As soon as they pass out of middle secondary schools, it is time for them to move away from home, even if it means just across the river. After completing class 10, the students of four gewogs across the Mao River in Gelegphu, have to relocate in Gelegphu or Sarpang to continue their education.
The Chhuzanggang Gup, Sangay Tshering, had put up a proposal to upgrade Norbuling Middle Secondary School to a higher secondary school during a recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu meeting.
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Even if a child falls sick parents cannot come to meet them immediately. The swollen Mao River makes it impossible to come help their child.”
Chhuzanggang Gup,
Sangay Tshering
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He said there are more than 10,000 people and about 1,500 households living in the four gewogs. The four gewogs are Serzhong, Chhuzanggang, Umling and Tareythang.
“It is inconvenient for the farmers to send their children away,” said Sangay Tshering.
But the Dzongkhag Education Officer, Tashi Chonjur, says upgrading the school to a higher secondary school is not possible. “There are already two higher secondary schools in the dzongkhag,” he said.
He also said Sarpang has full time boarding facility. “We haven’t sent any student from Sarpang to other dzongkhags in class 11 and 12.” Tashi Chonjur said considering the fact that the students going to class 11 are being absorbed in Sarpang Dzongkhag alone, they see no requirement to upgrade any schools across the river.
However, he said, the school will be automatically upgraded if the population of children increase and the existing higher secondary schools are not able to absorb them.
Not convinced, the Chhuzanggang Gup said he will push for upgrading the school. “The appeal is from the people,” Sangay Tshering said. He said in order to validate their request; they will conduct a study on the number of students from class five to 10 and submit the report during the sixth Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
