appointed principal of TTI in 1976 and
held a most respectable 17-year tenure till her retirement in 1992. Ms
Gurung was succeeded by Mr Wangchuk Rabten, currently the Joint director of
EMSD in the Department of School Education, Thimphu. With the up-gradation
of TTI to its new status – the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 1983, Mr.
Pema Thinley was appointed as its first director to head it from the latter half of
1984. He handed over the charge to Mr. Jagar Dorji in the middle 1993. Mr Dorji
Tshering the erstwhile director of the Teacher Training College (TTC) in Paro and
currently the principal of Sherubtse College took charge in August 1997. The
present director, Thubten Gyatsho, took over as the new director in September
2001.
Types of Academic programme
The institute currently offers four different programmes, which include the one-year
Post- Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme, the three-year
B.Ed Secondary and B.Ed Primary programmes, and the five-year B.Ed distance
education programme. While the first three are fulltime pre-service programmes, the
last one is offered through the distance mode to in-service teachers and other inservice candidates who work in various sectors in the Bhutanese education system.
The Primary Teachers Certificate (PTC) programme was discontinued in July 2000.
1. Primary Teachers Certificate (PTC)
This programme was offered to Class 10 graduates and was required to be
completed in two years. The PTC graduates were trained to be able to teach at any
level of schooling at the primary level, i.e. from PP to Grade 6. On graduation, they
would be posted to community schools and community primary schools in the
kingdom. The training required that they acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes
necessary for teaching any subject in the primary curriculum including Dzongkha.
The courses were jointly prepared by the erstwhile Teacher Training College (TTC) at
Paro and NIE Samtse and was required to be approved by the Teacher Education
Board (TEB), the highest body for teacher education in the country. As mentioned
above, this programme was phased out in 2000.
2. Bachelor of Education (B.Ed Secondary)
This programme is offered to Class 12 graduates and comprise of a wide variety of
courses that focus on personal and professional development and specialization in
specific subjects of the students’ choice. The programme also includes the study of
current school curriculum subjects. A unique feature of the programme lies in the
fact that it places equal emphasis on the learning of theory and of practice. A
student enrolled for the B.Ed Secondary programme can choose between science
and arts subjects based on his or her performance in the Class 12 examinations.
The training requires that they acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary
for teaching the subjects of their specialization in secondary schools.
The B.Ed Secondary programme was launched in 1983 when the erstwhile TTI
was upgraded and renamed the National Institute of Education (NIE). The
curriculum developed for the degree programme was reviewed and revised by
renowned academicians from developed and developing countries. A team of
visiting professors from the University of London School of Education would make
periodic visits to the institute and work as moderators and external examiners for
the degree courses until a few years ago when NIE Samtse adopted an internally
developed system of moderation, examination and evaluation of student progress
and achievement.
3. Bachelor of Education (B.Ed Primary)
The Bachelor of Education (Primary) programme was launched in 1993 following a
decision by the Teacher Education Committee (TEC) to develop a programme that
would prepare a group of teachers with higher academic and professional
qualifications who could teach and provide the much needed instructional
leadership at the primary level. Apart from resourcing the School Based In-service
Programme (SBIP) in their own areas of specialty they were expected to form a pool
from where PTC lecturers, inspectors and primary curriculum developers would be
drawn.
4. Post Graduate Certificate in education (PGCE)
This course was launched in 1989 with a view to providing in-country professional
courses for university graduate teachers. Selection interviews for the PGCE are
conducted sometime in September-October each year and the selected candidates
report to the institute in February when the academic session commences. The
actual duration of the PGCE programme is approximately ten months during the
students learn a wide variety of courses related personal and professional
development and subjects of specialization. As the candidates normally have a fairly
sound academic background, the emphasis is on professional development.
5. Diploma & B.Ed through distance mode
This is an award-bearing in-service program for primary school teachers. It is
delivered through a distance-cum-residential school (during vacation) mode. It
was launched in 1995 following a government policy to extend opportunities for
continuing education to interested teachers. It is aimed not only to upgrade the
professional knowledge and skills of these teachers but improve the principles
underlying the dictum – ‘Only a lighted candle can light another’.
Year-wise enrolment of distance education students for the period 1995–
2004
Cohort
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Total
Year
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
Male
09
09
16
14
31
35
26
27
41
208
Female
05
04
06
14
26
17
15
12
14
113
Total
14
13
22
28
57
52
41
39
55
321
A Brief Description of the Courses
In order to make the teacher training programme wholesome, effective, need-based
and practical in nature, the courses are so designed that they provide depth and
variety to the areas of learning. The four-year programme for the B.Ed. and one-year
for the PGCE comprises of six areas of study including school experience and cocurricular activities.
1. Professional Development Studies (EDN I) 10 modules
2. Professional Development Studies (EDN II) 5 modules
3. Personal Development Studies
13 modules
4. Subjects of Specialization
20 modules
5. Primary Curriculum Subjects
10 modules
---------------------------Total 58 modules
--------------------------However, since the PGCE Course is of a shorter duration for graduates who have
first degree in academic studies and who have already joined or would like to join
teaching, all the aforementioned modules are not offered to them. Only the primarily
important modules are selected for their one-year course of training on the basis of
their importance and functionality to their teaching career.
School Experience (Practicum)
This is an important component of the teacher-training programme. All the B.Ed.
trainee-teachers are required to spend a year as Apprentice Teachers in the various
schools in the Kingdom before they join NIE. This is a crucial period as it is a
prelude to the formal training in the Institute. In addition, the B.Ed. trainee-
teachers are required to spend one semester in the second year in their school of
placement for teaching practice and experience. The period of the
practicum will be during the 3rd or 4th semester of the programme. The PGCE do
practice teaching for six weeks in the first half of the 2nd Semester.
Co-curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities form a necessary part of the teacher training programme and
students are assessed individually for their participation and ability in the areas
included in the co-curricular component of the programme. There are five areas of
co-curricular activities conducted on the dates reflected in the institute calendar.
These are:
1. Cultural Activities: Most cultural activities are done in House groups. Once
admitted all the trainees are put in one of the six Houses – Taag, Chung, Druk,
Dhom, Singye and Zig. Each House is responsible for organizing a cultural
programme once a year and it forms one of the bases for house competition.
2. Games & Sports: Apart from the various tournaments for volleyball, basketball,
football and traditional games, the Annual Sports are organized to keep the trainees
physically fit too.
3. Clubs (Vocational club in the first year and club of choice in the 2nd & 3rd year):
Currently there are twelve different clubs operating as follows:
1. Art & Craft Club
2. Badminton Club
3. Cricket Club
4. Home Science Club
5. Literary Club
6. Music Club
7. Photography Club
8. Basketball Club
9. Science for the Protection of Nature Club
10. Rovers Club
11. Cheyestho Club
12. Football Club
All students are expected to join one of the clubs. They are also expected to organize
and run the clubs with a staff member as the advisor.
The following are Vocational Clubs and are offered for the B.Ed. 1st Year trainees:
1. Mushroom Farming
2. Social Forestry
3. Ornamental Plants
4. Electricity
5. Plumbing
6. Social Services
7. Printing Press
8. Carpentry
SUPW (Socially Useful and Productive Work): In order to inculcate the dignity of
labour and respect for manual work, every Tuesday, the trainees are engaged in
cutting the grass and cleaning the campus.
Agriculture and Social Forestry (in the first year): Both these activities are
carried out in class groups and they are assessed.
Apart from these activities, the institute also organizes a number of programmes to
observe auspicious occasions such as His Majesty the king’s birthday, the
coronation of His Majesty the King, Losar, World Water Day, World TB Day,
Zhabdrung Kuchoe, Birth Anniversary of the third king, Teachers’ Day, World No
Tobacco Day, Social Forestry Day, Lord Buddha’s Parinirvana, First Sermon of Lord
Buddha, Death Anniversary of the third king, Blessed Rainy Day, Descending Day of
Lord Buddha, and the Institute Foundation Day. Performance of cultural events and
competitions form an
essential part of the co-curricular learning at the institute.
Academic Facilities:
NIE Samtse provides academic facilities that aid effective teaching and learning in
the institute. Today the Institute boasts of more than 70 computers installed in two
laboratories for students and one for the faculty. The Institute now has a
lease-line internet service powered by a 64 kbps server, which will be upgraded to
about 120 mb in the near future. The free use of basic educational technologies
such as OHP machines, laptop and LCD projector, etc. has made teaching-learning
at the institute much more relaxing, fun and effective for teachers and students
alike.
The institute has a small but fast growing and regularly updated library which is
used extensively by the students and teachers. The library currently has a total
collection of 14,357 volumes including references, journals and government
documents. It also equipped with computers that students can use any time of the
day for academic purposes.
The institute also has workshop facilities for vocational skills such as carpentry, art
and craft, and photography, which students use mainly for making teaching aids.
We also have a video room that is increasingly used to supplement and aid teaching.
STUDENT STATISTICS AS ON MAY 2004
Boarders
Male
Female
22
9
19
8
12
16
26
8
33
13
21
25
37
6
36
12
25
6
11
26
35
5
26
11
303
145
Total
31
27
28
34
46
46
43
48
31
37
40
37
448
Day Scholars
Male
Female
10
6
3
0
4
4
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
3
1
2
1
0
24
17
Total
16
3
8
1
2
1
0
1
1
4
3
1
41
Enrolment
Male Female
32
15
22
8
16
20
27
8
35
13
21
26
37
6
37
12
25
7
12
29
36
7
27
11
327
162
The institute’s contributions to the Bhutanese education system
Total
47
30
36
35
48
47
43
49
32
41
43
38
489
The contributions NIE Samtse has to the system may consist largely in the fact that
it has empowered the country in the vital field of education. The institute embarked
upon the task of training PTC teachers at a time when the need to multiply the
number of trained Bhutanese teachers was the most immediate and pressing as the
provision of modern secular education to meet the human resource needs of the
economy became a priority in the 1960’s.
During the past 36 years of its growth and development, the institute has been
able to provide a total of 999 teacher graduates with primary teacher’s certificate
(PTC), 412 with bachelor’s degree in secondary education (B.Ed Secondary), 156
with bachelor’s degree in primary education (B.Ed Primary), 385 with post graduate
certificate in education (PGCE), and 45 with bachelor’s degree in primary education
(B.Ed primary) through the distance mode. The figures add up to a total output of
1997 teacher graduates NIE Samtse has added to the pool of trained Bhutanese
teachers for secondary and primary schools in the kingdom.
The introduction of the B.Ed secondary, B.Ed Primary and PGCE programmes in
1983, 1993 and 1989 respectively has, as the figures indicate, added significantly to
the ever increasing demand for trained Bhutanese teachers at the at the secondary
and primary levels. It is with a sense of deep satisfaction and pride that NIE Samtse
thinks of its alumni who work as effective and dedicated teachers, as capable
curriculum developers and textbook writers, as efficient district education officers,
as well respected headmasters and principals of schools, as capable teacher
educators, as noted administrators and policy makers in the myriad domains of
Bhutan’s education system.
The introduction of the B.Ed primary programme through the distance mode in
1995 is among the landmark events in the three and half decades old history of
the institute. The total enrollment for the DE programme as of January 2004 was
321 and the number of graduates for the some period was 45.
The institute faculty members do more than just teach, being actively involved in
many professional and academic tasks outside the institute. Many of the institute’s
lecturers are currently involved in projects related to the development
of curriculum for primary and secondary schools, IT education, career education,
continuous assessment, distance education and so on. At the moment the science
lecturers of this institute are also involved in offering Three Year Diploma Course for
the lab assistants.
A good number of NIE Samtse’s alumni have not only committed themselves to the
sacred task of teaching but have also excelled in the domains of administration in
various capacities and have contributed significantly to the
development of education in the country. Mention should be made of a few
prominent ones: Dasho Zangley Dukpa, honourable Vice Chancellor of the Royal
University of Bhutan; Dr. Jagar Dorji, Pro-Vice Chancellor of RUB and Director, NIE
Paro; Dasho Jigme Zangpo, Secretary of the National Assembly; Dasho Mingbo
Dukpa, Managing Director of BBS; Mr. Karma Yeshey, Joint Director of CAPSSD.
The institute remembers all of them and all of the rest with deep pride and
philosophic joy.
A significant number of the institute’s alumni hold critical administrative
positions in the department of education, and yet many more teach with dedication
in institutes of higher learning such as the ILCS, Simtokha, the NIEs, Paro and
Samtse, Sherubtse College, Kanglung, and the Royal Institute of
Management, Thimphu.
A special characteristic of NIE Samtse as an institute of higher learning is the
creativity, flexibility and resilience it demonstrates in the development of its
academic and non-academic programmes. Over the years, it has effectively
responded to the challenges of providing quality education and training even to
students who were visually challenged. The institute congratulates Kunga
Chogyel (PTC), Pema Dorji (PTC), Kesang Choden (PTC), Kesang Dorji (PTC), Pema
Gyeltshen (B.Ed), Leki Chedup (B.Ed) and Pema Chogyel (PGCE), all of whom
showed extraordinary ability and courage to adapt to the demands of academic and
co-curricular learning at the institute. The institute wishes them all the best in their
careers.
Number of graduates in respect of each programme type as of 2000-2004
Programme
B.Ed (Secondary)
B.Ed (Primary)
PGCE
B.Ed through distance
mode
PTC
Total (as of May 2004)
Year launched
1983
1993
1989
1995
Number of graduates
412 as of July 2003
156 as of July 2003
385 as of December 2004
45 as of January 2004
1968
999 as of June 2000
1997
Looking ahead
As an institute of higher learning with the mandate of providing academically
qualified and professionally competent teachers to the country’s school system,
NIE Samtse will continue to pursue excellence in the noble task of teaching,
research and scholarship. It will continue to be imaginative, creative, resilient
and willing to adapt wisely and intelligently to the changes that take place in the
country’s social, economic, cultural and political landscape as well as to scientific
and technological advancements in the field of education outside Bhutan. More
specifically, the institute aims to achieve the following in the foreseeable future:









