With summer just around the corner, most classrooms in schools across the southern foothills of the country have started to become uncomfortably warm. In such a situation, learning becomes challenging for both teachers and students. However, the students of Tashichhoeling Primary School in Samtse district are in for a treat. With the help of the Tashichhoeling Gewog Administration, the school recently installed 15 air conditioners or ACs in each classroom to cope with the summer heat.
Like many other schools in southern districts, Tashichhoeling Primary School is prone to the summer heat. Temperature can soar up to 35 degree Celsius or even more during the peak summer months.
Each class has four fans installed and is well-ventilated but it is not enough. Students constantly request their teachers to take them outside where the temperature is much cooler.
“The fans are hardly of any help as they cannot cool down the classrooms. Students frequently complained about the extreme heat and ask us to take them outside,” said Yangchen Pemo, a teacher.
As the fans are gradually replaced by air conditioners, students are found actively taking part in their classes. Moreover, ACs are not noisy like fans.
“Before it was very difficult to study, especially after lunch as it used to get very hot, and we struggle a lot to cope with the heat. But now, we have ACs and our classrooms are much cooler. We feel good now,” said Ngawang Yonten, a student.
“We feel fresh and more active these days. We can now focus more on our studies and we do not have to use fans as well. Compared to fans, the air conditioners do not make much noise. So, it is much easier to hear as well,” said Prajang Sampang Rai, another student.
Besides classrooms, staff room, IT lab, library, and the ECCD centre were installed with ACs.
“Due to the extreme heat, the quality of education was being compromised a bit. However, now that we have ACs in our school, we the teacher and students of the school, pledge to further improve the quality of education,” said Choney Dorji, the Principal of the school.
Apart from the Tashichhoeling Primary School, no other schools in Samtse are fully equipped with ACs.
However, the district education sector says there is a genuine need for such services and is planning to provide such services in all the schools in the district.
Established in 2008 as an Extended Classroom, Tashichhoeling Primary School, today, has about 200 students studying from classes pre-primary to six.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
Edited by Sherub Dorji
