Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay said there is a need for more private colleges in the country with increasing number of Bhutanese students seeking university education in India every year.
Lyonchhen said while Bhutan has 33 private schools, the country has only one private college. More than 5,000 Bhutanese students are studying in various colleges of India today.
“Some of them study in recognised colleges, some in colleges that are not recognised. And even though some are studying in good colleges, they fail to attend classes…”
Lyonchhen also highlighted the need to provide a nutritional diet to the Bhutanese students in boarding schools. Two students from Orong Higher Secondary School had died in 2011 due to lack of Periphery Neuropathy, a disease caused by lack of Vitamin B complex.
There are plans in place to improve the health of Bhutanese boarder students, said the Prime Minister. Since 2006, 215 Bhutanese students have suffered from the disease.
“We have been working closely with Food Corporation of Bhutan to improve the supply of nutritional food to the schools in the country. We are also looking into the possibility of making FCB buy local produces from local farmers and then sell those to the schools. We have also introduced a program where a student will be provided three eggs in a week for their better health.”
Bhutan has achieved 98.7 percent school enrolment.