Develop the institute into a centre of excellence in teaching, research,
scholarship and curriculum development.
Increase the total enrollment to 800 by 2007.
Engage more actively in action-oriented research that will benefit the
system.
Establish a separate unit for the distance education programme with
resource centres around the country to enable the DE students to learn
through IT connectivity.
Develop additional infrastructure for library and IT, and self-catering hostels
for both men and women, which will enhance our intake capacity.
Review the existing curriculum in the light of emerging changes in the
social, economic, cultural and political changes in the country.
Review the current methods of teaching and make them more relevant and
meaningful to emerging needs.
Upgrade the academic and professional qualifications of the members of
the faculty aimed to improve the quality of teaching, research and
curriculum development.
Gomtu Middle Secondary School
Location
Gomtu Middle Secondary School is located in Gomtu, the border industrial town of
Bhutan, 55 km from the district headquarters, Samtse, and 70 km from the
Gateway to Bhutan, Phuntsholing. Gomtu is the 'Porte-cochere' to Pugli Gewog, one
of the richest gewogs of mineral deposits in Bhutan. The approach road to Gomtu is
through the legendary tea gardens of West Bengal, India. It is just 15 km from the
Indian National Highway and Dalgaon railway station.
Establishment
A school in Gomtu was the vision of the industrial experts who established Penden
Cement Authority Limited. Along with the establishment of the factory, a primary
school was set up in Gomtu in 1983 by the Penden Management. The initial purpose
was to educate the children of the employees of the factory. The management of the
factory under Managing Director, Mr Rinchen Dorji, made the attempts to start the
primary school under the Education Division. A primary school with an initial
strength of 200 students ranging from classes LKG to III started the first academic
session in April 1983. The people of Pugli Gewog initially provided the school with
one hectare of land. The additional one hectare of land was acquired later in 1993 1994 under the aegis of Dasho Jigme Tshulthrim, then Dzongda of Samtse. In 1986,
a new office block was added to the school during the tenure of Managing Director,
Mr Nim Dorji. The first floor of the structure was later constructed during the tenure
of Dasho Dzongda Lhakpa Dorji. The new laboratory-cum-library structure was built
in 1999 to form the present shape of the school.
As the population of communities in the catchment area of the school increased, the
primary school was upgraded to a junior high school in 1998. It was a long
cherished goal of the parents to educate their children in Gomtu itself. The school
was further upgraded to middle secondary level in 2002.
The school structure with a courtyard and 25 classrooms with a capacity of 30-45
students accommodates 1200 students from classes PP to X. In addition to the main
structure for classrooms and office purposes and the two-storey structure of
laboratory-cum-library, the school has 6 units of teachers’ quarters. Of these, 4
units were built and handed over to the school by the Penden Management
Authority Limited in 2002 under Managing Director, Mr Tshering Phuntsho. A new
structure of 6 classrooms is coming up on the campus. The school has its own
football ground and a newly built basketball court.
The heads who steered the school
Mr M.K Lama was the first head teacher of the Gomtu School. He kindled the flame
along with seven teachers for about a year from its opening in 1983. Mr Bhaskaran,
a teacher from Kerala, took over charges in 1984. In 1988, Ms Pem Choden was
appointed as the headmistress of the school. The school then grew from its infancy
to 385 students and 16 teachers. In 2002, Ms Pem Choden was appointed as the
Principal of the institute.
A Beacon through the Years
A small beginning, a primary school, in an ever-growing industrial town became a
beacon of children's education in Gomtu. As the industry grows, population
increases in the region. People migrate incessantly and their settlement increases.
This development has tremendous effect on the educational institute in Gomtu. It is
the only educational institute in the Pugli Gewog. Admission pressure has increased
over the years. A school with 200 students in 1983 has grown to a school with 1200
students. It shows the growth rate of 600% in the enrollment. The school is
currently experimenting shift system of education for classes PP to I for lack of
infrastructure.
Until 1998, the promotees of class VI were placed in other dzongkhags for their
higher education. This practice was stopped in 1998 when the Education
Department upgraded the school to a junior high school. Sending class VIII
promotees to other dzongkhags for their secondary education could be stopped
when the Department of Education upgraded the junior high school to a middle
secondary school in 2002. Now, students can have their education up to class X in
Gomtu itself.
Gomtu School feels proud to state that she was able to lead the aspirants to a
shining horizon to achieve the goal of education in all these years of her mission
with a pragmatic approach. The school is in the frontline of schools in the kingdom
in its entire academic performance and pursuits.
In its onward march towards quality education, the school has not encountered
many impediments on its path other than the one which occurred in 1990. During
the period 1990-1993, the school had to be kept under the care of Royal Bhutan
Army (RBA). We salute the RBA for the great care rendered to the school by adding
new classrooms.
The students who have completed the education in this school would ever remember
the parental care that the teachers give in Gomtu. The school has been providing
wholesome education for the flowering of the children’s potential.
The initial teacher student ratio in the school was 1:30. Currently the ratio is 1:34.
The dedicated teamwork of the teachers leads the school ever faster towards its goal.
The principal with the help of three assistant principals and 31 teachers (14 nonBhutanese and 17 Bhutanese) prepare the children to be responsible citizens of
Bhutan.
Vision for the Future
The vision of Gomtu School is 'Quality Education for Quality Living'. The school will
ever remain a beacon of Gomtu. The growth of the industries in the town has
necessitated a well-established school in the town. The rapidly growing town with a
population of 24000 Bhutanese demands a larger school. The school is not in a
position to provide education to all who seek admission from the nearby villages.
If admission is not held strictly, an annual intake of 200-250 students is quitw
possible in Gomtu. The infrastructure of the school does not match the growing
admission pressure. The larger the number of students in the classes, the greater
will be the negative effect on its quality.
Going by the growth in the enrollment, the school may have to be upgraded to a
higher secondary school by 2006 and a degree college by 2012. Additional
classrooms, laboratory and 12 units of teachers quarters are the immediate
requirements of the school.
The necessity of the school being bifurcated into a primary and a secondary school
seems to be imminent. This may be possible within the existing campus if it were
enlarged by adding the adjoining areas. Gomtu School has been giving greater
emphasis on values education. Sports, games and cultural activities are given due
importance in the school. The school has made its presence felt in the national and
regional level competitions. Gomtu's students have represented the nation in the
international fora. A strong monitoring team of teachers constantly strives to better
the system in school. Various club activities enable the children to be socially
productive. What the school has achieved in the last 20 years is due to the vision
and the sacrifice of its early pioneers, the hard work of the teachers and the efficient
administration that the school has gone through.
Samtse Middle Secondary School
Samtse Middle Secondary School was established in the year 1857 by the late Druk
Gyalpo, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. It was a small school in the beginning.
It had three sections with 109 students. Mr Sada was the first head teacher of the
school. Following are the head teachers who administered the school after Mr Sada.
Sl.No.
Name
Year
From
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Mr O.P. Arora
Mr M.P. Ramachandran
Mr V. James
Mr T.R. Ghalley
Mr Gopinathan
Mr R.K. Yadav
Mr Rinzin Dorji
Mr P.K. Bal
Mr Lam Kezang
1989
10
Ms Choki Dukpa
1991
11
Mr Sonam Yeshey
1993
12
Mr Karma Wangchuk
1995
13
Mr Tshewang Rinzin
1998
14
Ms Choki Dukpa
1999
15
Mr Namgay Dorji
2001
16
Mr Kinley Dorji
2004
Numbers of Students/Teachers
To
199
0
199
2
199
4
199
7
199
9
200
0
200
3
……
1999
Boys
491
2000
Boys
525
2001
Boys
627
Girls
472
Total
963
Teachers
32
Girls
500
Total
1025
Teachers
34
Girls
594
Total
1221
Teachers
40
Boys
Girls
Total
Teachers
653
635
1288
44
Boys
Girls
Total
Teachers
642
607
1249
45
2004
Boys
677
Girls
678
Total
1355
Teachers
45
2002
2003
In the course of its development, it was upgraded to lower secondary level in the
year 1973. However, in 1974, classes VII, VIII and newly created class IX moved to
the Central School which was located at the distance of one kilometer from the
Samtse Bazar. The Central School slowly became one of the premier schools in the
kingdom. Sadly enough, though, it was closed down in September 1990 due to the
unrest in the southern part of the country. The primary section, which is present
day Samtse Middle Secondary School, continued to exist. It was later upgraded to a
middle secondary school once again.
Some of the achievements of Samtse Middle Secondary School are as follows:

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It was selected as one of the pilot schools for the implementation of NAPE in
1986.
The school was declared as one of the three best schools in the kingdom in
1991.
In 1993, it was upgraded to lower secondary level and in the same year,
master Jayendra Sharma stood first in the country in class VI common
examinations.
In 2001, it was upgraded further to a middle secondary school.
The school produced its first batch of BCSE students in 2002 and achieved
98.63% pass results.
The school at present has about 1355 students with 34 sections and 45
teachers.
The newly constructed structures and facilities include, laboratory (Physics,
Chemistry, Biology and Computer) and library.
Vision of the School
Striving for responsible, dedicated and competent citizens of Bhutan.
Mission
Provision of quality wholesome education.
In earlier years, Samtse Middle Secondary School was one of the finest seats of
learning in the country. Run by highly educated and dedicated leaders and
educators, the school had a high cultural, social and sporting profile. The school
cultural troupe would be invited to Thimphu to entertain the guests whenever high
dignitaries visited the country. It also raised funds through various excellent
performances and support humanitarian crises like the post-Bangladesh War. The
late Commissioner of southern Bhutan, Dasho Shiva Raj Gurung, was a great fan
and supporter of Samtse Central School as was the late Prime Minister Lyonchen
Jigme Pelden Dorji who carried forward the dreams of His Majesty the late King.
Always ahead, Samtse Primary School is, perhaps, the first seat of learning in the
country to pioneer the admission of two baby-sitters into the school. The former
chaperons who escorted children who shared almost the same age are now proud
scholars themselves. All it takes is vision and courage.'
The alumni of Samtse Central School in their hundreds are serving the country in
different capacities. Samtse Central School had been the pride of the nation for a
long time.
Dorokha Lower Secondary School
Dorokha is a Dungkhag under Samtse Dzongkhag. It lies in the southwest part of
the Kingdom. It is about 70 km north of Samtse and about the same distance from
Haa Dzongkhag headquarters. Ammochu (Torsa), one of the principal rivers of
Bhutan, flows by spreading its cool breeze to the residents of Dorokha and
Denchukha, which lies face to face. It is at an altitude of approximately 1700 m
above sea level. Dorokha is two days’ walk from Samtse for a person visiting for the
first time. The small but well furnished hotel and warm hospitality of the family at
Sebichang makes the journey comfortable and easy. Officially, it is two days walk
from Samtse which can be covered in one day after having walking experience for a
couple of years.
Dorokha comprises approximately 85% of paddy fields. Although very far from the
reach of modern amenities like roads, electricity, and fixed phones, the wind of
modern education had swept through it as early as 1955. It is said that there was
an informal learning centre even before 1955 housed in Dungkhag Administration
Office. The present school started in the auspicious year of 1955 when our fourth
Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck was born. It could not be found on which
date exactly the school started but it is clear that Mr Tsho Tshering Lepcha, a
resident of Kalimpong, India, was the first person to walk all the way from Samtse to
provide his service and to illuminate the hearts of the young children of this
community with modern education as the first head teacher. He was alone when he
joined this school. There was no good house to accommodate the students. He
initiated to build huts for classrooms with locally available wild grasses and
bamboo. There were 11 students admitted in the first batch from around Dorokha.
There was only one girl student in the first bath as people thought that educating a
girl child was not important. The few boys who were admitted in the school were
forcefully snatched from their parents, who wanted them to go after the cattle and
goats, to help them to work in their fields and many other odd jobs that needed
attention in the villages. The medium of instruction was Nepali. Hindi was also
taught for quite a number of years before the introduction of English in the
curriculum.
Mr Tsho Tshering Lepcha had a far-sighted vision of constructing a good house to
provide a safe learning place for the children. He initiated to construct a two-storey
building comprising four classrooms which served its purpose for a long time. We
are using it even today to accommodate some of the lower classes.
Mr G.S. Namchu, who worked in this school as a teacher from the late 1950’s
contributed significantly to the development of the school. He was also a resident of
Kalimpong. He joined this school when Mr Tsho Tshering Lepcha was the head
teacher. He served as the officiating head teacher on several occasions when there
was no one to look after the school. He dedicated his active service for more than 13
years before resigning the post. He left a mark in the hearts of his students. Today,
every person in the community who knew him talks of him as a person who opened
the introductory pages of the school history. He resigned in 1971 and left for
Kalimpong.
Lopon Tharpola joined this school as the first Dzongkha language teacher (DLT),
who helped the young boys and girls learn the national language. His students
remember him as a hard working and devoted teacher.
Mr Tsho Tshering Lepcha left this place after serving for about three years. He
handed over the charge of the school to Mr F.C. Gupta who joined this school in the
early sixties as the second head teacher. He was professionally sound and always
devoted his service for the development of the school. Despite many difficulties,
personal and professional, he brought this school to a stage where it could stand
proudly. The quality of education was his concern, though there were numerous
problems. He initiated the construction of quarters for the head teacher which now
falls under Dungkhag’s jurisdiction.
The school welcomed Mr Karma Tshering Bhutia, a resident of Kalimpong, as the
third head teacher when Mr F.C. Gupta went on transfer during the late sixties. Mr
Karma Tshering Bhutia could not continue his service for many years. He was away
from school most of the time, which made school suffer. The number of students
admitted was on the rise. The teacher shortage was at its peak when one teacher
handled two-three classes simultaneously in the same classroom.
The head teacher was away when Mr H.B. Bishwa joined the school as a teacher
after completing two years of training at the TTI, Samtse, in 1971. He was from
Dorokha. When Mr Kama Tshering Bhutia stayed away from school for a long time,
Mr H. B. Bishwa was appointed as the teacher in-charge. As the head teacher did
not return, Mr H. B. Bishwa was appointed as the first Bhutanese head teacher of
this school. Mr Bishwa brought significant developments to the school. Being from
this village, he devoted all of his early days as a teacher to the well being of this
school. The school could come to the present stage chiefly because there was
somebody like Mr Bishwa who thought that he was there to provide his guidance
and support selflessly. Despite many odd situations, under his personal initiatives
and guidance, the school built another two-storey building attached to the previous
one.
The school then faced an acute teacher shortage. The head teacher, therefore,
thought that it would affect the study of senior students. In consultation with the
district authority, he sent them to Samtse Junior High School.
The school football field also came into being during the tenure of Mr H. B. Bishwa.
The ground gradually expanded as the assembly ground. Presently, it serves as the
stadium for any tournament in Dorokha. Mr Bishwa at one time organized a trip for
the students in and outside Samtse Dzongkhag to bring them out of isolation and to
provide education that would be more meaningful.
Ms Tulasa Bhattarai, who was the only girl student admitted in the first batch in the
meantime joined the school as a teacher. She became instrumental in creating
awareness among the community people of the need to educate girl children. She
proved to the community that a girl could do more than just household chores. Even
after serving this school for more than eight years, she was not satisfied with what
she had done for the school. She thought that she could do much more than what
she had done. She, therefore, joined the school for the second term during the late
eighties. She is still remembered by the community as an excellent Miss after a long
time. After doing much to this school and the community, Mr H. B. Bishwa left on
transfer in 1978 leaving the charge of the school to a gentleman from Kerala, India,
Mr AN Bhaskaran. The student enrolment was on the rise. There were over 200
students studying from lower kindergarten to class five. His sincere contribution in
providing quality education to the children of this community is a landmark in the
development of this school. He left Dorokha in 1983 after providing his service for
more than four years.
Mr M.B. Rai, another gentleman from Kalimpong, joined the school as the sixth
head teacher in 1983 and served for a little more than two years. He left the school
leaving it in the secure hands of Mr Kalal Roy who did not make any one feel the
absence of the head teacher. He did his best for two years from 1985 to 1987. He
was finally relieved from his duty when Mr Indra Prashad Sharma, a resident of
Dorokha, joined this school as the seventh head teacher in 1987.
Mr Indra Prashad Sharma, being young and knowledgeable, brought several
changes to the school during his short stay for little less than two years. He
initiated the building of a chhorten (stupa) to meet the spiritual needs of the
residents. It was said that the school campus was a burial ground before the
construction of the school. The chhorten provided mental peace for those residing
on the school campus. In the early eighties, the school saw quite a lot of
construction work. The enrolment increased over the years despite limited facilities.
Mr Sharma was promoted as a Dzongkhag Education Officer in mid 1989.
Mr Sonam Jamtsho, an energetic and sportive man, joined the school as the eighth
head teacher in 1989. He tried to provide balanced education to the children. As
well as according importance to the classroom teaching, he paid serious attention to
outdoors activities. His stay in the school was just over two years. During his short
stay, he initiated the development of the football field which is essential in a school.
After him Mr Tshewang Dorji served the school as the officiating head teacher for a
year.
The school welcomed Mr Ngawang Jigme as the ninth head teacher in 1994. He was
a strict and hardworking person. He maintained good discipline among the
students. He provided his service for six years. Mr Pasang Dorji, a young and
enthusiastic man from Haa, served as the tenth head teacher from 1999 to 2001.
The school was upgraded to a lower secondary school in 1999. Mr Pasang also
served as the first head teacher after the upgradation of the school. The school saw
a lot of changes during that time. A major work of infrastructural development took
place during his tenure. Four classrooms, a head teacher’s residence, and two units
of teachers’ quarters were completed in 2000. The construction of six classrooms
and a two-storey building was started in 2000. The old houses, which were used as
the boys’ hostel, were renovated with the help of the public. The inflow of students
from other primary schools after completing class VI examination forced the school
to build and renovate the old houses as there was no separate hostel building. The
head teacher and the staff worked day and night selflessly to find ways and means
to produce and lift these items from Samtse. He even used his own horses to carry
the items for the school, sometimes free of cost. The school was privileged to have
enough furniture and the hostel rooms were supplied with steel bunks. The 2 KW
generator was purchased to ease the lighting problems in the hostel. He also
encouraged the cultivation of reading habit among students.
Mr Pasang Dorji’s hard work paid off when he was transferred as the Principal of a
middle secondary school in 2001. In March 2001, the school was privileged to
welcome Mr Sonam Tenzin, the eleventh head teacher of the school. Hailing from
eastern Bhutan and professionally sound with good qualification, he served the
school keeping in mind that all round development of a child is the essence of
education. He introduced a dairy club for the school. He also initiated the greening
programme of the school. Fodder trees plantation project that was initiated by him
was a remarkable contribution among many others. The school was selected as a
Resource Centre in 2002 to provide professional help to other remote primary
schools of the Dungkhag. Being the Resource Centre, the school is blessed with
sophisticated machines and equipment. The arrival of computer in this remote land
itself makes clear how much development has taken place. It also clearly shows the
concern of the ministry and the department of school education in the professional
life of a teacher. The school started to serve as the centre for non-formal education
from 2002. The centre enrolled 90 learners at the time it was started. The first
batch of NFE learners completed their eighteen-month course covering thirty books
for basic literacy in June 2004.
Despite regular illness of his family and lack of medical facilities, Mr Sonam Tenzin
served the school for three long years with his heart and soul. He was transferred to
one of the lower secondary schools in the western part of the country.
The twelfth and the present head teacher, Mr Tashi Phuntsho, joined the school in
April 2004. Young, energetic and professionally sound, he is acutely aware of the
needs of the students. The school and the community have a great hope for the
future under his leadership.
Today, the school has 740 students with 13 teachers. It saw a record number of
student enrolment in 2004. All of them had to be enrolled despite limited number of
teachers to fulfill the vision of education for all. The present strength of students is
almost three times that of enrolment in the early nineties. The problem of teacher
shortage still exits. The teacher-students ratio is as high as 1:70.
The staff and the head teacher of today are very grateful to the head teachers and
the teachers of the past for all they have done to bring this school to the present
position.
The school dairy club was started in 2003. The school has a plan to make it more
systematic and scientific. The main objective of starting this club is to provide
children with education which is best for their life as most of them come from
farming background. The school greening programme has been given the first
priority. To achieve this, school has initiated the planting of more than 70 bamboo
plants in the campus in 2003 and 65 saplings in 2004. The development of school
campus and its beautification occupies an important place in our plan book. The
school has produced its policy document this year. It spells out the roles and
responsibilities of different persons involved in the development process of this
school. The school is completing 50 yeas of its service in 2005.
Dorokha Lower Secondary School is proud to have produced sincere and
hardworking alumni over the years. Mr T.S. Powdyel, Director of the Centre for
Educational Research and Development, Paro, who also served as the vice Principal
of Sherubtse College for over a decade, started his education in this school. He is a
living example of the finest service that this school is doing for the nation. He is a
source of encouragement for all of us here at Dorokha. Mr H. B. Bishwa, currently
working as the Administrative Officer at NIE Paro, also started his early education in
this school. He was later the fourth head teacher of the school. He had made
remarkable contributions for the development of this school. He is another source of
inspiration for the school.
Some of the other alumni of the school include:
Dr Shiva Raj Bhattarai, Head, Zoology Department, Sherubtse College.
Dr Krishna Prasad Sharma, Head, Pathology Department, JDWNRH, Thimphu.
Dr Min Prasad Timzine, Bajothang.
Dr Chabilal Adhikari, DMO, Trashiyangtse.
Dr Tek Nath, DMO, Wangdi.
Mr Hari Prasad Adhikari, DAO, Chukha.
Mr Dhana Pati Sharma, Engineer.
Mr B M Biswa, Manager, International Affairs, Bhutan Post, Thimphu.
Mr Lok Nath Sharma, Regional Transport Officer, Thimphu.
Mr Deo Kumar Biswa, Public Relations Officer, Bhutan Telecom, Monggar.
Mr Chhitra Dati Dhuyel, BBS, Thimphu.
Mr Sham Pati Sharma, AAEO, Paro.
Mr Rin Dorji, ADO, RICB, Thimphu.
Mr S N Sharma, DAHO.
Mr Birendra Nepal, Chief Accountant, DOR, Lingmethang, Monggar.
Mr Lok Nath Acharya, Retired Agriculture Officer.
Mr Mr Kamal Datal, Engineer.
Mr Wangchuk Namgay, Engineer.
There are many persons who are holding responsible positions in different
organizations an important part of whose lives belongs to this school. The
establishment of this school in this locality brought light in the lives of the children
of this community. The nation is proud to have many sincere and hardworking
citizens who started their early education in this hidden land of Dorokha.
Ghumauney Lower Secondary School
It was in the year 1961 that Mr Tika Sharma, the first head teacher of the school
(popularly known as Panditji), started Ghumauney School. Ghumauney literally
means a small flat land on the top of a small hill surrounded by small rivers and
roads on all sides.
The initial student enrollment was just 30, which was a very low figure compared to
that of these days. This school was established with the initiative of Mr N. K.
Pradhan, an orange estate owner from Suntalabari village, Ghumauney, who
thought that education was necessary to open the lock of ignorance in this modern
world. Mr T. K. Sharma, who was then paid a monthly salary of Nu. 30, is 77 years
old. He is living with good health.
So far, the school has produced many productive alumni among whom are Dr
Kharananda, Dr Ballab Sharma, Senior Medical Specialist, and Major Navin
Gautam, a Major in RBA. Today, three other alumni have come back to their alma
mater as teachers after several years of their service in the remote corners of the
country. They are Mr R.K. Chhetri, Mr G.P. Toppo and Ms Babita Bhujel. They say
that working in this school is a good opportunity in their lives. They are now able to
pay back for what they received in their early days as students. For them, this
school is like cradle that supported them in their early days.
Silently standing on the top of a small hill that resembles a sleeping buffalo, the
school is 26.5 km west of Samtse Dzongkhag headquarters, on the way to Sipsoo.
With campus area of about 6 acres, the school is at the centre of the dzongkhag. It
is in a good position to keep in touch with almost all the schools in the region. A
saal forest behind the school keeps the campus cool in summer with its cool breeze
and protects it from the cold winter winds which blow from the nearby mountains.
The feeder road meanders its way through the woods. In short, its geographical
location makes the place a very silent and congenial site for teaching and learning.
We extend our profound thanks to the great founders of the school who selected this
site for the school.
Schools are an instrument of change and progress in a community, society or a
nation. Like any other school, this school is tailored to the needs of the communities
around it. It will go a long way in shaping and determining the future of our country,
but we do not exactly know as of now how much it has contributed to the nation.
The changes a school brings about in a community or a nation is gradual but sure.
The fruit of education would be reaped only after decades. Therefore, as of today, we
cannot really show a concrete result the school has yielded.
It was unfortunate that Ghumauney School had to close down during the 1990’s
unrest in the south. It remained closed for eight long years. The school was formally
reopened in April 1999 with 60 students. Mr Sonam Dorji, the head teacher, served
the school with two other teachers- Mr Leki Dorji, ZLT (apprentice teacher) and Ms
Karma Chezom, a fresh PTC graduate. The school was upgraded to a lower
secondary school in the year 2001.
Today, the school provides education to children coming from 460 households in the
gewog and many others who come from nearby gewogs since it is centrally located
in the dzongkhag. The gewog in which the school is located has a total population of
3388 people. This school not only provides formal education to the students but also
serves as a non-formal education centre.
National occasions such as Coronation/Social Forestry Day, His Majesty's Birth
Anniversary and National Day are celebrated in the school. Such occasions are
made grand through close link between the school and the community. The school
is, therefore, a common ground for brothers and sisters in the region. The school
has come as a blessing to the people of Ghumauney.
The first head teacher, as has been mentioned, was Mr Tika Ram Sharma of
Ghumauney. He was a Sanskrit and Lhotsham language teacher. He served for only
one year. Mr Tika Ram Sharma was succeeded by Mr B.B. Kulung of Chargharey
who served the school from 1962 to 1964. From 1964 onwards, Mr Kunjappan, a
teacher from Kerala, ran the school as the head teacher. Ms Sundari Bai, another
teacher from Kerala, took over the charge of the school from Mr Kunjappan. Her
tenure lasted only one year. In the year 1971, Mr S.K. Saha, a Bengali teacher,
became the fifth head teacher. He served the school only for a few years. The sixth
head teacher was Mr Malik Singh who served for only about five to six months in the
year 1973. The seventh head teacher was Mr S.B. Kharga from Darjeeling. He was
succeeded by Mr G.K. Ganguli from Assam. The ninth head teacher in line was a
Keralite called Mr G.N. Nair and the tenth was Mr S.K. Saha who previously served
as the fifth head teacher of the school. After Mr S.K. Saha's term, Mr K.G. Nair from
Kerala became the head teacher. It was in 1985. The twelfth head of the school was
Mr Rinzin Wangdi, the present DEO of Monggar. The next head teacher was Mr
Sonam Tshering, the present head of Personnel Section, Education Ministry,
Thimphu. He served here for some years till October 1990. Then, the school closed
down.
Today, the school has 17 teachers 4 support staff, and 577 students.
Mr Sonam Dorji has been the head teacher of the school since the school was
reopened in 1999. He is building up his professional capacity for the betterment of
future citizens. Currently he is doing his 4th year Degree Programme at NIE, Samtse,
after completing his ISC in 2000.
Our Vision
To produce knowledgeable, skillful, innovative, selfless, self-sufficient and patriotic
citizens, committed to serve the king, country and the people.
Our Mission

