The school principals who attended a two-week course on School Leadership Development Programme (SLDP) in Tsirang said, the leadership course will help them to lead the school management better henceforth. The Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS) launched the programme on the 30th of last month in collaboration with the Education Ministry to enhance leadership capabilities and to offer a platform to contribute to the larger education reforms envisioned by His Majesty The King. The leadership course for the first batch of school principals concluded yesterday with His Majesty The King granting a virtual audience from Jomotshangkha in Samdrup Jongkhar.
25 school principals from across the country attended the leadership programme in the first batch. They were taught on developing leadership skills, presentation and communication skills, mediation, and conflict resolution skills. The sessions also included organisational development and change in management among others. The course was a blend of virtual and in-person sessions by both national and foreign faculties amid the pandemic.
“The knowledge and skills I learned here would be very useful for me to implement the leadership requirements back in the school. At the same time, I think SLDP is a programme that is happening at the right time because education in Bhutan is undergoing a drastic transformation,” said Tshering La, a participant.
“Both facilitators from Bhutan and abroad taught us how to provide a quality education to our young children. It is also about how to improve one’s leadership qualities as a head of the schools. Now I am excited to implement the knowledge and skills once I return to my school,” added Sonam Jamtsho.
Kuenzang Thinley, another participant said, “ In the last 24 years as a school principal, I have attended so many programmes especially in the field of leadership but this programme is totally different. It is really interesting, informative and enriching. We have no doubt that we can carry forward the programmes and activities in the schools.”
The second batch of the leadership programme will begin from 27th of this month. The institute will be training around 500 school leaders covering all principals and officiating principals in the next one and half years.
The institute is currently providing the course at the Royal Audit Authority’s Professional Development Centre in Tsirang due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine requirements in Phuentshogling. Also the institute in Phuentshogling is currently used as the COVID-19 control centre since the beginning of the pandemic.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
