Dewathang Primary School in Samdrup Jongkhar is suffering from overcrowded classrooms this year. Each classroom has more than 40 students. The classrooms are so congested that the first row of students sit just about a meter away from the blackboard. Also, there is hardly any space for the teacher to move around.
A teacher in Dewathang Primary School, Asha Monger, says because of the space crunch students cannot be grouped according to their abilities. She said they could work out the students’ abilities according to their midterm performance. “But there is no way we can go around and help them at individual level.”
Another teacher, Tshering Dolkar, said the actual capacity of one classroom is 30 students. “Some classes have more than 40 students,” she said.
To make the matter worse, some of the classrooms are under maintenance and classes are being conducted in the school library.
According to the School’s Principal Ngawang Thinley drastic increase in the enrollment this year lead to the overcrowded classrooms. He said in the beginning of this year’s academic session, armies who were transferred to Dewathang came in droves to the school for their children’s admission. “More than half of the student population is from the Army based in Dewathang,” said Ngawang Thinley.
The Dzongkhag Education Office said there are plans in the pipeline to construct more classrooms.
