About 900 students of Phuentshogling relocated to Punakha are currently in quarantine facilities. Initially, it was decided the students would be taken directly to their new school, stay there under quarantine for twelve days and then start classes. But this change was made due to the recent alarming COVID cases surfacing in Phuentshogling.
The students were transported from Phuentshogling to Punakha in two batches with the first batch arriving in Punakha on Sunday and the second on Monday.
Most of them are quarantined in hotels in Punakha and some in Thimphu.
Along with the 900 students, 75 teachers and supporting staff are also quarantined for two weeks.
All of them will also undergo routine COVID-19 tests.
According to Rinchen Samdrup, the Deputy Chief Education Officer of Punakha, with so many new COVID cases in Phuentshogling, they do not want to take any chances. “The number of children we have here is quite large. If we put them all together and if even a single one is infected, there are high chances the virus could spread to all the students,” he said.
Classes will begin immediately after the quarantine period is over. The new school has 24 classrooms but there are also other rooms that can be converted into classrooms if needed. The school also has separate hostel facilities for the students. However, the teachers will reside outside the school campus since the school doesn’t have staff quarters.
The Deputy Chief Education Officer said everything at the new school in Phuduna is ready.
The students of classes IX to XII from Phuentshogling Higher and Middle Secondary Schools and Sonamgang Middle Secondary School will function as one independent boarding school at Phuduna.
The Education Ministry decided to relocate the students of Phuentshogling to Punakha so that their studies are not hampered by the pandemic.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