To impart quality education and achieve academic proficiency.
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

To create clean and healthy environment for teaching and learning.
To promote and preserve unique cultural heritage and produce productive
valuable citizens through curricular and extra-curricular activities.
To impart knowledge that will meet the hopes and aspiration of the royal
government of Bhutan.
Message from the first head teacher of the school, Mr T.K. Sharma, to the school:
"Please upgrade this school and let all Bhutanese children receive their education from
their own country’s educational facilities. Please refrain from educating our children
away from our country”
Peljorling Lower Secondary School (upgraded to MSS, 2006)
The present Peljorling Lower Secondary School is located on top of a raised land of
Pinjuli village of Sibsoo Gewog under Sibsoo Dungkhag. It is connected by a 250metre feeder road from Samtse-Tendu highway.
According to the village elder Mr Mon Bahadur Chhetri, the school was first
established on January 15, 1959 as a community private school. It was run in a hut
in Pinjuli village just near the present Samtse-Tendu highway. Sibsoo Junior High
School (locally known as Gola) is a bit far away from Pinjuli village. It was difficult
for children to attend school. So, the community people arrived at a common
agreement to establish the school.
The old school was shifted to the present location in 1960 with classes from LKG to
II. The school was further upgraded to a fully-fledged primary school in 1962 with
the initiative of Lyonpo Dawa Tsering. The government then appointed teachers to
the school. Mr Krishna Kanta Mishra, head master, and Lopon Ugyen Dorji (DLT)
came to the school.
The school had to close down in 1990 due to the political unrest in the south.
However, very soon, on April 4, 1992, the school reopened as a primary school. The
school was upgraded to a lower secondary school in 2003.
The first head teacher/teacher at the time of the establishment of the school in 1959
was Mr Laximi Prasad Ghimirey, a resident of Ghumauney. He was appointed by the
community. The community paid him in cash or kind monthly. Several head
teachers and teachers followed him, but there is no proper record to list them in
chronological order.
The first head teacher after the reopening of the school in 1992 was Mr Tandin
Dorji. He served the school till 1996. He was succeeded by Mr Jambay in 1997. He
served for two years till 1998. The present head teacher is Mr Bumpa Tshering who
joined the school in 1999.
The school has no records of outstanding teachers. However, many students have
passed out of this school. Most of them are now serving in government or private
sectors in different capacities and positions.
The names of some of the outstanding alumni are:
1) Mr Parsuram Chhetri from Pinjuli, a teacher in Gelephu Pvt. School.
2) Mr Dhak Raj from Punjuli, Finance Officer in MOIC, Department of Roads.
3) Mr Gopal Bista from Belbotay, an engineer in Lhaki Constructions, Thimphu
4) Ms Savitri Chhetri from Belbotay, a senior accountant in RMA, Thimphu.
5) Ms Phul Maya Dhungel from Belbotay, a teacher in Zilukha LSS, Thimphu
6) Mr Bhawani Giri from Belbotay, a DLO in Bumthang Dzongkhag.
The school benefited the villages of Pinjuli,Girigoan, Belbotay, Hangay, Sajbotey and
Jogimara till 1990.
In 1992, there were 98 students and 6 teachers. Since then, the student and teacher
strength has grown drastically. Today, there are 884 students and 18 teachers.
Besides, the school has five support staff. The school greatly benefits the children of
RBA, RBP, civil servants, re-settlers and three large gewog of Sipsoo, Biru and
Lhareni.
The school, over the years, has developed good infrastructural facilities. It has
eleven permanent or semi-permanent buildings. The community accords the highest
priority to education. So, the three gewogs have constructed two 3-unit semipermanent structures between 2003 and 2004 on cost sharing basis to ease
classroom shortage in the school.
The school has a vision to "ensuring quality wholesome education through optimum
utilization of resources available to produce responsible citizens". To realize this
vision, every member of the school family has a formidable task ahead. To this end,
the school has formulated its long-term, short-term and specific goals. Our goals are
also effectively implemented and reviewed to better chart our future course of action.
The school achieved 100% pass results in BPSCE in the year 1995. But the school has a long
way ahead. It must not forget to dream, and dream big.
Tendu Lower Secondary School
Tendu Lower Secondary School is one of the renowned schools in Bhutan in its own
way. It is situated in the extreme west of Samtse District surrounded by cliffs on
three sides. Weather in Tendu is very charming and moderate. A beautiful view of
Bindu valley can be enjoyed from Tendu.
Tendu Lower Secondary School was established in 1978 as a primary school. Over
the years, it has changed its name, location, and physical structures one after
another. The school came into existence with the initiative of late gup, Tenzin
Dukpa, villagers, and Education Department. It started its humble journey with
head teacher, Mr Nair, and Lopon Loday Penjor with around 70 students. The school
moved ahead with the growing number of enrollment every year.
The heads of the school in chronological order:
1. Mr R.D. Nair
2. Mr P.M. Dutta
3. Mr S. A. Sambir
4. Mr Jigme Wangchuk
5. Mr Tashi Gyeltshen
6. Mr Kinzang Wangdi
1978-1982
1982-1987
1987-1990
1990-1995
1995-2002
2002…
After its establishment, Tendu Primary School became a fully-fledged boarding
school with more then 500 students, 22 teaching staff and 2 non-teaching staff. The
school gained a good reputation in all activities in Samtse District during the tenure
of head teacher Mr P.M. Dutta. The school was throbbing with life till 1990 when it
was closed down.
For the next three years, the school was run on the army campus, which is a
kilometer away, for security reasons. Lieutenant Colonel Sangay Penjor was very
kind and generous to the school. He rendered all possible help that the school
needed. The head teacher and the teachers stayed in officers' quarters.
Then, one day, another memorable incident in the history of Tendu School took
place. Dasho Dzongda Lhakpa Dorji, Dasho Dungpa Kezang Dorji, DEO Rinzin Dorji
visited Tendu and selected the present site for the school. The land was surveyed
and a new block of three-classroom building was constructed under the supervision
of head teacher Jigme Wangchuk. A semi-permanent building was also constructed
with the help of soldiers using the materials from the old school building.
So, in 1992, Tendu Primary School was re-established at the present 10-acre site. It
is about a kilometer from the old school campus, which is now a Basic Health Unit.
The next year, the Royal Government sanctioned another budget and two more
three-classroom blocks came up including separate toilets for boys and girls in
1994.
The number of students in the school was rapidly increasing year after year. But the
school could not absorb all children from the region for want of classrooms and
teachers. People faced a difficult time getting their children admitted in this school.
Years passed before the problem could be solved. Then, a new head teacher’s
quarter was constructed in the compound. The budget for building teachers
quarters was diverted to the construction of more classrooms by head teacher Mr
Tashi Gyeltshen. And another three-unit building was constructed in 1999.
The school was upgraded to lower secondary level in 2000. The following year,
another six-classroom building (2-storey) was constructed. The class VIII students of
the school sat common examinations for the first and brought100% pass results.
The school received a good reputation in games and sports too. In 2002 and 2003,
the school was the winner of below-16-years inter school football tournament in
Samtse Dzongkhag. It also won the winner's trophy in football in Western Region in
2002. Besides football, students of this school were honored 1st, 2nd and 3rd
positions in athletic events, quiz competition, and cultural show competition in
Samtse Dzongkhag from time to time.
Thus, over the years, this school has been moulding the buds of society into fragrant
blossoms. Today, there are many alumni of this school serving the country as
engineers, army officers, police officers and civil servants proudly and honestly.
At present, this school has a set of seasoned, experienced and energetic teachers.
With their unwavering co-operation and combined efforts, the school is hopeful that
it will realize its visions and missions in the near future.
We have envisioned the school to be a radiant and sanctimonious institute
contributing to the development of individuals. The mission of the school is to strive
towards excellence in all spheres of activity so that the institute and the community
constantly rise higher and higher in its endeavors.
We are looking forward to fulfilling our mission very soon. A month back, our
Honorable Secretary visited our school. It was decided that it will be upgraded to a
higher secondary boarding school by the year 2006. So, the way forward is already
charted. The school has acquired more land. A bulldozer is leveling the compound,
and some workers are busy with their works on the campus.
At present, we have 19 teaching staff, 5 non-teaching staff and 705 students in this
school. This school will be a landmark in Samtse Dzongkhag in the near future.
Chengmari Primary School
Location
The school is located on a small hillock in Kothidara village, which is 11 km from
Samtse. 2.83 acres of land was donated by late Mr D.D. Lama for the construction of
the school in the year of 1961.
The Foundation
As per our study, the school came into existence in 1958 as a non-formal school. It
was voluntarily started by late Mr D.D. Lama for the children of Chengmari. He
mobilized 25 odd children from Chengmari Gewog for the school.
Later in 1961, when our education system was a little mature, Mr D.D. Lama, in
consultation with village elders and Mr Nirparaj Gurung of Sibsoo, submitted the
proposal for a school to the Royal Government of Bhutan. Since the proposal was
submitted with Mr D.D. Lama's offer of land for the construction of the school, Royal
Government of Bhutan promptly accepted the proposal. The government
immediately granted materials for the construction. And in1962, the construction of
the school was started. The construction took two years to complete as the
community lacked skilled labourers.
Finally, when the construction was completed in the year 1964, Chengmari Primary
School was formally started with Mr Raja Ram from India and 300 students. The
admission records show that between 1964-1989, 6604 students were enrolled in
the school. Maximum of them are children of tea plantation workers from across the
border in India.
How school is evolving
The school existed in two phases. The first phase is between 1964 to 1989. The
school had to be closed down in1990 due to the social unrest in the south. The
second phase started from 1993 when it was reopened. No evidence of
developmental activities during its first phase can be traced.
When the school was reopened, the enrolment was only 100 students. Today, the
school has 430 students. Unlike in the past, all the beneficiaries today are the
people of the community. Today, the village children consist of 80% and that of the
government employees 20% of the students in the school.
Earlier on, the staff of the school comprised head teacher and some temporary
teachers who were untrained. Today, there are well-trained and experienced
teachers on the staff.
High quality of education is the main emphasis of the school. The school envisages
producing productive citizens. The school has records of 90% pass results in
academic field. The priority is also given to the promotion and improvement of the
two most important subjects, Dzongkha and English.
The school is growing in terms of both students and staff. The same old building of
1964 serves as classrooms. The new building, which is coming up, is our only pride.
The school also serves as the only NFE centre in the gewog. It was established in the
year 2000. Two batches of the learners have been awarded certificate for post
literacy course. The third batch consists of 68 learners.
Vision
The school envisages being the best learning centre in the gewog. It is looking
forward to upgrading itself to a lower secondary school and then to middle
secondary level. But, this vision is unaffordable for there is no space for expansion
of the campus. The additional land cannot be acquired as the school lies in the
heart of late Mr D.D. Lama's land. The school's vision can only be realized if Dasho
Subarna Lama, the son of Mr D.D. Lama, follows his father’s footsteps and donates
some land to the school.
Names of the heads
The following are the head teachers who rendered their selfless services to the
community of Chengmari. Though the names of the heads can be traced, their
tenure cannot be ascertained. Their names in chronological order are:
1. Mr Raja Ram (1964)
2. Mr Rajendra Prasad
3. Mr J.P. Kulsherestra
4. Mr B. B. Waiba
5. Mr Lekraj Pradhan
6. Mr Ganesh Chhetri
7. Mr M.B. Subba
8. Mr Rinchen Dorji (1989)
9. Mr Shashi Dharan (1993-1997) Reopened the school.
10. Ms Ugyen Pem (from 1999)
Outstanding alumni
Though the school has recorded enrollment of 6604 students, most of them were
Indian children. Among the Bhutanese children, 72 of them are serving in various
departments in the country. The following are the outstanding ones.
1. Mr Tshewang Rinzin, DEO, Chukha.
2. Mr Chador Bal, General Manager, RICB.
3. Mr Anil Pradhan, Assistant Director, Revenue and Customs.
4. Mr Prem Bahadur, Engineer, PWD.
5. Mr Kailash Chhetri, Engineer, PWD.
6. Ms Rebeca Gurung, Architect, Building Cell.
7. Mr Gaj Bahadur Subba, Architect, Building Cell.
8. Mr Deepak Kumar Subba, Architect, Building Cell.
9. Mr Ganesh Chhetri, Head Teacher (6th Head teacher)
10. Ms Manika Chhetri, teacher, Chengmari.
11. Mr D.B. Biswa, teacher, Chengmari.
12. Mr Rajesh Rana, teacher, Chengmari.
13. Mr Gautam Subba, present gup, Chengmari.
The teachers of this school would like this school to be remembered as a "school
which grooms and prepares children for the future with the best and balanced
education."
Denchukha Primary School
Denchukha Community Primary School was first established at Chang, Boribotey
under Myona gewog. It was previously the rest house of Mr Gaj Raj Kazi of Samtse,
who used it to reside here while he visited Paro. Later in 1949, the people of
Denchukha and Myona gewog requested him for permission to use this place as a
school. He consented to it. Then the people of both the gewogs obtained permission
from the government to run the school privately.
But in the year 1955, the private school had to be closed down due to a heavy flood.
For about five years the school remained closed. It was only in1960 that the school
was re-established in the same place by the Royal Government of Bhutan. Later in
the year 1974, the school was shifted to the present location. The main reasons for
shifting the school were first, there was not enough space at the previous location
for expansion in the future. Second, the school was not at the centre of the gewog.
The school has no transportation and electricity facilities. It takes three days of
walk from the road head of Samtse, Phuntsholing and Haa.
The school formally acquired seven acres of land and recently 16 acres of land has
been added. The registration for the land is under process. The main school building
was built in 1974. The classrooms are too small and congested to accommodate 35
students. The school has a separate library run by a teacher librarian with 1400
books. The school also has three blocks of classrooms and a multipurpose hall built
by the community. We have an acute shortage of teachers as well as teachers’
quarters. In 2006, there are 408 students (221 boys, 187 girls) and only three
regular teachers plus three apprentice teachers.
The first Head Teacher was Mr Tsho Tshering Lepcha who first taught privately and
continued his service when the school was taken over by the government. He served
as the head from 1949 to 1964. In 1965, Mr M.M. Devesia from India joined as the
head teacher and worked till 1967. He was succeeded by Mr Karma Tshering Bhutia
in 1968. Then Mr L.C. Karthak joined in 1969. Mr Acho Geley joined this school as
the head teacher. He worked for the longest period of 15 years from 1970 to 1985.
In 1986, Mr S.S. Dey was the head teacher. Next came Mr D. D. Paul in 1987. In
1988, Mr M D Biswa, a teacher of this school, was appointed as the head teacher.
After Mr M. Biswa’s departure, there was no head teacher, so a teacher called Mr B.
