The dearth of teachers in rural schools saw renewed discussion at the recent annual dzongda’s conference this week, when some of the 20 dzongdas asked the education ministry to reintroduce temporary teacher recruitment.

Tashigang dzongda, Lungten Dorji, informed ministry officials at the annual conference that temporary teachers should be employed to address the shortage, especially in extended classrooms, where one teacher had to manage an increasing number of students.

Extended classrooms were recently established to increase accessibility and help students in scattered villages who had to walk long distances to school. For instance, a primary school in Yangneer opened an extended classroom in a village, catering to students, who had to walk hours to school. The parent school, Yangneer, will have to deploy a teacher in the extended classroom, when it is already facing a shortage, said a dzongkhag official.

“The shortage in community and primary schools is mainly because teachers don’t want to be posted in rural areas,” said dzongda Lungten Dorji.

Education officials responded that the system of recruiting temporary teachers in schools existed before, but the royal civil service commission (RCSC) has not allowed recruitment of temporary teachers in schools anymore. “This is because the issue is being addressed by the Light Drukyul project, where contract teachers are recruited, depending on the ministry’s need,” said an education official.

Tashigang district education officer (DEO), Dorji Passang, said that the dzongkhag has a shortage of 26 teachers, especially to teach accountancy and economics to higher secondary students. “We’re expecting the education ministry to help solve the issue at the earliest,” he said.

The country faces a total teacher shortfall of about 800 to 1,000 this year. “The recruitment of contract teachers might also help address youth unemployment,” said a human resource officer.

Education officials, however, said that they are in the process of addressing these issues under the ongoing Light Drukyul project, where the ministry would be taking in an additional 150 contract teachers this year. “These teachers will be sent to schools where there’s an acute shortage,” said one. Source: Kuenselonline