The National Teaching Service, a dedicated framework to professionalise and improve teachers will be rolled out by next year. During the Meet the Press session on Friday, Education and Skills Development Minister Yeezang De Thapa said the framework will help curb teacher shortage and create pathways for contract teachers. The minister said the ministry along with the Royal Civil Service Commission is working to establish the service.
The National Teaching Service aims to create a well-trained teaching workforce to strengthen and meet the education system’s evolving needs in Bhutan.
This effort also aims to curb the teacher shortage challenges in the country whereby it includes structured pathways for contract teachers to transition to regularisation.
Education and Skills Development Minister said “Consolidated contract teachers must complete their Postgraduate Diploma in Education from Paro College of Education. They will do a mixed-mode model where they will be employed and studying at the same time. Once they graduate, they will have to pass the Teaching Service Eligibility Test. Then, contract teachers will be regularised.”
Moreover, the ministry is working with the Royal University of Bhutan to align teacher training programmes with national demand.
“In Paro and Samtse, we have been training teachers according to the subject requirement where more teachers are trained in required subjects. Moreover, to solve the teacher shortage, we have a school consolidation plan.”
She added that the school consolidation plan will redeploy excess teachers to schools without teachers and recruit additional teachers if needed.
The minister said all teachers will be trained professionals by phasing out the system of contract teachers.
Singye Dema