B. Subba was appointed as the teacher incharge till March 1989. When Mr B. B.
Subba was transferred, Mr D. C. Sangyasi who was working as a teacher was
appointed as the teacher in charge till Mr Jimba Dorji joined as the head teacher in
October 1989. He worked for a few months. Then Mr Lobzang Dorji joined as the
head teacher in 1990. He is presently working here as a Zhungkha language teacher.
Then in 1997, the present head teacher Mr Prem Monger, joined this school.
According to 74-year old senior citizen, Mr Bhola Nath Neopaney, Mr Chho Tshering
Lepcha from Myona village went to Kalimpong to study and came back to
Denchukha to teach the local children. Since there was a system of paying regular
salaries then, teachers had to rely on the goodwill and support of the villagers and
students. Mr Lepcha would children from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, he
would ask the children to work on his kitchen garden to grow some food crops and
vegetables. Sunday was a holiday for washing.
According to the views of some of the people of this community, the first head
teacher, Mr Tsho Tshering Lepcha, Mr Acho Geley and the present head teacher Mr
Prem Monger are the most outstanding head teachers among many teachers and
head teachers. They contributed a great deal to the development of the school. Mr
Tsho Tshering Lepcha made a great effort to educate the first learners of this remote
and backward place. It was he who made the people aware of the importance of
educating their children. He went from village to village persuading the people to
admit their children to the school. That is why the people remember him today.
Mr Acho Geley who served here for the longest period was a farsighted head teacher.
When he worked at Chang for three years, he found that the location of the school
was not suitable for the future growth and that it is not centrally located. So he
suggested to the people to seek permission to change the site of the school.
Subsequently, the people of both the gewogs applied for the change of the school’s
location. During the shifting of the school, he took a great initiative to build the
present block of the school. He was the first head teacher who opened the hostel
with WFP facility.
The present head teacher Mr Prem Mongar also has brought many changes in the
school. Before his arrival, the school had no proper records and there was no proper
management of the school. On his arrival, the school has seen a great change in the
management. The school can now have a good relation with the community. The
school and the community work hand in hand for the development and welfare of
the school. The school has now regained class VI and WFP facilities which were
dissolved in 1988 and 1996 respectively. The school also has good standard both in
academic field and co-curricular activities. The school achieved 100 percent results
in Bhutan Board of Examinations for class VI in 1998. Besides these, the school
stood first in the inter-school competition in Samtse Dzongkhag in 1998. The school
won prizes in almost all the events including zhungdra competition.
Over the last four decades, many students have passed out of this school. The
outstanding among them were Mr Shiva Raj Bhatarai and Mr Gyan Prasad Pokhrel.
The former is currently a lecturer at Sherubtse Collage. He is presently pursuing his
Ph.D. Gyan Prasad Pokhrel is a bone specialist presently working in Banglore, India.
It is said that no society or nation can develop without education. This statement is
validated in the case of the people of this community. Before the arrival of the
school, the people had been backward and bound by false beliefs and rigid rules of
caste system. They had no systematic way of living in the society. With the coming of
this school, the minds of the people have been enlightened. They have come to know
the essence of cooperation in the society. They have also come to know how to
adjust in the community. The school has thus benefited every individual in the
community and the nation as a whole. Many alumni of this school are serving in
almost all the corners of the country. Some of them are in their own gewog helping
in serving the community in the capacities of gup, mangmi and gedrung.
The school does not have any records of the strength of staff and students before
1990. But it is said that the school first started with 28 students and a teacher. The
school continued till 1964 with a single teacher teaching the classes of LKG to IV.
From1965-1974, the school had two teachers with class LKG to IV. In 1975, the
school added class V. In 1985, the school was upgraded to class VI. But class VI and
V were transferred to Dorokha Primary School in 1988 and 1990 respectively. In
1991, there were 217 students and six teachers. Then the strength declined to 169
students and 5 teachers in 1992, 114 students and 4 teachers in 1993, and 107
students and 4 teachers in 1994. Then in 1995, the school retained class V and had
the strength of 136 students with only 3 teachers. In 1996, there were 169 students
and 3 teachers. In 1997, there were 210 students and 4 teachers. The school
retained class VI in 1998 and had 259 students with 4 teachers. The strength
increased to 285 students with 5 teachers in 1999, 292 students with 5 teachers in
2000, 316 students with 7 teaches in 2001, 322 students with 7 teachers in 2002,
355 students with 7 teachers in 2003. In 2004, the school had 388 students and six
teachers with nine sections. The teacher-student ratio was 1:64.6. today it is
something like 1: 100+.
For better prospects of the school’s growth in the future, the community should, as
always, extend help to the school whenever the school is in need. It should be
always ready to bring the development of the school. The teachers and the students
must be hard working, sincere and dedicated. If all the above conditions exist, then
the school will definitely grow in the future.
There is no distinctive feature of this school whatsoever, but it should be
remembered in the name of late king His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck as it is
one of the schools opened during his rule. The people of this community would like
to change its name as “Jigme Dorji Community Primary School” if the Ministry of
Education so allows.
Sengdhyen Primary School
Sengdhyen Primary School is under Dorokha Dungkhag, Samtse Dzongkhag.
Officially, it is two days walk from the main roadhead. The school was established in
1987 with two teachers and forty students. It is located among Doya and Rai
communities.
The school was established with a great support from Mr Mongal Dhoj Rai and Me
Seta Doya, ex-chipons. During their tenure as chipon, they had an idea of
constructing a school in the village. Hence, they wrote a proposal and approached
Dasho Sonam Dendup, the then Dungpa of Dorokha Dungkhag. Dasho Dungpa
took great interest to establish the school, but he was transferred from Dorokha
before the school was established. Then came the next Dungpa, Dasho Damchoe
Lhendrup, who actively participated with the public and proposed the idea to the
government.
Without any queries, the government granted approval for the
establishment of the school. The public subsequently planned to construct the
school in Doya village but Doyas were not interested and did not agree to offer the
land or labour for the construction.
Eventually, Mr Mongal Dhoj Rai of Sengdhyen village willingly offered his land for
the construction of the school. The government provided the necessary materials
and equipment and the public contributed free labour. The skilled carpenters were
hired from Bumthang by Dasho Dungpa. The main school building was built in
Bhutanese design and Dasho Dungpa personally supervised the works.
Since the opening of the school, health, hygiene and sanitation especially in the
Doya villages have been greatly improved. However, we are very careful not to bring
complete changes to their life style. Although the school was established in 1987,
still we have to encourage the Doya communities to admit their children to school.
Names of the heads of the school in chronological order
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mr S S Dey
1987
Mr Tshering Tobgay
1988-91
Mr Karma Chophel
1992-96
Mr Tshunba Drukpa 1997-99
Mr Kinley Tenzin
2000-
Names of the outstanding alumni and their current positions
1. Mr Tshering Doya, Health Assistant
2. Mr Ganga Bdr. Rai, Teacher
At present, we have 314 boys, 162 girls and six teachers.
The vision of our school is to provide wholesome and quality education to our
children.
Bara Community Primary School
Name and Location
Bara Community School lies in the extreme north-west of Sipsu Dungkhag under
Samtse Dzongkhag. It is linked by road with Tendu-a semi-urban town. The present
location of the school is the best for it provides a congenial learning environment.
The school also has a good prospect for expansion.
Establishment
The school was first started as a private school in 1954. It was popularly known as
pathsala. It would be one of the oldest schools in Bhutan. The need for a school in
the village was felt by the elderly people of the village. They discussed the idea with
the village headman then known as Mondal, today gup. The mondal proposed for the
school to Dasho Dungpa, Kinley Dorji of Sipsu Dungkhag.
The school was established with approval from Secretary General, Development
Wing, Paro, in the year 1965. Then, the school was relocated to the present site. The
significant and scared contribution made by Ms Nar Maya Gurung from Mukheni
gaon (village) was a landmark in the history of the school. She donated the whole
plot of her paddy field to raise fund for the construction of the school. The elderly
people auctioned the land for Nu.10,000. Her generous contribution still forms a
significant part of the history of this school.
When the school was first started, it had classes up to IV. Mr K. B. Gurung was
called upon by the community to be a teacher in the school. Despite all
impediments, he served in the capacity as head teacher. For all that the school went
through difficult times, it managed to survive due to unerring support from the
community. The people contributed food grains to the teachers annually for their
service to the school children.
Growth over the decades
Over the years, the school grew from a private pathsala of a few dozens students to a
junior high school. It was upgraded in the year 1980 with hostel facilities. From
1990, it remained closed for several years.
The school was formally reopened as a Community School on March 29, 2003 with
the initial enrollment of 67 students and one teacher. Mr Karma Wangdi was the
first head teacher. Currently the school has classes PP and I making up four
sections. It has a little over 165 students. It is witnessing a gradual increase in
student enrolment. The school also serves as the centre for non-formal education.
Today, the school has two teachers including the head teacher.
In 1965, classrooms were huts, but now the school boasts good permanent
classrooms of concrete and wood. The school has acquired additional land future
expansion.
The first head teacher to introduce the western system of education in the school
was Mr R. Sarkar, an Indian gentleman (tenure-1965-1966). He was succeeded by
Mr L. Justin (tenure-1967-1968) as the second head teacher. Mr K.G. Nair
succeeded him. Next came Mr T. B. Basnet and Mr Banerjee. They were followed by
Mr N. B. Gazmer, the first Bhutanese head teacher. He was succeeded by Mr
Wangpo Tenzin and then by Mr Dorzang Dukpa. Their tenure lasted till the end of
1990. The present head teacher is Mr Karma Wangdi.
Over the past decade of its growth and development, the school has been able to
provide basic education to the ever increasing number of children of the gewog.
Education, as rightly said, is the foundation for progress, peace and prosperity of
family, society and the nation as a whole. It is, therefore, a beacon of knowledge to
the whole community. The school takes a great pride to mention the names of its
illustrious students who have taken up the posts of doctors, engineers, teachers,
army officers, accountants, judges in various sectors. The school rededicates itself to
the service of His Majesty the King for the fulfillment of his dreams and aspirations.
The school has a long record of academic excellence and excellence in and
enthusiasm about sports. Besides, the green environment of the school makes
learning in it an adventure.
Some outstanding teachers and alumni and their current position
The school could not have come to its present status without the scared task
undertaken by the following persons: Mr Wangpo Tenzin, Curriculum Officer,
CAPSD, Paro; Mr N. B. Gazmer, lecturer, NIE, Samtse; Mr Dorzang Dukpa,
previously co-ordinator, NIE, Samtse; Ms Nar Maya Gurung of Mukheni village; head
teachers of the past; Dasho Dzongda and Dasho Dungpa, past and present; gup and
all the generous public. The school remembers them with deep gratitude and pride.
Vision
Although Bara Community School is still in its infancy, year after year, it is scaling
new heights of growth and glory. The school continues to provide the best possible
education to make our students appreciate the value of our cherished culture and
tradition. As His Majesty the King said, "It is very important that our students not
only receive the best possible education and training but also learn to understand
and appreciate the values of our Bhutanese system”. The school hopes to become a
high school. If we keep progressing the way we have been for the past two years, we
are confident that we will realize our dream one day soon. Through His Majesty's
farsighted vision, we enjoy all modern amenities of life. We are on the way to Gross
National Happiness.
Our effort to better the school is always inspired and encouraged by Dasho Dzongda
and Dasho Dungpa. They provide moral support and kindness that spur us on
towards our goals.
Chargharey Community Primary School
The school is located in Chargharey. It was established in1952. Initially, the school
was started in a small hut as a private school. Mr C.M. Rai was invited from Pana
(Phuntsholing) by the people of Chargharey to teach in the school. Mr Nar Bahadur
Pradhan, a prominent figure in Chargharey, spared a room in his own house to run
the school. The people of Chargharey came forward to admit their children in the
school.
Before the school was taken over by the government, Mr C. M. Rai, known to people
as Guru Babu, remained the only teacher in the school (1947-1951).
Head teachers in chronological order
1. Mr C M Rai
1947-1951
2. Mr B. B. Kulung Rai
1952-1962
3. Mr K. B. Rai
1963
4. Mr K.S. Gopinathan Nair 1964-1966
5. Mr Desh Raj Sharma
1967-1968
6. Mr M. I. Simon
1968-1973
7. Mr P.K. Raman
1974-1979
8. Mr B. K. Banerjee
1980-1982
9. Mr Viswanathan
1983-1984
10. Mr C. B. Thakur
1985-1986
11. Mr Philip Rai
1987-1988
12. Mr Ashok Kr. Pradhan
1989-1998
13. Mr Tenzin Dukpa
1999
14. Mr Tshumba Dukpa
2000The school remained closed from 1990-1999 due to the social unrest in the south.
But, it was reopened in 2000. In 2003, an NFE centre started in the school. A total
of 90 learners were enrolled. At present, there are 275 students and 9 teachers, two
NFE instructors and one peon. The school was opened during the tenure of Dasho
Dzongda Sherub Gyeltshen.
Mr R.D. Rai and Mr Bikash Pradhan were outstanding teachers. Some of the
outstanding alumni of the school are late D.B. Rai, who taught in the school for a
few months and passed away in the year 1979; Mr T. K. Pradhan, Director,
PHE/PWD, retired; Dr Paras Mani Pradhan, retired; late Dr Ramesh Pakhrin,
expired in 1999; Dr Ballab Sharma, Senior Medical Specialist in JDWRN Hospital,
Thimphu.
In its initial stage in 1952, the school had only 3 rooms and a small teacher's
quarters. There were only 3 teachers and about 140 students making up classes up
to IV. The medium of instruction was Hindi and Nepali. However, English was
learned as a subsidiary subject. Most of the teachers were Indians.
In mid 1956, the school was moved to the place where it is located today. Now, the
school became a centre of attraction. All the people across the border in India
rushed for admission in the school. During those days, even non-Bhutanese were
not barred from admission in the Bhutanese schools. The number of students was
between 300-400. Enough teachers were appointed. Due to rapid increase in
enrolment, the government had to construct even additional buildings.
Vision
The vision of the school is to be a model school and the best learning centre with
modern educational facilities.
Mission
The mission of the school is to provide wholesome and quality education to make
our school children productive, responsible, patriotic, sociable and well-rounded
individuals. Our mission is also to preserve and promote our traditional values and
create awareness of our rich cultural heritage.
Long-term Goals


