Amid challenges with school facilities and infrastructure in implementing the Cambridge curriculum, the education minister assured the National Assembly that the government expects to implement the Cambridge Curriculum fully from next year. The education ministry proposed over Nu 674 M for the 2026–2027 financial year for curriculum reforms.
During the National Assembly’s question-and-answer session, Members of Parliament raised concerns over teacher capacity, school infrastructure, ICT and laboratory facilities, teaching-learning materials, and delays in textbook distribution.
MPs questioned whether the ministry had adequately assessed conditions on the ground before introducing the Cambridge curriculum.
“The minister said that the assessments have been done and schools are ready for the Cambridge curriculum implementation. However, it did not seem this way when we practically visited schools. Assessments might have been done in urban schools, but in rural schools, there are issues such as not enough computers, no good internet, and a shortage of teachers,” said Tshering Penjor, Dewathang-Gomdar MP, Samdrup Jongkhar, NA.
“Learning materials in soft copy would not benefit students in remote schools. They do not have laptops, nor can they take their phones to school. How can such changes, without a proper assessment, help people? It is important to do a fair trial in both urban and rural schools before starting it,” said Lam Dorji, Wamrong MP, Trashigang, NA. Responding to the concerns, the Education and Skills Development Minister said the ministry had assessed all key areas before implementation.
The minister said the government adopted a phased approach after assessments showed that schools were not ready to implement the curriculum across all grades at once.
“On the issue of textbooks, teaching and learning would not face major disruptions as only limited alignment is required in some classes. For Classes 9 to 12, only about 20 per cent alignment is needed, and existing textbooks can still be used.”
The minister added that the government expects to complete all textbooks for PP to Class XII by 2027.
According to the Budget Report for the 2026–2027 financial year, the government allocated 289 million ngultrum to roll out the Cambridge-aligned curriculum for Classes IX and XI, including teacher training, learning materials, digital resources, and assessment systems.
It also earmarked over Nu 385 M for teacher development and leadership training to strengthen education quality.
Sangay Chozom
Edited by Sangay Chezom
