The National Council asked the Special Education Committee of the House to review two of the three recommendations presented today. The committee presented the review report on education-related legislation.
The house accepted the recommendation on promoting policy coherence and coordination. It says there is a need for improved coordination between the education ministry and relevant institutions.
However, the other two recommendations to enact comprehensive legislation and enhance implementation and monitoring mechanisms required further review. The recommendations want Bhutan to prioritise the enactment of a formal education act and endorse and implement the National Education Policy 2024.
Additionally, it also mentions establishing a dedicated body to oversee the implementation of the Education Policy Guidelines and Instructions (EPGI) and other strategic documents.
“There are only three recommendations—or four if we include the section added to the first recommendation by the committee. I believe that just four recommendations will not be enough to address the significant challenges highlighted in the committee’s findings,” said Phuntsho Rapten, an Eminent Member of the National Council.
“The committee’s observations and findings highlight several important recommendations. However, as only four recommendations will be forwarded to the government, it would be helpful if the committee could incorporate key recommendations from the observations and findings sections,” said Jamyang Namgyal, MP, Pema Gatshel.
Some members also suggested including separate recommendations on addressing challenges posed by merging schools.
The committee will further review the recommendations for adoption next month.
The education system has redundancies of policies and guidelines without an education act. Moreover, the National Education Policy has been in draft form for over a decade.
Sonam Yuden
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