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



To ensure high quality and sustainable education programme
To deliver wholesome education for our children
To preserve and promote our traditional values and create awareness of our
rich cultural heritage.
To help teachers grow professionally and become more competent in
teaching.
To develop positive attitudes and skills.
To support curriculum implementation.
To make our school child-friendly.
To learn values and inculcate the sense of dignity of labour in our children.
Short-term Goals






To
To
To
To
To
To
develop the school campus.
improve monitoring and support system for all the school programmes.
improve handwriting of the students.
learn the basic rules and skills of the clubs/scouts.
learn the basic rules and skills of games and sports.
improve the standard of Dzongkha speaking.
The school has a good number of senior experienced teachers. The school stood
third in the National Art Competition. Besides, it has also won a good number of
prizes in the Dzongkhag level competitions. In 2003, the school bagged the prizes for
the best singer and the best school in Dzongkhag Inter-schools Cultural
Competition.
The list of teachers (2004)
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name
Work experience
Remarks
Lopon Yeshey Dorji 2 years
Regular
Mr Ejja Etwa
34 years
Regular
Mr Balaram Sunuwar 32 years
Regular
Mr M.K. Lama
30 years
Regular
Mr Jigme Wangchuk 24 years
Regular
Ms Maina Pradhan 25 years
Regular
Ms Kamala Sharma 28 years
Regular
Mr Kabit Rai
7 years
Regular
Mr Tshumba Dukpa 25 years
Regular
Mechetar Community Primary School
The school was opened in 1982 as Buduney Primary School though it was in
Mechetar village. It is about 2 km from Buduney village and 7 km from Samtse
town. It is on the Samtse-Sipsu highway.
There are no written records of the school's evolution over the years. Although many
community elders have been interviewed for this paper, all of their accounts are
conflicting. So, they are not reflected in this paper.
The erstwhile Buduney Primary School was closed down in the early 1990 due to the
social unrest in the southern dzongkhag. The school was re-opened on March 19,
2002 under the new name Mechetar Community Primary School. The grand opening
ceremony was attended by the then Samtse Dzongda, Dasho Sherab Gyeltshen.
There were176 children in class PP and 3 teachers. Mr Singye Haa, who had been
the head teacher of the previous school, was the first head teacher of the new
school. Ms Renuka Gurung and Ms Lham Choezom were the first teachers. Later in
May of the same year, two apprentice teachers- Ms Anju Gurung and Ms Nima
Wangmo joined the school as the first apprentice teachers, taking the teacher
strength to 5.
Currently we have 259 children from classes PP-III with 8 regular teachers and an
apprentice teacher. The school is supposed to upgrade itself to class VI in the ninth
five-year plan.
After it was reopened, the school has tried its best to live up to the expectations of
the parents and the education ministry. Besides academic activities the school
conducted many other activities.
One of the main shortcomings in the school today is lack of adequate space for
games and sports (the school’s total area is less than an acre). Another problem is
lack of an approach road to the school (presently we have to walk around 15-20
minutes from the road point down to the school across the paddy fields).
We are pleased to present hereunder our motto, vision, mission, goals, strategies,
and what we value:
Our Motto
Nothing is impossible
Vision
To produce loyal, patriotic and proud Bhutanese children with adequate knowledge
of the Bhutanese values
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide quality wholesome education to realize our vision.
Goals/Strategies
Continuous review, updating, improvement and optimal utilization of available
resources for the following fields of activity:




game and sports, cultural activities, national celebrations
co-curricular activities, continuous assessment and examinations
SBIP's/meetings/MIR Tools, agriculture, arts and crafts
Scouts, guidance and counseling
Our Values




Loyalty and patriotism, respect and care for oneself, elders and the young.
Responsibility, sense of belongingness, hard work.
Self discipline, honesty, tolerance, independence of thought.
Punctuality, dignity of labour, sincerity, dedication, healthy relationship,
confidence.
The Present Staff
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name
Designation
Mr Singye
Ms Renuka Gurung
Ms Lham Choezom
Mr Phuntsho Norbu
Mr Tshering Norbu
Mr Bagrath Nepal
Mr Yeshey Nidup
Ms Sarita Bujel
Ms Deki Wangmo
Head teacher
General Teacher
General Teacher
General Teacher
ZLT
General Teacher
General Teacher
General Teacher
Apprentice Teacher
Others who served in the school
Sl.No Name
1.
2.
3.
Designation
Year in this school
Ms Anju Gurung
Apprentice Teacher
Ms Nima Wangmo
Apprentice Teacher
Mr Namgay Tshering Apprentice Teacher
2002
2002
2003
Mindruling Community Primary School
The place known by its name Dungtoe is a remote community in Samtse. The
community at present has 298 households with an approximate population of 1854
people. The community has also one Basic Health Unit. The school is located beside
the Dungtoe Basic Health Unit on a gentle slope.
In the beginning, the people of the village all shared a common feeling regarding the
need for a school in their village. The issue was discussed in a series of gewog-level
meetings. Then, the establishment of a school was proposed to the dzongkhag. It
was sometime in 2000 that the Dasho Dzongda happened to visit the schools under
Dorokha Dungkhag. During his visit to Dorokha, he also visited Dungtoe for site
selection for the construction of a school. After having done the site selection, the
construction came into effect after a year in 2001.
The school was formally started on April 27, 2002. The school was inaugurated by
the Dzongda of Samtse, Dasho Tshering Dorji.
The first head teacher of the school was Mr Lhabu Dukpa, a general PTCE who
passed out of National Institute of Education, Samtse in 1999. Mr Lhabu Dukpa
had been a teacher at Dorokha Lower Secondary School.
After him, I, Cheku Dukpa, the present head teacher, took over the charge in March
2004. After completing PTCE course from National Institute of Education, Paro, in
2001, my first placement was in Dorokha Lower Secondary School.
Dear readers, I am in fact glad to report that the establishment of this school in this
community has been of great help to the general public and the community. The
community people have not only come to learn the scope and value of education but
also derived motivation to learn and participate in school activities.
Earlier on, before the coming of this school, the children of the community had to be
sent to school at Dorokha which is four hours’ walk away. It was challenging as well
as expensive for the villagers to send their children there. It was therefore, that most
of the children of the time could not go to school. Now, we see that access to
education has become easy and convenient for the people. They can now easily
afford to send their children to school.
Moreover, quite a large number of teenagers who could not go to school can now
read, write and speak through non-formal education thus increasing literacy rate in
this community.
The school at present has 164 students from classes PP to III. There is only one
teacher supported by three non-formal education instructors. The school as a nonformal education centre has 79 learners in Basic Literacy Course (BLC).
The school is a newly established school and is yet to grow. Nevertheless, it has
many challenges in the years ahead. The most pressing concern is to solve teacher
shortage as in the schools the country over. The school also lacks proper
infrastructure like classroom blocks and safe drinking water facilities.
In spite of all the problems, the school is trying hard to fulfill its mission of
producing productive citizens through quality and wholesome education.
The values education and physical education lessons are taught to children as per
the directives of the institutional authorities. The school also ensures that the
children get opportunity to participate in some outdoors games- football, throw ball,
badminton and so on. The children of all grades are encouraged to take up flower
gardening as part of the co-curricular activities of the school.
Staff Details
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name of staff
Mr Cheku Wangchuk
Mr Tashi Tshering
Mr Dawa Penjor
Ms Setey Pemo
Mr Meg Bahadur Rai
Designation
Head teacher
NFE Instructor
NFE Instructor
NFE Instructor
Caretaker
Details on the student enrolment, 2004
Class
PP
I
II
No. of Boys
23
30
36
No. of Girls
23
29
23
Total
46
59
59
Subject (s) taught
General
Dzongkha
E.V.S
Mathematics
-----
Total
89
75
164
Nainital Community Primary School
Nainital Community Primary School is one of the oldest schools in the southern
Dzongkhag. The school is located at the centre of the gewog. This attracts children
from all the villages. It is accessible by motor road and has a big area. It was
established in 1951 by the community of Nainital. The following persons were
actively involved in the establishment of the school.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mr Narbir Khadka
Mr Dambar Singh Dahal
Mr Kantinath Sharma
Mr Bhakta Bir Tamang
Mr N. K. Gurung
Mr Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan
They made a thatched hut in the middle of the present football ground for the school
office and classroom. Initially, the school did not have a teacher. The community
searched for one and found Mr B. K. Thapa, an ex-Thrimpon. He became the first
teacher of the school which consisted of only 12 children. He was paid a meagre
sum of Nu. 24 per month as salary. He worked for six years. After him came Mr
Bhandari Chhetri who joined in 1957 and worked for one year before he left in 1958.
Next in line came Mr M.B. Thapa, who was accompanied by an Indian teacher. Mr
M. B. Thapa brought a lot of changes in the school. He ran the school very smoothly
for many years and introduced many extra-curricular activities. There were annual
school sports day with different interesting events in the school. In those days, the
children contributed for teachers’ salary which was Nu. 60 per month.
Till 1964 the school had been a private school. The stationeries like books and
pencils were all purchased by the students themselves. In 1964, the government
took over the charge. As a result, the community benefited a lot because there were
plenty of resources. The government provided stationeries and salary for the
teachers.
At present there are 7 teachers with 252 students. The school has classes from PP
to class VI. Today, most of the former students of the school work as government
employees in various capacities in various divisions and ministries. The school was
closed down in 1990 due to the political unrest in the southern part of Bhutan. It
remained closed till 1998. It reopened in 1999. Now, things are going very well.
SARPANG DZONGKHAG
Gelephu Higher Secondary School
Gelephu Higher Secondary School began its journey as a primary school in 1991. It
was upgraded to lower secondary, middle secondary and then to higher secondary
levels in 1997, 1999, and 2005 respectively.
The phenomenal growth from primary to higher secondary level could not have been
possible without the active initiative of Dasho Penjor Dorji, the then Dzongda of
Sarpang and Mr Kinley Dorji, the then ZEO (currently Director of YGCD), Mr
Tshongpon Wangdi, the then DEO of Sarpang and Lopon Tharpola, the then head
teacher when the school reopened in 1991. The school began in the old campus in
the old one-storey building and a football field. In 2004, the campus was shifted to
the present location with 17 classrooms, a laboratory, a computer room and an
administrative block.
At present, another six-classroom building and a football ground are in the process
of making. There are four volley ball courts and a basketball court and a brick-laid
assembly ground. The new school campus has only one quarters for the principal
and three blocks of latrines for students.
In 1991, Lopon Tharpola opened the school as the first head teacher. Then, Mr
Pema Wangchuk took over the charge in 1997 when it was upgraded to a lower
secondary school. In 1999, the school was upgraded to middle secondary school
with Ms Sangay Zam as the first principal. From 2000, the primary classes were
segregated from the high school. In 2005, when the school was upgraded into a
higher secondary school, Ms Sangay Zam continued to be the principal. In fact, it
was because of her initiative and leadership that the school has been able to come
this far.
Some of the outstanding alumni of the school who are currently in foreign countries
pursuing higher studies like medicine and engineering are: a) Deependra Powdyel b)
Krisna c)Youhan Thapa.
Currently, there are 700 students in the school. The school works hard to fulfil the
educational goals and national aspirations.
Sarpang Middle Secondary School
Sarpang Middle Secondary School is located in Sarpang, close to the Dzongkhag
headquarters, on a raised plain that is popularly known as Sarpang tar. The place is
at an altitude of approximately 200 m above sea level and experiences hot and
humid summer and warm and dry winter. The school covers around 12 acres of
land covered by tall trees and old structures with typical architectural designs that
belong to distant past.
The exact date of the establishment of the school cannot be found out. We talked to
older citizens of the place and presumed that it was established in the early sixties
as part of the great mission of the third king, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to
spread modern education across the length and breadth of the kingdom.
The school was initially started as a primary school at the present market area.
Later, when the Dzongkhag headquarters was shifted, the school was also relocated
to the present location. In the early years, the school was headed by non-Bhutanese
principals. The last non-Bhutanese principal of the school was Mr Kurup, who
handed over the charge to the first Bhutanese principal, Ms Phuntsho Choden in
1988. Mr Tshewang Tandin, the present Director of School Education, was vice
principal of the school in 1985.
The chronological order of Bhutanese principals of the school is as follows:
Ms Phuntsho Choden – 1988-1989
Mr Mingboo Dukpa – 1990-oct. 1990
Due to civil unrest in the south in the 1990s, the school was closed down in October
1990, and the infrastructure were handed over to RBA. Therefore, the history of the
school got buried in the debris of the problem. However, talking to older residents
and some alumni, we have come to know that the school has contributed a valuable
gift of human resource to the country. The few alumni we could name are: Mr Lhatu
Jamba, Assistant Principal, Sherubtse College; Mr Duba, Drangpon, Lhuntse; Mr
Dorji Norbu, Dzongda, Trashiyangtse; Ms Tashi Pelzom, the present principal of the
school.
The school was reopened in 1991 as a primary school in the present
academic block. The hostel block, staff quarters, and playground were still occupied
by RBA. Later, the school was upgraded to lower secondary level. The heads of the
school between 1991 and 2000 in chronological order are as follows:
Mr Akhay Dorji
Mr Karma
Mr Lhundup Dukpa
Mr Sonam Chogyal
Mr Mingboo Dukpa
In 2001, when RBA vacated the school premises, the school shifted to the location of
the present Sarpang Primary School. The erstwhile Sarpang High School campus
was taken over by Nganglam High School, when it has to move to Sarpang for
security reasons. Thus, Sarpang Middle
Secondary School came back to life.
The assistant principal of Nganglam High School, Mr Kinley Gyeltshen, took over the
school as the principal. The following principals worked in the school so far:
Mr. Kinley Gyeltshen- 2001-mid 2002
Mr Gyembo Tshering- mid 2000-March 2004
Ms Tashi Pelzom- March 2004 onwards
Our school is a boarding school with a total of 643 students, out of which 293 are
boarders. Led by the principal, we have 52 staff, of which 28 are teachers, 9
assistants, 5 cooks and 2 night guards.
The school aims to become a place of academic excellence by creating an
environment conducive for the all-round development of students. To achieve it, the
time is allotted for diverse activities - academics; co-curricular activities- games and
sports, club activities, literary activities, cultural activities, school reading
programme, health programme, life skills programme, school agriculture
programme, SPEA programmes. Besides, we observe important national and
international events like His Majesty the King’s Birthday, National Day, World
Health Day, World Population Day etc.
A day in the school begins at 5 am and ends at 9.30 pm in the following sequence:
5 am - rising bell/washing
6 am-6.15 am- cleaning
6.30 am-7.30 am- morning study
7.30 am-8.15 am - breakfast for boarders/cleaning for day-students
8.15 am-8.45 am- Assembly
8.45 am- morning classes begin
12.20-1.05 pm- lunch
1.05 pm- afternoon classes begin
3 pm-4 pm –SRP/school health programme/life skill education/prayer organized on
rotation basis among different classes
4 pm-6 pm - games and sports
6 pm-7pm- evening study
7- 8 pm- dinner
8 pm-9 pm– night study
9.30 pm– lights off
In a week, six working days are devoted for different co-curricular activities as given
below:




Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – life skill
Education/Prayer/health program/SRP
Wednesdays– club activities
Fridays– cultural/literary activities
Saturdays– Agriculture and SUPW
The above activities take place from 3 pm to 4 pm on other days and from 12.20 to
1.20 pm on Saturdays. All the literary, cultural, life skills, health programme, SRP,
agriculture and SUPW activities end by the close of October, so that children can
devote their time to studies.
The efforts put in by the staff and students have not gone unrewarded. The school
won almost all sports events and games at Dzongkhag level and brought home
awards for winners and runners-up from the regional games and sports meet this
year. This has been so in the past. On the academic front, the school brought 95.6%
pass result in BCSE, 2004, and 55% of the students qualified for class XI. In Class
VIII examinations, the school achieved 93% pass result. We are working hard to
improve in the years ahead.
The school caters to two dungkhags- Lhamoizingkha and Gelephu. Almost 99% of
the boarders are from rural background, who have come from Lhamoizingkha and
Norbuling LSSs.
This school is a comfortable place to work in with all the basic modern facilitiesschool bus, telephone, computer laboratories and the internet. In ease and comfort,
we move forward ‘turning the wheel of wisdom’ to fulfil our promises.
Gelephu Lower Secondary School
Established in 1967, Gelephu Lower Secondary School is one of the oldest schools in
the Dzongkhag. In its earlier days, this school not only provided the elementary
education to Gelephu town but also the adjacent gewogs. Many students from
Dadgari across the border too came and studied here, according to some sources. It
used to be a full-fledged boarding school with classes ranging from LKG-VIII until
the southern problems in 1990. We are not able to ascertain who headed the school
until 1974. I remember Mr M.I Simon from Kerala, south India, was the Head
Teacher in 1975 when I joined this school as a temporary teacher in July. Except for
three lopons, other staff members were all from India then. Mr Ghimeray followed
by Mr James took over from Mr Simon.
Mr Sonam Tshewang, who is now retired, was the first Bhutanese Head Teacher of
the school. He was followed by Mr Tsheringla, the present Education Stores Officer
of Trashigang in whose time the school was briefly closed down due to southern
problem in 1990.
In 1991, the famous Lopon Tharpola reopened the school as a primary school. The
school was allotted a small corner while the rest was with RBA after it occupied it in
1990. The number grew steadily to about 1200 students and the classes ranged
from PP-VI.
When Lopon Tharpola was superannuated, Mr Pema Wangchuk took over the
charges in 1997. In 1998, Mr Pema took over the whole compound back from RBA
and the school again became a junior high school – the title it got twenty-one years
ago when it was opened in 1976. After that there was no looking back. In 1990, it
was again upgraded to a high school with Ms Sangay Zam as the first principal.
That same year, the school started functioning in two parts- north annexes occupied
by primary students and the south annex by lower secondary students. Ms Pema
Lhaden became the head teacher of primary sections after segregation from the high
school in 2000 and I, the current head teacher took over from her in 2002.
By 2004, the new high school complex was ready. Ms Sangay Zam along with her
teachers, students and with everything moved out to the new complex. We were
happy with such development. We thought now we would have a space to breathe
properly but our happiness was short lived. There was some one who needed the
vacant complex more than we needed it. Our gallant soldiers needed a place to
sleep at night during the flushing out operation of Assam’s militants in 2003-2004.
The school had no other alternative but to share the compound with the RBA once
again. This is how this school has served the national crises for the second time.
In January 2005, the compound was again handed back to school by royal
command and the space was created to accommodate the ever-increasing number of
class VI passed out students from the adjacent areas. It is in this 2005 academic
year that this school once again assumed its former title (Lower Secondary School)
for the third time in its thirty-seven years history. Today, we are about 1700
students and thirty-six teachers. The teacher student ratio is little over 1:47. In
reality we have shortage of about six teachers. Gelephu is one of the largest towns
in the country but this is the only government-run school to cater primary
education needs. The pressure is too much and almost every section has more than
fifty students. Of course, we have two private schools but they are not able to
absorb much.
Lhamoy Zingkha Lower Secondary School
Lhamoy Zingkha Lower Secondary School sprawls in the heart of the Dungkhag.
Formerly, it was known as Kalikhola School. It is the only education institute in the
Dungkhag. It caters to three large gewog. Lhamoy Zingkha Lower Secondary School
is a daylong journey from the nearest Bhutanese town of Phuntsholing. However,
the school falls under Sarpang Dzongkhag.
The school is the hub of activities. It functions as a centre for people’s interaction,
celebration and entertainment.
The history of the school cannot take a definite shape because of sketchy details.
However, according to a few authentic sources, Lhamoy Zingkha had a school as
early as 1957. The school was then located in the premises of a local Hindu temple.
The caretaker and owner of the temple, Mr M. B. Pradhan and his son Arjun
recollect that the fee in the school was just Nu. 10 per year. Thus, the school
functioned under the father-son teachers.
After a couple of years, Mr M. B. Pradhan (an Indian by birth) felt the need of an
additional teacher. Therefore, he called upon the service of another experienced
Indian teacher, Mr Nirola. He later worked as a Head Teacher and the local
community fondly called him Thrulo Master (the great master, in Nepali).
It was around 1961 that the government took over the reins of the school. Mr Palden
(Ranger), who was then the head of the Dungkhag Forestry Department, played a
key role in the establishment of the school at the present site. A new school
completely built of planks gave fresh hope and inspiration to the people of the
Dungkhag. Long before the Bhutanese teachers arrived, a number of non-Bhutanese
teachers worked tirelessly to build the school into a reputed institute. Some persons
who the community can remember easily are, first, Mr Babu Joseph (Head teacher).
He was a thorough disciplinarian, who seldom compromised the academic
performance of the children. Another teacher, Mr R. B. Rai, is vividly remembered by
the community as the pioneer in instituting cultural values and folk music in the
school.
Much later, after the departure of these Indian teachers from the country, the school
had its first Bhutanese head teacher. With the taking over of the school by Mr
Wangchuk Rabten, the school became more organized. It received more professional
support from the Headquarters. And, every year, the modern amenities required by
an education institute were added.
The following is the chronology of head teachers and their tenure in the school.
1. Mr R. B. Rai
2. Mr S. P. Ghimirey
(till 1983)
3. Mr Wangchuk Rabten (1984-1985)
4. Mr Babu Joseph
(1986-1987)
5. Mr Rinchen Dorji
(1989-1990)
6. Mr Singye Namgay
(1990)
7. Mr Sherab Drukpa
(1992-1993)
8. Mr Tshewang Tenzin
(1994)
9. Mr Ngawang Thinley
(1995-2004)
Lhamoy Zingkha Lower Secondary School in its long fifty years of existence has seen
a lot of changes in the Dungkhag. It witnessed the establishment of the Basic Health
Unit, Security Forces Camp, FCB, Telecom, Power etc. The school was very
unfortunate to have to shut down during the political unrest in 1990. However, the
school reopened in 1992.
Lhamoy Zingkha Lower Secondary School has a record of producing many important
citizens. Amongst its alumni, the present Lhamoy Zingkha Dungpa, Dasho Sonam
Wangdi, was a member of this school in the 1980’s. Lt. Colonel Indra Pradhan of
RBP and Mr Chitra Kumar Pradhan, the former BBE Secretary, are some of the
outstanding alumni of the school.
It is a great honour for me to say that our present Director of CAPSD, NIE Paro, Dr.
Jagar Dorji, was a teacher of this school. He was the first person who showed how
drinking water could be brought to the doorstep through water pipe. It was entirely
a new concept for the community who were fetching drinking water from the
Sankosh River. The other names that are linked to this school are Mr Dorji
Wangchuk (NFE) and Mr Chimi Rinzin (NIE Paro), who climbed to their present
position because of their sincerity and hard work.
At present, the school has a total of 482 students from class PP to VIII. Including
the non- teaching staff, the school has faculty of 16 regular members. Apprentice
teachers also support the school academic programme. The school was upgraded to
the present status in 2002 academic year.
The school also conducts NFE classes. The NFE centre based with the school has 87
learners and two instructors.
Norbuling Lower Secondary School
It is a matter of pride that the school was established on the royal command of His
Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1976 for the benefit of the children of the
people who resettled in Norbuling. The royal government constructed a ten-room
building in the heart of Norbuling, which is under Serzhong Geog in Sarpang
Dzongkhag. Four teachers’ quarters were also constructed in the same year. The
school campus covers an area of 8.62 acres.
The first academic session started on 1st August, 1976 with classes from LKG to III.
There were four teachers including the Headmaster, Mr Akhay Dorji. The total
enrolment of students was only 130. Later, a school in Danabari Geog was merged
with Norbuling increasing the strength of the school to 260 with addition of three
more teachers.
The school received WFP assistance in 1977. Since then, the students have been
provided with mid-day meal. With the introduction of WFP, there was a rapid
increase in the number of students. In 1977, a dining hall was constructed with
participation of the public.
In 1978, a crèche was constructed in the school compound by the UNICEF which
functions as a day care centre for children of 3-4 years old. Later this building was
handed over to school.
In 1979, a small football ground was constructed with financial assistance from
Agriculture Department. In a drive to make the school compound beautiful, many
saplings were planted.
In 1980, Mr Babu Josep took over the charge of the school from Mr Akhay Dorji as
the second head teacher. A two-storied hostel building was constructed in 1982
with the help of the UNICEF. Four additional classrooms were also built in the
same year attached to the main school building.
In 1986, Mr Pema Tshering took over the charge of the school from Mr Babu Joseph.
OXFAM was introduced in the school in the same year.
Mr Leki Tshering succeeded Mr Pema Tshering as the fourth Headmaster of the
school in 1988. The school was closed down in 1990 due to the southern problem.
After a gap of 3 years, the school was reopened in 1994 with WFP assistance
continuing. Mr Akhay Dorji became the Headmaster of the school once gain.
However, the dormitory and the teachers’ quarters were occupied by the army till
the end of 1998. The main school was repaired in 1994.
In 1995, Mr Sonam Tobgay became the Headmaster. He served in the capacity till
the end of 1999.
In 2000, Mr Pema Dorji took over the school as the Headmaster. Water supply
system was improved by repairing the old water taps and installing new ones. The
football ground was also improved.
In the beginning of 2001, the school was upgraded into a lower secondary school
with the introduction of class VII. The students who passed class VI from Pelrithang,
Jigmechholing, Serzhong, and Umling primary schools were admitted in the school.
Boarding facilities were introduced with the government assistance. A crèche
situated little distance away from the school was handed over to the school.
Introduction of Social Forestry in 2002 was an achievement of the school and the
nursery raised by the school was one of the best among the schools in the
Dzongkhag.
A new Head teacher's quarters was completed in 2002 and a new science laboratory
too. And library block was completed in 2003. The school was provided with
electricity in 2003.
At present, the school has 13 classrooms in the main building and 2 in the annexe.
The school has a science laboratory and a library with a small collection of books.
There is a hostel which houses about 120 students. There is also a dining hall, but
it is in a dilapidated state. There are five units of teachers’ quarters excluding the
Headmaster's quarters, which are also in a bad state.
Chuzargang Primary School
Chuzargang Primary School is located in the east of Gelephu town. The school is
about an hour walk from Gelephu town and two hours drive via Serzhong Primary
School. The school came with the first phase of resettlement programme in the area
on 17th December 1997.
Established in 1998, the school was formally inaugurated by Dasho Dzongda Dr
Sonam Tenzin. The school provides education to 144 households. There are 5
regular teachers and 327 students from classes PP-VI. The school got upgraded from
classes IV to V in 2003 and V to VI in 2004.
Besides formal education, the school also provides non-formal education to the
community people in the locality. There are 162 NFE learners and four NFE
instructors. The school has three academic blocks in its 12 acres of land. Another
building is going to come up at the end of this year, 2005.
In the past, Mr Sonam Gyeltshen was the Head Teacher of the school. The present
Head Teacher of the school is Mr Gembo Rinxin.
Dekiling Primary School
Dekiling Primary School is located beside the Gelephu-Sarpang highway on 7.31
acres of plain land. It is 9 km away from Sarpang and 21 Km from Gelephu.
Dekiling Primary School (earlier known as Leopani Primary School) was established
in 1963 under the head teachership of Mr Subba. The school had to be closed down
in1990 because of the political unrest in the southern part of the country. The
school reopened only in 1999 with Mr Tshering Norbu as the headmaster. While the
proper records of students enrolled and passed out of the school before 1990 cannot
be traced, the enrolment in 1999 was 33 children in PP.
Facilities:
Currently, the school has two academic blocks and a multipurpose hall. The school
also has a small football ground, a volleyball court and a huge agriculture plot.
Details of the school buildings are given below.
Sl.No.
1
2
Building
Academic building
Main academic building
3
4
Academic
(extension)
Multipurpose hall
5
Two units of academic blocks
6
Staff quarters
1983 (built
community)
7
School toilets (7 units)
1990
building
Year of Construction
1962 (built by public)
1974-1975 (built by the
community)
1983 (built by the
community)
1982 (built by the
community)
1988
(built by the
community)
by
the
Present condition
Burnt down
Good (renovated by
Dzongkhag in 1998)
- do In poor condition.
- do –
to be renovated in
winter
Renovated
by
Dzongkhag in 1988
(still being repaired)
Built by Dzongkhag.
Enrolment of the school since 1999
The yearly upgradation of school from 1999 resulted in the school starting class VI
from this academic year (2005). The yearwise enrolment of the school is as follows.
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Year
1990
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Boys
16
35
55
54
82
135
181
Girls
17
29
47
47
58
99
147
Total
33
64
102
101
140
234
328
Class
PP
PP-I
PP-II
I-III
PP, II, III, IV
PP-V
PP-VI
Name of the head teachers in chronological order
The names and the tenure of the head teachers may not be all correct for they are
based on oral sources.
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Name
Mr Subba
Mr Karto
Mr Pradhan
Mr Bhatacharjee
Mr Thapa
Mr Tashi
Mr Tshering Norbu
Mr Sherub Gyeltshen
Year
1963-1968
1969-1970
1971-1974
1975-1979
1980-1988
1989-1990
1999-2004
2005-
Nationality
Non-Bhutanese
Non-Bhutanese
Bhutanese
Non-Bhutanese
Bhutanese
Bhutanese
Bhutanese
Bhutanese
None of the above-mentioned head teachers have risen above the post of head
teacher.
School activities:
Besides its academic activities, the school carries out a lot of curricular and cocurricular activities. On the literary front, the school conducts quizzes, debates,
story telling, essay writing, elocution, extempore speech, and so on. The school plays
football, volleyball, throwball, dego, khuru, and organises cultural and myths
competition. The school cultivates maize, ginger and betel-nut.
Due to the school's location near the Indian border and due also to the distance the
students have to walk home, it can carry out very few after-school activities.
Future plans
The school is to be upgraded to a lower secondary school in the 9th five-year plan
and few more buildings will be coming up. The additional land acquisition for school
is in progress for the development of the football ground.
Kuendrup Elementary Learning Centre (Private)
Kuendrup Elementary Learning Centre was established in April 2003. It is located at
the heart of Gelephu town. The main objective of the school is to provide quality
education through the policies and strategies recommended by the Ministry of
Education, Royal Government of Bhutan.
In 2003 academic session, the school enrolled 21 students and three trained
teachers, 40 students in 2004, and at present the school has 50 students from
classes PP to III with the same number of teachers. The school is temporarily being
run in a bungalow. The school will move to its new academic building in the
beginning of 2006 academic session.
There is a plan to upgrade the school to a higher secondary school in the near
future. This plan was conceived by the proprietor in the view of heavy admission
pressure in high schools all over the country. This school, when it is upgraded to
higher secondary level, will ease admission pressure on six high schools in the
central region.
At present, the construction of a three-storied academic block consisting of 12
classrooms, principal's office, proprietor’s office, staff room, conference hall and
library hall is about to complete. Each classroom is designed to accommodate 45-50
students.
Kuendrup Elementary Learning Centre will continue providing primary education
and strive to provide high quality education at the higher secondary level when it is
upgraded.
Samphel Primary School
Samphel Primary School was established on April 14, 2003. The school has two
locations: permanent and temporary locations. Its permanent location is in
Pemathang, Gelephu and its temporary location is beside the road to fishery,
Gelephu.
Since the school is newly established, it has not produced any outstanding teachers
and teachers
Sarpang Primary School
Sarpang Primary School is located opposite Sarpang Hospital, in the heart of
Sarpang Town. The school came into existence on 15th March 2001 with a simple
ceremony. Then, the construction was only halfway through.
This school came out of blue without any proper planning. The Dzongkhag
authorities at the call of an emergency started renovating into classrooms some of
the old staff quarters that were once used by RBA. Although it was said that the
location of the school was temporary, we are still at the same campus in a most
pathetic condition. It all happened because of the shifting of Nganglam High School,
which occupied our previous Junior High School.
Now, after little more than 4 years of its establishment, except for the temporary old
structure that needs replacement, the school has expanded with more students and
staff. At present, we have 846 students out of which 448 are boys and 398 are girls
with 20 teachers and two supporting staff.
During this short span of time, many dignitaries visited the school including Hon’ble
Lyonpo, Education Minister, who ordered the acquisition of the new school
compound and constructions. That may come quite soon after acquiring the new
site. The Dzongda, Dasho Sonam Dawa, has kindly agreed to designate the new
complex for the school.
The Hon’ble Secretary, Dasho Pema Thinley, MoE, was the founder of this school,
who personally visited the school many times and ordered the immediate renovation
of the school. He also proposed for the shifting of the present school to a new
location. The other important visits include visits by Director of Education, Mr
Tshewang Tandin, Director of CERD, Mr Thakur Singh Powdyel, Joint Director,
EMSD, Mr Wangchuk Rabten with his teams, Ap Mr Rinzin Namjay. Besides, many
other visitors made us feel very important and proud. Their advice and suggestions
are our guiding principles for further development of the school.
At present, six class sections are conducted in the hired classrooms of the high
school. This problem would be solved once we come up with the new constructions
of our own. But, we have to be patient for sometime for it would be sometime before
the new constructions are over.
Jarwa Community Primary School
Jarwa Community Primary School came up as a result of the closure of Edhi
Primary School in Zhemgang as part of evacuation of the area in November 2003.
There were 62 children in all from classes pre-primary to three with just two
teachers during the time of evacuation. The teachers were on apprenticeship
programme.
The school, which was set up at a relief camp, was run in a hut from 2004 to mid
2005. The children had to walk about an hour to and from the school with their
parents as escorts. This was difficult both during the days of scorching sun and
during the monsoon season. The shifting of the school later to the new site near
their village brought smiles of joy on the face of the innocent children.
The current status and concerns
The school has poor physical facilities at the moment. There are just two permanent
buildings one of which is a staff quarters. The three classrooms cannot
accommodate over 73 children from classes PP-V. To solve this pressing problem,
the parents have helped to dismantle one of the huts in the temporary site to build
four more classrooms. This eased our problem. However, the development of a
playfield for the children to keep them physically fit remains a challenge for the
school. We are hopeful that the contribution from the parents and SMB would help
realize our dreams and aspirations.
Students and teachers statistics as on April 30, 2005
Class
PP
I
II
III
IV
V
Boys
06
08
09
02
07
07
Girls
09
09
07
08
01
00
Total
15
17
16
10
08
07
Teachers
Permanent
Apprentice
M
F
M
F
03
01
01
Temporary
M F
Total
00 01
05
Teacher experiences and qualifications
Experiences by number of working years
1-5
6-10
11-15
01
01
01
Professional Qualification
PTC
B.Ed
03
-
PGCE
-
Jigmechholing Community Primary School
As per an information source, the school must have been initially established in the
late 1940s as it was known to exist in 1948. It must have been started in a small
village bamboo hut with thatched roof.
Children had to be persuaded to attend school. It was like a non-formal school. The
class was only for one hour in the evening. It was taught by a single Indian teacher.
The school must have been started as a pilot school.
Gradually, the number of students must have grown leading to the need for proper
infrastructure. Therefore, a small school came up in a small, congested area. The
school is located just a kilometre above the Gelephu-Trongsa highway, but it was
constructed before the arrival of the road.
One of the former students of the school who is now a retired health compounder
says that he studied in the school in 1957. His classmate was Dasho Achyut
Bhandari, the director general of Trade and Industry. Dasho studied in the school
and joined Trashigang Junior High School in the east. After completing his
schooling, Dasho went to Australia for further studies.
Initially, the medium of instruction in the school was Nepali. English came
sometime later. The school was founded by the teachers from India like Mr S.B.
Silwar, Gopilal John.
The numbers of pupils in the school must have increased beyond the space in the
school which might have led to the shifting of the school. The school was shifted just
below the highway on a small hilltop on the main footpath to Gon-Dara village. It
was probably in the early 1960s at the time of the construction of the GelephuTrongsa highway in1962.
Built with bricks and cement, the main academic building is U-shaped. The two-unit
staff quarters must have been built in between 1962, 1963 and 1964. This was
enlarged with 6 additional classrooms with four units of staff quarters (two blocks)
built in 1980-81 as per the information from the people of locality. The school has
more than 3 acres of land which is small for a school. The school has a good play
field.
In the beginning, the school was a boarding school with WFP supplies. It had a twostorey old building the ground floor of which was used as the dining hall and the
upper floor as the hostel. At that time, the school was one of the best in the region.
With a total of 600 pupils, the school had enough teaching and non-teaching staff. It
was then known as Surey primary school.
The bulk of the students body was made up of the children from Lhotshampa
community. After the completion of class VI, the students joined the nearby schools
like Zhemgang High School as per their placement order issued by the department
of school education.
The school was to upgraded to a Junior High School. It had been a well-established
school till 1987. Six additional classrooms were about to complete. It is said that the
extension programme was undertaken with the public contribution. Two blocks
constituting six classrooms was in the process of construction when the civil unrest
erupted in the south in 1990. The work had to be left incomplete.
The school was closed down in 1990 on account of the disturbance. It remained
closed till 1997. Since some of the southern people had left the country, the people
from other parts of the country settled there in1997 and ’98. The re-settlers
requested the government to reopen the school. The school was subsequently
reopened in 1998.
The first Head Teacher to reopen the school was Mr Karma Tshering, who is
presently at Joka Community School, Zhemgang. When the school was reopened,
there was a rush for admission against limited seats in the school. The school had
up to class III. The school was also renamed as Jigmechholing Community Primary
School. In 2000, the school added class VI to its academic grade. Still there is a rush
for admission because it is the only school reopened in the locality.
At present, the school has student strength of more than 500, majority of them
coming from the community. The school is a day school with children coming from
long distance. Some of them walk 2 to 3 km to school. Gong is a village one day
away from the school. The children from this village stay in rented houses around
the school.
I am Mr Kinzang Wangchuk from Monggar Dzongkhag. I joined the school as the
Head Teacher on 13 May 2002. I am the second Head Teacher of the school after it
was reopened. I love the school and put my best efforts towards progress and
smooth running of the school.
The school also hosts the NFE learning programme which was initially established
in May 2002. There are two NFE instructors running the NFE centre. At present, the
Centre offers both basic and post literacy courses.
Year-wise students and teachers’ statistics of the school
Year
Class strength
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
PP-III
PP-V
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
PP-VI
Students
strength
74
194
267
339
369
449
508
No.
of
sections
4
6
7
8
10
13
14
Teaching staff
3
5
6
8
10
12
15
Pelrithang Primary School
In the midst of the forest, between two seasonal rivers lies Pelrithang Primary
School, 7 km away from Gelephu town. This school remained closed for many years
due to the problems.
This school was re-opened in April 1998 as Lodrai Community Primary School.
There were 190 students with five teachers including the Head Teacher Tshering
Dukpa.
The main aim of opening the school in Lodrai was to reduce the admission pressure
in Gelephu Primary School, since there was no other school nearby the Dungkhag.
190 students were segregated from Gelephu School, because their parents were
residing in Lodrai Camp and nearby.
There were five sections from classes PP-IV in the year 2000. The strength of the
students was increased to 450 and the school saw the first batch of class VI
students pass out of the school. In the year 2002, the school was named Pelrithang
Community Primary School. Yearly the strength of the school is increasing. At
present, the student strength is 830 with 16 sections and 16 teachers.
Every year the school remains busy with co-curricular activities such as annual
sports, games, literary activities, scouts, cultural activities etc. The school also
performs rimdo to avoid unforeseen misfortune in the school. The school also
observes the reading week and encourages the children to read. The school
celebrates Teachers Day, Social Forestry Day, His Majesty’s Birthday, National Day.
The school gives more importance to values education as well as conducts physical
education classes to impart wholesome education to children.
In November 2004, Hon’ble Education Minister visited the school, talked to the
students and teachers. He also upgraded the school to primary level.
The community and the family of Pelrithang Primary School will soon be joined by a
beautiful and wonderful higher secondary school.
Serzhong Community Primary School
The Golden Bowl School is located on a plateau overlooking Threwarchhu with
gorgeous mountains to the north, Barshong to the east, Serzhong to the west and
Gelephu town to the south. The school is 3 km away from Gelephu-Trongsa
Highway.
Serzhong Community Primary School was established in 1975 under the
headmastership of Kelzang Wangdi. The school functioned about ten years in
temporary huts. Permanent buildings were completed in 1984.
Serzhong Community Primary School was formally inaugurated by Her Royal
Highness Ashi Pema Lhadon Wangchuck, who spent several weeks with the children
after the inauguration. There were classes up-to V and proposed for upgradation to
class VIII.
Unfortunately, the school was closed down in 1990 during the civil unrest in the
southern part of the country. This school remained closed till 1997.
In the mean time, a community school at the heart of the village was started.
In March 1998, immediately after the arrival of the present head teacher, Mr Tashi
Wangdi, the school was moved to the former location.
When the school reopened in the old premises, there was virtually nothing that
could be used. Several inches thick cow dung had to be removed and the most
horrible thing was lack of water for cleaning and drinking. We carried water in the
oil containers several miles down stream-Threwarchhu to wash the floor.
Staff and Student Strength from 1992 to 2005
Year
1992
1993
1994
Student
Boys
30
40
43
Strength
Girls
52
60
61
Total
82
100
104
Teacher Strength
Gents
Ladies
02
00
03
00
03
00
Classes
Total
02
03
03
PP to III
PP to III
PP to III
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
49
61
67
51
57
85
106
110
131
137
127
58
61
72
53
54
67
68
90
119
107
110
107
122
139
104
111
152
174
200
250
244
237
02
03
03
02
02
02
03
04
05
06
07
00
00
00
00
00
00
01
01
00
01
01
02
03
03
02
02
02
04
05
05
07
08
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
PP to
III
III
III
III
IV
V
V
V
VI
VI
VI
The names of the head teachers in chronological order:
Sl.No.
Name of the head teacher
Present post/place of posting
01.
Mr
Kelzang
Wangdi/Headmaster
Mr Phurpa Namgyel/Incharge
Mr Yeshi Wangdi/Incharge
Mr Tashi Wangdi/Head teacher
Year of
posting
1975
Head Teacher/Ganglapong PS
Teacher/Zhemgang PS
Still continuing in this school
1992
1993
1998
02.
03.
04.
Note: The names of the head teachers before 1990 are unknown except the first one
since no record is available in the school.
Vision: To be a model community primary school in Bhutan in promoting wholesome
primary education in children and making them competent students to continue
their higher education in high schools.
Mission: to create secure, caring and peaceful learning atmosphere within the school
by providing love, trust and co-operation and to produce competent primary
students.
Goals: To acquire basic knowledge, skills and practical abilities and to use them in
the students' practical life.

