Social and Political Forces that have Shaped the Educational System of Bhutan

 

Social and Political Forces that have Shaped the Educational System of Bhutan 

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Bhutan – Education System                             

Bhutanese Education before the introduction of Modern Education in 1961 existed in a monastic form of education. It was concentrated on the philosophy that we adopt today. After the opening of the formal schools in Bhutan, it was the influences from the Indian Education system with the coming up of many Indian teachers to Bhutan and the Canadian influences with the coming up of Late Father William Mackey in 1963. Bhutan started modern education with foreign teachers with the purpose of infusing literacy, professional skills, pleasure, duty, liberation, and transcendental wisdom for human goals (Tobgay, n.d.). Gradually, the infusion of Gross National Happiness in the education process brought a pivotal change in the education system. The Bhutanese curriculum at present adopts the Singaporean, Canadian, and European curriculum to meet the world-class standard of the educational process. It seeks to revive the country’s unique values, traditions, culture, and aspirations blended with modernism in preparing and nurturing citizens with values, skills, and knowledge for the twenty-first century (Ministry of Education, 2018).

Bhutanese Education Before The Introduction of Modern Education

The booming period of Buddhism in Bhutan dates back from the 10th century until the end of the 17th century. It was the period when monastic education was popularly flourishing basically enabling the students to acquire literacy and any forms of religious scholarship. Mostly, students were taught to gain spiritual progress apart from acquiring skills in mundane arts. In a nutshell, education is solely based on the development purpose of an individual with the aim to excel students in acquiring knowledge that could liberate anyone from any form of cyclic existence (Dargay, n.d.). The medium of instruction used was the use of ‘choekey language’ (Classical forms of language) and students were mostly monks who resided in the monastery for religious instructions. However, the introduction of modern education in Bhutan changed the philosophy of the education system, adding tension among the monastic leaders towards modernization (Musings, 2015).

Introduction of First Five-Year Plans And Modern Education Movement In Bhutan

The introduction of Bhutan’s first five-year plan in 1961 by Late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (reign 1952-72) changed the shape of the education system in the country as the expansion of school education started with the successive educational policy submissions and implementations (Hirayama, n.d). Modern education is basically focused on addressing some basic educational needs with the development of human resourcing. Schools were introduced to different teaching subjects such as English, Hindi, arithmetic, and the study of Buddhist literature (Musings, 2015).

 Influence of Indian and Canadian Education System

Lyonpo Sonam Tobgay in his reflection stated, “The education system in Bhutan had colonial relic from India. It was geared towards administrative purposes and gaining access to the world” (Tobgay, n.d.). The first King of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck, sent 46 boys from Bhutan to Dr. Grahams Homes (Present time Kalimpong), a Scottish mission school for the first time, and the first school opened in 1914 in Bhutan and from 1919 to 1920 with only 49 students which slowly increased to 11 schools with 400 students. Since then, the Bhutan Education System has the influenced by the Indian Education system with the coming up of many Indian teachers to Bhutan, to teach and the Canadian influences with the coming up of Late Father William Mackey in 1963. Bhutan started modern education in Bhutan with foreign teachers to infuse literacy, professional skills, pleasure, duty, liberation, and transcendental wisdom for human goals (Tobgay, n.d.). Over the period, Bhutan started sending more students to the premier Anglo-Indian education institution, India who later on came back to Bhutan and played a crucial role by taking up the role of educators and taking the lead roles in shaping Bhutan to Modern Bhutan with the inclusion of science, technology, and philosophy into the curriculum.

Bhutan Towards 21st Century Education System

Education sectors today are given higher priority by the government to improve the teaching and learning experiences in the schools in Bhutan. With the introduction of 10 years Bhutan Education Blueprint, the Ministry of Education and the Royal Government of Bhutan aimed to transform the mode of education towards increasing access, quality, and efficiency with its goal of an efficient, high-performing, and successful education system (GPE, n.d). Today, Education is considered an individual right in Bhutan.

With the issuance of Royal Kaso on the transformative reconceptualization of Bhutan’s education system by His Majesty the King of Bhutan on 17th December 2020, the entire education system in the country took its new turn in the irreplaceable role of education in the process of nation-building providing higher priority towards competencies building of the students for the twenty-first century through holistic development. Bhutan has already marched into the infusion of Gross National Happiness in the education process for the holistic development of every learner with the emphasis on Green School initiatives blended with cultural aspects such as culture, economy, social welfare, and education (Ratna, 2019).

Presently, the introduction of the New Normal Curriculum is on the way to fulfill the purpose of education as described in the Royal Kaso from the wholesome transformation of learners through independence in a plebiscite. The Bhutanese curriculum at present is collaborating with Singaporean, Canadian, and European curricula so that it would enable every individual learner to be ready for the preparation of life ahead through classroom teaching to research learning, from teacher-centered to child-centered, from accountancy to entrepreneurship with values for life with focuses to enhance access, quality, and equity in education for wholesome transformation, preparing and nurturing citizens with values, skills and knowledge for the twenty-first century to meet the country’s unique values, traditions, culture, and aspirations (Ministry of Education, 2018). Over and above, it is observed that Bhutan is aligned with the purpose of education in the world in transforming today’s learners to be quality citizens through the transformation of self.

 

Reference

 

Ministry of Education. (2018). National Education Policy. Retrieved June 19, 2021, from https://www.gnhc.gov.bt/en/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/National-Education-Policy-v13.pdf

Tobgye, S. (n.d.). Education System in Bhutan – Past, Present and Future A Reflection. Retrieved June 19, 2021 from https://www.judiciary.gov.bt/publication/educationCJB.pdf

 

Dargay. Y. (n.d.). An Overview of Bhutan’s Monastic Education System. Retrieved June 25, 2021 from https://www.google.com/search?q=An+Overview+of+Bhutan%E2%80%99s+Monastic+Education+System+%5B1%5D+Dr.+Yonten+Dargye&oq=An+Overview+of+Bhutan%E2%80%99s+Monastic+Education+System+%5B1%5D+Dr.+Yonten+Dargye&aqs=chrome..69i57.1451j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Musing. (2015). From the mountains of Wangbama. Retrieved June 25, 2021 from http://peldennima.blogspot.com/2015/10/monastic-education-to-modern-education.html

 

Hirayama. T. (n.d). A Study of the Type of School during the Dawn of Modern Education in Bhutan. Retrieved June 25, 2021 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED568679.pdf

 

GPE. (n.d). Bhutan. Retrieved June 25, 2021 from https://www.globalpartnership.org/where-we-work/bhutan

 

Ratna, R. (2019). Education in Bhutam: An Observation from Sustainability Persective. Retrieved June, 19, 2021, from http://14.139.211.59/bitstream/123456789/2777/24/Full%20thesis%20of%20Ratna%20Paul.pdf