Starting July this year, the College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS) at Tagste in Trongsa will offer Bachelor’s Degree in Dzongkha and Culture Studies. The new degree programme will not require applicants to score a minimum of 50 per cent in English as one of the criteria. The applicants will just need a pass mark in the subject. This change is expected to attract more students with good Dzongkha background.
The Royal University of Bhutan confirmed the four years Bachelors program in February this year. The college will admit 80 students on full scholarship. However, only Language and Culture students with English in class XII will be eligible.
“There are so many students who are extremely good in Dzongkha but they are unable to score more than 50 per cent in English. So they are unable to get in. So as a result what’s happening is, the good ones in Dzongkha do not get into Dzongkha Programmes. So now we are making this program little inclusive which means that now even students who have just passed class XII with distinguished marks in Dzongkha will get in,” said Lungten Gyatsho, the President of the CLCS.
The minimum requirement of 50 per cent in English subject was a problem for students taking Rigzhung in high school. For instance, Desi High School which initially started as a language and culture studies school in 2012 has now started enrolling Arts and Commerce students. The school saw a sharp decline in Rigzhung enrollment after 2014. Currently, only 35 students are taking Rigzhung in class XII in the school.
“When I pondered on what could be the possible reasons, it wasn’t the quality. When I analyse and compare with other streams, each of the streams have specialised training institutes or colleges. But for students graduating from Rigzhung school, it’s difficult. They score high marks in Dzongkha but very low in English. This is because after class X, their specialisation is in Dzongkha and therefore they cannot perform well in English. But for admission to the college, one of the criteria is they should have a minimum of 50 in English. That’s why students from other streams who perform well in English get into Taktse college even though they do not have basics in Dzongkha,” said Tashi Wangchuk, the Proprietor of Desi High School.
The Tagtse college management will also make sure that those studying the new degree programme be given a priority for the Post Graduate programme in Paro College of Education.
“We have also sought an understanding with the Paro College of Education that once the students graduate from the college, they would be taken in as Dzongkha teacher candidates in Paro College of Education. And they would be further trained in teaching and learning Dzongkha Pedagogy in addition to the Dzongkha language competency they would have gained during their four years course here,” the President of the CLCS added.
Currently, the college has more than 800 students studying Bachelors in Language and Literature and Bachelors in Bhutanese Himalayan Studies.
Passang/Sonam Pem