To develop the mind, body and spirit of the children.

To instil in children the appreciation for human achievements in arts and
crafts, science and technology and language and literature.

To acquire understanding of the social, economic and political order and a
reasoned set of attitude, values and beliefs.

To develop the sense of self-respect, self-reliance and self-motivation in order
to live as contributing members of the society.

To appreciate and preserve Bhutanese culture and tradition.

To be proud to be Bhutanese in the global community with true love, respect
and dedication to Tsawasum.
Besides academic learning, the school carries out important activities like:
1. Scouts Programme with 67 members at present
2. Clubs for vocational development
A day in Serzhong CPS:
1. Social work is done every morning for 15 minutes to clean the surrounding
and classrooms and get set to start classes.
2. A 20-minute Morning Assembly is conducted every morning as one of the
most important activities for the school family to come together for prayer
and discussion. Most of the value imparting activities are going on during
this session through speeches, talks and various other activities. The
session ends singing National Anthem by the students and teachers.
3. Children move to the classes immediately after the Assembly session and 8
periods of classes begin with a ten-minute short break and a 60-minute
lunch break.
4. After the 8th period, we sit for the short evening prayer.
5. Children go home after playing games for some time.
6. The teachers begin to plan their lesions for the next day.
Umling Community Primary School
Umling Community Primary School was established on 10 March 1998 with an
initial enrolment of 102 students. Dasho Sonam Tenzin, the then Dzongda, Sarpang
Dzongkhag, inaugurated the school.
Spread over a total campus area of almost 15 acres, the school is situated on a
gentle slope from whose vantage point one can take view of the mighty Indians
plains in the south and the beautiful valley of Dungmin village in the north. To the
east of the school is Royal Manas National Park and to the west, the mighty Umling
Lhakhang.
Vision of the school
The vision of this school is to be a child-friendly learning centre that provides basic
skills and all round development to every child to mould him or her into a
productive citizen. All the members of the community are called upon to take part in
the educational programmes in the school so that our country can boast of 100%
literacy.
Mission of the school
This school wants to be one of the model schools in the country through its
academic excellence and character development.
Goals of the school:




