Tsirang gets a Community Learning Centre, after more than two decades since the first community centre was established in the country. A centre in Mendrelgang Gewog was inaugurated recently.
Community Learning Center is a local educational institution that provides various learning opportunities such as literacy, post-literacy and life skill programmes.
For now, the trainees at the centre will be taught in Peamshong chiwog’s public meeting hall. It will provide an 18-month long tailoring course to 20 villagers which will start within a week.
The district education sector procured sewing machines and other equipment with financial support from the Korean National Commission for UNESCO through the Non-Formal Education Division under the Department of Adult and Higher Education.
“They will be able to generate income by setting up a business and even if they don’t set up a business they can become independent by having tailoring task at home. And not only tailoring course, but we are also going to include other programmes so that people in the community will become independent and self-reliant,” said Rinchen Gyeltshen, the Chief District Education Officer in Tsirang.
With a good number of learners, Mendrelgang Gewog was the first gewog to propose for the centre.
The learners require a minimum qualification of class VI or should have completed the post-literacy course.
Sangay Pelmo, a trainee said, “The centre will benefit us immensely. After attending a life skill education, we can make income for the family and be financially independent. We heard about such centres in other districts and we have been eagerly waiting for one in our district as well.”
“I really want to attend the tailoring course. We are grateful to the government for establishing the centre. Now I will attend the training without missing a day,” said Kinley, another trainee at the centre.
Meanwhile, the Mendrelgang gup said the gewog has allocated around Nu 3 M for constructions of the training centre and instructor’s quarter in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Mendrelgang Gup Yeshi said, “Our students get jobs after completing their studies but our farmers back in the villages land up without any plan after attending the Non-Formal Education and the Post Literacy Course. Therefore, we requested the district administration to open a Community Learning Center in the gewog to equip our people with life skill education such as tailoring and setting up dairy farms.”
Today, there are 26 such centres in 16 districts and three thromdes of the country.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
