Bara Lower Secondary School in Samtse is faced with acute shortage of classrooms. The problem started after the earthquake last September completely damaged some of the classrooms.
For now, to address the classroom shortage, the school has merged two sections into one. The students of classes VII and VIII are housed in the same building with no proper walls in between. The rooms are divided by a thin bamboo sheet.
The students said they cannot concentrate while the teacher is teaching due to loud voices heard from the other room.
Pema Dorji, a teacher, said due to overcrowding of classes, the quality of teaching and learning by the students has diminished. “It is very difficult for us to teach, especially to the backbenchers. They face difficulty to catch what the teacher says because the classes are joined together,” he said.
According to the school Principal, Samdrup Gyelpo, the matter has been reported to the Gewog administration. With their support, temporary classrooms are under construction.
Bara Lower Secondary School was established in 1965 and has more than 600 students and 18 teachers.