Good performance of the students.
Impart values to the students.
Love for Bhutanese education system.
Strive for success.
The school took its name from the name of the gewog. Umling means the land with
many ponds in Bumthap dialect. The Sarpang Dzongda gave this name during his
gewog visit. The school was inaugurated by Sarpang Dzongda Dr Sonam Tenzin on
10 March 1998. Over the years, the school has grown from a small community
school of some 102 students with modest facilities comprising four temporary
classrooms, an office and a store room to 9 concrete classrooms, an office and a
store room at present.
The first Headmaster of the school was Mr Wangchuk, who later worked as the
Assistant Dzongkhag Education Officer in Sarpang Dzongkhag. He served the school
till March 2001. He was succeeded by Mr Karma Phuntsho, who had earlier worked
as Head Teacher of Manas Community School.
Student statistics of the school
S/No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Year
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
No. of boys
59
103
151
172
179
177
183
176
No. of Girls
54
94
126
139
142
156
157
161
Total
113
197
277
311
321
333
340
337
The Current Activities in the School
Co-curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities form an important part of the students' learning programme.
This is aimed at providing wholesome education to the students. There are five areas
of co-curricular activities organised as per the academic calendar. They are:
Games and Sports
The games and sports in the school range from national games like khuru, degor and
archery to international games like football and volleyball. Apart from various
tournaments, the school also organises Annual Sports Day to keep the students
physically fit.
Cultural Activities
Cultural activities are ones in which the students take a lot of interest. The students
compete house-wise in three types of Bhutanese songs. The best one from the four
houses- Ugyen, Jigme, Dorji and Singye- is selected to restage their items during the
annual variety show with the additional items.
Club:
The school operates seven different clubs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Scouting club
Reading club
Nature club
Games and Sports club
Literary club
Cultural club
Health club
All the students above class II are required to join one of the clubs. In the clubs,
they mostly learn organizing than playing.
SUPW (Socially Useful and Productive Work)
This activity of the school is carried out daily. SUPW constitutes cleaning school
surroundings, grass cutting during Saturdays and even on other days during the
peak summer season. The school also undertakes a mass cleaning campaign
every year to sensitise the general public to sanitation. This is to inculcate the
dignity of labour and respect for manual work.
Agriculture
The school also carries out agriculture activities. Last year, the four houses
produced around 200 kg of ginger. This year, we expect double the amount.
Besides, the school boasts of a lot of trees on the campus.
Looking ahead
The school aspires to upgrade itself to one of the best lower secondary schools in
the country. It also hopes to increase its student enrolment and improve
physical facilities. We would like to produce ideal students.
THIMPHU DZONGKHAG
Portrait of an institute: the Institute of Language and Culture Studies,
Semtokha.
-Dawa Lhamo, Lecturer in English, and
Karma Drupchu, Lecturer in History and Translation, ILCS
The History
The Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS) is situated, about five
kilometers away from the capital city of Thimphu, on the lap of a lofty hill just above
the Semtokha Dzong. The ILCS is the only institute of its kind in the country. The
Institute embraces a comprehensive curriculum to inculcate refined knowledge and
wisdom of culture and traditions in the contemporary Bhutanese youth and the
future generations of the kingdom. The Institute has become the centre for the study
of culture, language and philosophy. In other words, we can even define it as one of
the fundamental props for the development and preservation of our culture and
tradition.
With the introduction of socio-economic development in the country in the early
nineteen sixties, His Majesty the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928-72) felt the
need for an institute that would preserve the age-old cultural legacy and traditional
values of the country. Thus, under the command of Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck, the Rigney Lobdra came into existence on the auspicious 4th day of the
6th month of the Male Iron Ox Year corresponding to the 16th of July 1961 at Wangdi
Tse, which is about half an hour walk up from Dechen Phodrang and Zilukha.
On the plea of Royal Queen Mother Ashi Kelzang Choden Wangchuck, His Majesty
the late King invited His Holiness the late Chabjey Dilgo Khentse Rimpoche (191091), an accomplished spiritual leader from Tibet to be the first principal of the
Lobdra.
Over a hundred students with different cultural backgrounds from various
dzongkhags came to join the Lobdra. Altogether, there were fifty monks and fifty laypractitioners. The Lobdra enjoyed a continuous shower of blessings under His
Holiness’s spiritual guidance.
However, owing to the unsuitability of its location, the Lobdra had to move to its new
site at Semtokha just after a period of two months of its establishment. The first
batch of graduates was considered to be very fortunate as they had the opportunity
to receive spiritual education from His Holiness in person. Some of them are still
serving in various capacities as policy-makers, educators, writers, editors, teachers
and heads of the departments and divisions in different ministries, private sector
agencies and corporations.
In the earlier days, there were no boarding facilities. Each student was paid
Ngultrum one hundred as a monthly stipend by the government for sustenance. The
students made small shacks out of mud, shingles, stones and bamboo around the
Dzong. And they had to cook their own meals, fetch firewood, and water.
The Institute was entirely based on a monastic system of education. The beginners
had to set off on their academic journey by memorizing Ngagdron to a set of thirteen
volumes of philosophy. It was completely based on rote-learning and the students
had to struggle in the memorization of all the root texts and their commentaries. As
in the monastic system, a student had to go to the lama’s residence to recite the
memorized text. The students in general would have instructional explanation on
the text from the lama at his residence.
In 1974, during Lam Gyalwang Nima’s tenure as principal, the boarding system was
established for the first time with the aid from the World Food Programme (WFP) and
in addition, the formal class system was introduced to facilitate meaningful and
wholesome learning. In those days, Semtokha Dzong played a pivotal role. It was
the centre of teaching and learning activities. However, in the late nineteen nineties,
the Dzong was taken over by the Dratsang Lhentshog and now the Institute is no
longer a part of the Dzong.
In 1988, Dasho Lam Sanga officially took over the office as the head of the Institute
and during his term the curriculum was revised for the first time and a number of
relevant cultural subjects and co-curricular activities were incorporated for physical
and mental growth. The subjects were also categorized as major and minor subjects.
In the same year, the Lobdra was upgraded to a Rigzhung College and a batch of 43
girls was admitted for the first time, in keeping with the government’s policy to
provide equal opportunities to both girls and boys. Dasho Lam Sanga brought the
Institute out of its monastic mode of learning towards a modern mode.
Even after an exhausting odyssey with a lot of changes in the curriculum and the
system of delivery, somehow the Rigzhung College still remained shrouded in a thick
cloak of mystery, anonymity, and ambiguity. Not many people knew about the
existence of the Rigzhung College above the Semtokha Dzong, except for a few
people who toiled uphill to get their puja done. Many people were and still are under
the notion that the Institute’s teaching/learning activities are carried out in the
Dzong. Although, the Institute was part of Semtokha Dzong at one point of time, the
Institute’s teaching and learning activities are no longer held in the Dzong, as in
earlier days.
In the year 1997, the Institute did manage to catch the public eyes when it was
formally upgraded to the Institute of Language and Culture Studies and started
implementing the new curriculum during the tenure of Principal Singye Namgyal,
who is now the Joint Director, Non-formal and Continuing Education, Ministry of
Education. With the introduction of the new curriculum, the old curriculum was
phased out. The first batch of 35 ICSE passed students was admitted into the new
programme in 1997. Among the 35 students, 9 were girls. The occasion was graced
by the 70th Je Khenpo His Holiness Trulku Jigme Choeda and many other
dignitaries.
In 1999, Lopen Lungten Gyatso formally took over as the Principal of the ILCS. The
Institute has come a long way under his principalship. Although the Institute has
limited space and infrastructure for further development; under the current head,
ILCS enjoys a few modern amenities. With the inception of the new curriculum,
subjects like Philosophy, Poetry, Language, and English are taught as core subjects.
Besides, many other elective subjects like Logic, Astrology, History, Traditional
Painting, Traditional Music, Weaving, Traditional Architecture, are taught. The third
Rigzhung Curriculum Development Workshop was held to design the curriculum for
the three-year degree programme in February 1999 and the first batch of 19 degree
students was admitted in the month of July in 1999.
It was another historic event in the history of ILCS. The inaugural occasion was
graced by Their Excellencies, the then Prime Minister Lyonpo Jigme Y. Thinley and
Lyonpo Sangay Nidup, the then Minister of Health and Education and other officials.
The first batch of 19 degree students graduated in June 2002 and they are now
employed in various capacities in the different ministries, police force, judiciary and
corporations. The ILCS was the first institute to be formally handed over to the
Royal University of Bhutan by the Ministry of Education. The handing and taking
over was formalized on 28th April 2004. Now it is one of the federated institutes of
the Royal University of Bhutan.
The ILCS of yesteryears is not as same as the present ILCS. Besides, the
implementation of the new curriculum and the introduction of the degree
programme, the ILCS can boast of being the pioneer institute to undertake a project
to document and inventory some of the endangered cultural practices with financial
assistance from the UNESCO-Japan Funds in Trust.
The ILCS has completed the first phase of the project and is now embarking on the
second project to document the Drametse Ngacham. Lopen Lungten Gyatso and his
team of staff have compiled a document on Drametse Ngacham. The proposal has
been put up for approval to UNESCO in Paris and if the proposal goes through, the
ILCS will co-ordinate the project and several centres will be set up to promote and
preserve the Drametse Ngacham.
Aims and objectives:
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To preserve and promote the age-old tradition and culture of the nation
through the study of Buddhist Philosophy, Languages, Logic, Indigenous
Herbal Medicine, Bhutanese Arts and Crafts, Astrology, Bhutanese History,
and translation.
To promote the National language, Dzongkha.
To produce graduates with proficiency in both Dzongkha and English.
To support regional and international scholars to study Bhutanese
Languages, Art and Culture.
To produce modern citizens steeped in traditional values and knowledge.
Courses of Study:
I.
Classes XI & XII (Two-Year Certificate Course)
A:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Language
Sumtag (Choekey Grammar)
Nyengag (Choekey Poetry)
Dazhung (Dzongkha Grammar)
English (same pattern as in other Higher Secondary Schools)
B: Philosophy: Choenjug
C: Electives:
1. Literary Arts: Logic, Indigenous Medicine, Astrology, Translation, and
History
2. Performing Arts: Mask Dance, Traditional Songs and Music, and
Driglam Namzhag
3. Fine Arts: Traditional Painting, Bhutanese Architecture, and
Weaving/Designing
NB: A student is required to choose one elective from each of the
categories.
II.
Bachelor of Arts (Language and Culture)
Degree
Year I
Year II
Year III
A: Language
Sumtag
Nyengag
English
Sanskrit
Sumtag
Nyengag
English
Sanskrit
Nyengag
English
Sanskrit
B: Philosophy
Ngoenpar Zoe
Metaphysics)
(Buddhist
Uma Jugpa (Madhyamika)
Gyud
Tantra)
Lama
(Uttara
Electives: In the first year of the degree programme, a student is required to take up
two electives, but she/he has the choice of dropping one in the second year, and
then continuing with the same in the third year. The rationale behind continuing
with just one elective in the second and the third years is to give the student a field
of specialization of his/her choice besides the other core subjects.
The Taktse Plan
Initially, the ILCS was founded as a monastic school, but now it is a fully-fledged
degree-awarding institution. The Institute is envisaged to be a centre of excellence in
language and culture. At present, the ILCS is constrained in terms of space,
infrastructure, faculty members and other handicaps. The Institute is housed in one
building with just nine class rooms. We have no lecture theatre or other amenities to
meet the growing need of a university college.
Since the present location at Semtokha has no space for further expansion, it was
decided that the ILCS would be shifted to a new location at Taktse in Trongsa
district. The plan for further expansion materialized because of Lyonpo Sangay
Ngedup who firmly believed in the need for ILCS’s expansion.
With assistance from the UNESCO, a grand Master Plan has been prepared for the
Institute of Language and Culture Studies. The plan was developed between 2000
and 2001, and it provides major inputs to develop the ILCS into a fully-fledged
higher education institution. The plan proposes the upgrading of the existing
programmes and the introduction of a two-year diploma in Language and Literature,
a three-year B.A in Language and Literature, and a three-year B.A. in History and
Culture, as well as the development of M.A. and Ph.D programmes. It provides the
basic curriculum content of the upgraded institute and human resource
development as well as space requirements. In short, the ILCS will be developed to
meet the future requirements of the country as one of the tertiary institutes under
the RUB.
Bhutan 2020: A Vision of Peace, Prosperity and Happiness, a vision statement and
strategy document published by the Planning Commission, Royal Government of
Bhutan (1999) states that "Culture is a living manifestation of civilization (…). If it is
to continue to survive and flourish, to continue to serve as a source of inspiration,
and to give spiritual, moral, and psychological content and guidance to the
kingdom's future process of development, it must be understood in dynamic terms,
and we must seek to ensure that it retains its value and relevance to a society in
transformation. Without such efforts, our rich legacy could lose part of its value …”
(65).
Thus, it is imperative for Bhutan to protect the rich legacy to retain and sustain our
identity and dignity. Bhutan is at a critical juncture, development has been taking
place in leaps and bounds and if we don't take any measure to protect our rich
cultural heritage, there are chances of our cultural practices dwindling into oblivion.
Therefore, the ILCS has a major role to play in preserving the national culture of
Bhutan.
The ILCS is the only tertiary institution in Bhutan that is entrusted with the
preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage. Its planned development and
expansion demonstrate the high importance the Royal Government of Bhutan places
on the preservation of its rich culture and its promotion through the national
institutions, since preservation and promotion of culture is one of the pillars of
Gross National Happiness.
The main goal of the new institute is to train students with a sound knowledge of
the language, culture and traditions of Bhutan. Apart from the core curriculum, a
wide range of cultural subjects will be offered to be in line with the entrusted
responsibility of preservation and promotion of Bhutanese language and culture.
The main objective of the institute is to train students with a sound knowledge of
the language, culture and traditions of Bhutan.
Another important task of the institute is to conduct research, document and
enhance the existing knowledge on Bhutan’s history, tradition and social customs,
arts and crafts. The institute will also promote international exchange and support
international scholars to conduct research and disseminate their findings to a wider
body of academicians both within and outside the country.
Natural Resources Training Institute
Introduction
Natural Resources Training Institute (NRTI) is the national training centre for midtechnical level extension agents in Animal husbandry, Agriculture and Forestry. It is
located in Lobesa approximately 7 km from Wangduephodrang. NRTI started its
first course in August 1992. The establishment of NRTI is a joint venture of Swiss
Development Corporation, Helvetas, and the Royal Government of Bhutan. It is now
a premier training centre for Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) sector and other
related areas. From the year 2008, NRTI will also be offering Bachelor of Science in
Natural Resources with focus on agriculture and animal production.
Vision
NRTI strives towards the “Centre for Excellence in Rural Development Services”
Mission
To make relevant and lasting contribution to the rural development by educating
and training professionals in natural resources management (NRM)
Mandate
To serve as an institution for higher education, training and professional services in
NRM.
Objectives

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

To
To
To
To
conduct pre-service diploma course for RNR services
enhance knowledge and skills of RNR staff through in-service training
provide professional service related to NRM
offer degree programmes in NRM and related areas
Faculty




Faculty of
Faculty of
Faculty of
Faculty of
Animal Husbandry
Agriculture
Forestry
Extension and Communication
Courses offered
Diploma courses
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Diploma in Animal Husbandry
Diploma in Agriculture
Diploma in Forestry
Entry requirement: Class XII Science with Biology
Duration: 2 years
Annual intake: 77 students
Academic session: July
Farm Business Training
This course is designed for school leavers and educated farmers to encourage farm
enterprises and promote entrepreneurship. From the year 2008, the Farm Business
Training will move to Zhemgang and will be conducted by Rural Development
Training Centre.
Courses offered so far: Mushroom Production, Vegetable Production, Pig Production,
Poultry Production, Dairy Production, Fishery, Power chain Operation, Farm
Economics and Project Writing.
Entry requirement: Minimum of Class VIII qualification, 18 years and above,
farming experience
Training session: January to December
Training duration: 4 weeks to 4 months
In-service courses
NRTI regularly conducts special and refresher courses based on training needs
assessment done by the departments/non-deparments of Ministry of Agriculture
(MoA). NRTI also initiates in-service training needs through tracer studies. Some
courses conducted in the past are:

Backyard Pig and Poultry Production
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Backyard Dairy Farming
Extension Methodology
Apple Management
Mandarin and Cardamom Management
Environment Education, etc.
Training session: January to December
Training duration: 1 week to 2 months
Intake capacity: 25 per course
Staff strength

100% national employees: 26 teaching staff and 40 non-teaching staff.
Career prospects
The diploma holding graduates are placed in grade X of the civil service cadre. The
present employing agencies from MoA are: Planning and Policy Division, Council of
Research and Extension, Department of Livestock, Department of Agriculture,
Department of Forestry, National Biodiversity Centre, Bhutan Agriculture Food and
Regulatory Authority, Druk Seed Corporation and Forestry Development
Corporation Limited.
Facilities
Laboratories and Farms
Without the laboratories and farms, the skill-based and hands-on-training concept
of NRTI becomes incomplete. To acquire necessary skills, NRTI is equipped with the
following off-class training facilities:
1. Animal Husbandry laboratory
2. Agriculture and Forestry laboratory
3. Farms
a) Dairy farm
b) Poultry farm
c) Pig farm
d) Agriculture farm
e) Forestry nursery
f) Fish pond
Library
NRTI has a collection of more than 4000 books, 800 reports, 19 journals, 1 free online journal and new letters. The popular Indian newspapers are also available
alongside weekly Kuensel and The Bhutan Observer.
Hostel
Separate boys and girls hostel with the capacity of 160 students. the hostels are
equipped with toilets, bathrooms, kitchen, dining hall and leisure rooms.
Guesthouse
The furnished guesthouse has 16 double bedrooms with attached toilet and
bathrooms. There are two seminar rooms that could be used for workshop, seminar,
meetings and training.
Recreational
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Outdoor: football, basketball, volleyball, archery, badminton court, and lawn
tennis.
Indoor: table tennis, carom, Chinese checkers and chess.
Videos and cable television
Information technology
The teaching and non-teaching staff are provided computers. All the administrative
and academic buildings are provided with Lan facilities and ASAT internet access to
both staff and students. There is one computer lab with 30 computers and one infotop lob with 20 computers for student access to internet services.
Professional activities
In addition to the academic activities, NRTI conducts research of national
importance in collaboration with national research centres, and carries out
consultancy services. Some research papers were published in international
journals.
Outreach services
NRTI provides many outreach services to the local community around Punakha and
Wangdue region. Services include artificial insemination, dog sterilisation campaign,
plantation, forest fire protection, veterinarian services and RNR related trainings.
NRTI is also closely involved with school agriculture programme starting from
curriculum development to the training of focal school agriculture teachers.
Kelki Higher Secondary School (private)
Kelki, the first private co-educational institution of higher secondary education in
Bhutan, majestically nestled in the heart of Thimphu city with its magnificent
grandeur, was founded on 5th July, 1987 as a day care nursery school with Mr
Kelzang Thinley, the former Assistant Auditor General, Royal Audit Authority, as the
proprietor.
When the government invited in Kuensel proposals to open private schools in
Bhutan, Mr Kelzang Thinlay presented the project of Kelki which completely
satisfied the objectives and aspirations of the Department of Education and was
immediately approved by the government. The establishment of the school was a
pioneering effort to initiate formal schooling in non-government or private sector. It
was solely aimed at educating children and absolutely not profit motive.
Initially, the school was mandated to impart nursery and primary education under
the enlightening guidance of the Department of Education to make the children
gifted and capable of coping with the curriculum with the help of approved
methodology, play materials and other educational aids. In the first academic
session, the school had 65 children. It increased to 107 children in the next session
with one head, four teachers, and temporary teaching assistants.
Amidst this achievement, the proprietor of the school also encountered several hard
times in the management of the institution. However, with the commitment and firm
belief in accomplishing this modest venture, the institution continued striving to
achieve the highest possible standards. It was then in 1999 that the school was
permitted to offer higher secondary courses with classes still ranging from nursery
to III, IX, XI and XII. The school had then 498 students in two major streams, Arts
and Commerce, and 22 professionally trained Bhutanese and non-Bhutanese
teachers. This proved to be the humble attempt to offer higher education courses to
the needy youngsters of our country.
The year 2000 brought a gigantic change in the history of the school. 728 students
and 32 teachers were honoured to have His Majesty address the school assembly
where His Majesty expressed his contentment in the achievement of the school. The
students breathed a great sigh of relief when they were assured of the equal
treatment by the government, irrespective of the kind of school they attend, private
or government.
In June of the same year, the school was granted affiliation with the Council for
Indian School Certificate Examination, Delhi. And in December, the first batch of 48
BBE-ICSE candidates passed out from the school. Then in 2001, with the aim of
achieving quality education, the school narrowed the responsibility of nurturing only
higher classes viz. X, XI and XII with 30 students in class X, 258 in class XI and 369
in XII. With this, the prima